Nov. 9, 2005
WACO, Texas -
Baylor received signed National Letters of Intent from Demond Carter and Josh Lomers to play basketball, head coach Scott Drew announced Wednesday. With just two signees Baylor's early signing class has been rated 21st nationally by Rivals.com, the second-highest national ranking for a class of two or fewer players.
"We are pleased to add Demond Carter and Josh Lomers to our basketball program," Drew said. "They are both nationally ranked recruits, but even more importantly they possess the high character necessary to represent Baylor University and the Waco community in a positive manner."
Carter, a 5-10 point guard for Reserve Christian from LaPlace, La., is a consensus Top-100 national recruit and one of the most prolific scorers in high school basketball history. His national rankings include No. 45 HoopScoop, No. 47 CSTV.com, No. 61 Rivals.com, No. 82 Hoopmasters and No. 87 Scout.com. Carter is rated a Top-10 point guard recruit nationally by both Rivals.com and Hoopmasters.
"Demond has been on the national scene since becoming the youngest player to ever attend a Nike Camp in 2002," Drew said. "He has been able to not only handle that pressure, but his participation in Nike camps and with USA Basketball has enabled him to gain experience from playing against national-caliber players the last four years. So he's battle-tested and ready for collegiate basketball."
Carter, whose nickname is "Tweety," has scored more than 5,600 career points and been a varsity starter since the seventh grade. He is a four-time all-state selection and has led Reserve Christian to three state championships, including the school's first-ever title in 2002 as an eighth grader when he was honored as the tournament MVP.
As a junior in 2005, Carter averaged 32 points and eight assists in leading Reserve Christian to a 37-13 record and the Class B state championship. He was named the tournament MVP and the Class B Outstanding Player of the Year by the Louisiana Sportswriter's Association. Carter was honored as the 2005 National Christian School Athletic Association Player of the Year as a junior and the 2003 national high school freshman of the year (for all sports) by SuperPrep.com.
Carter earned fame as an eighth grader in 2002 when he was one of the first two middle-school athletes ever to be invited to the Nike All-America Camps (with Derrick Caracter of Scotch Plains, N.J.). He also participated in Nike All-America Camps and the Nike Hoop Jamboree following his freshman and junior seasons. After his sophomore year, Carter was a member of the USA Basketball North Team that won a silver medal at the 2004 Men's Youth Development Festival.
Lomers is rated the No. 6 center nationally by Rivals.com and is a consensus Top-100 national recruit. He is rated nationally by CSTV.com (No. 39), Rivals.com (No. 43), Hoopmasters (No. 64), and Scout.com (No. 88). Lomers is also the third-rated recruit in Texas according to Rivals.com.
"Josh is one of the most highly sought-after big men in the nation who is continuing to improve each year," Drew said. "Josh already has the size and strength necessary to compete in the Big 12 Conference. As his game continues to improve we believe he can become a force to reckon with for many years to come."
A 7-foot, 1-inch center, Lomers plays for Boerne (Texas) High School and was named to the 2005 TABC 4A All-State team as a junior last season after averaging 22 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7 blocks per game at Boerne. Lomers also shot 73.4 percent from the field.
Lomers led Boerne to a 31-6 record and the District 28-4A championship as a junior in 2005. Boerne advanced to the Region IV quarterfinals before losing 82-77 to Austin Del Valle, led by current Baylor freshman Curtis Jerrells.
Following his sophomore and junior seasons Lomers participated in the Nike All-America camp and he also attended the 2005 NBA Top Prospects camp in Richmond, Va. Lomers' sophomore season was cut short when he broke his arm in mid-January.
BAYLOR 2006 SIGNEES:
Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown (Schools)
Demond "Tweety" Carter G 5-10 170 Fr. LaPlace, La. (Reserve Christian School)
Josh Lomers C 7-1 250 Fr. Boerne, Texas (Boerne HS)
