Ball State announced the signing on Wednesday of three high school seniors to play for the Cardinals beginning in 2005 -- Maurice Acker, Pat Nelson and transfer-to-be D'Andre Peyton.
Acker is a 5-foot-8 point guard from Hillcrest High School in Illinois, which went 27-2 and 25-4 the last two seasons and is predicted to be one of the state's elite teams this year. Acker averaged 18 points and six assists per game as a junior.
"First and foremost, Maurice Acker is a winner," head coach Tim Buckley said in a release. "He is the consummate point guard with a great feel for the game."
Nelson, a 6-9 center, is at Jefferson High School in Buckley's hometown of Rockford, Ill. He averaged 10 points and nearly 10 rebounds last season.
Peyton, a 6-7 forward, will come after two seasons at Vincennes University. He averaged 8.7 points and 7.1 boards his first year there. Previously, Peyton attended Indianapolis Lawrence Central and Shores Academy.
"Pat Nelson has tremendous upside," Buckley said. "He is a hard-working big man, who wants to get better. His potential is unlimited.
"Peyton is a player we are bringing in to realize his potential."
Also, women's head coach Tracy Roller signed three players for next year's recruiting class -- Porchia Green, Kiley Jarrett and Dana Moorman.
Green, a 5-foot-8 guard from Arlington High School in Indianapolis, where she averaged 13.8 points per game the past two years. She also had 8.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game and was an Indiana Junior All-Star. Her high school team is coached by Ball State alum Stephanie (Stalder) Keller.
"Porchia is our most athletic commitment from this class," Roller says. "She will get after you defensively or blow by you with the ball offensively. Porchia's offense is much needed."
Jarrett is a 5-foot-4 point guard from Bloomington North was also an Indiana Junior All-Star and averaged 13.4 points, 4.1 assists and 3.1 rebounds last season. She was named Team MVP last season and Bloomington North is ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll.
"She was a great commitment for us," Roller said. "Her competitive nature, natural athletic ability and incredible leadership will have an immediate impact on our team. She is intense on both ends of the court and I look forward to seeing her in a Cardinal uniform."
Moorman, a 6-foot guard/forward at Ohio's Fairmont High School, led her team to the 2004 district championship. She averaged 11.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.7 assists as a junior, and was named second team all-conference and team MVP.
"She led her team to a very successful junior season and I expect that competitiveness to carry over to college," Roller said. "She can score inside and out, and hurts you in so many ways."
"I believe overall this class is probably our most athletic as a whole, more than any other class that our staff has signed," Roller said. "They were all heavily recruited and yet committed early to show their dedication to our program. They knew the fit here at BSU was right."
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