BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh head coach Billy Taylor has announced the signing of four student-athletes that will join the Mountain Hawks program in the fall of 2006. Marquis Hall (Portland, Ore.), Paul Bayer (Moline, Ill.), Zahir Carrington (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Matt Shamis (Northbrook, Ill.) are expected to not only add depth for Lehigh, but also provide solid playmaking, shooting, rebounding, defense and decision making skills as a group. The newest Mountain Hawks also bring impressive credentials from the classroom and around the community with them to South Mountain. “I am very excited to welcome this new class of recruits to Lehigh University,” Taylor said. “As a group, they bring outstanding shooting, passing and ball handling. Most importantly, we are bringing four character individuals with great core values into our program.”
A point guard from Jefferson High School in Portland, Hall has been very successful on the court, leading his high school team to a number-one ranking in the state and a spot at number-15 of the Student Sports National Poll during the 2004-05 season. Hall helped lead his AAU team, the Portland Legends, to the Kingwood Classic championship in April, which is the most prestigious spring event in the nation. Hall has earned a 4.0 grade point average and comes from a basketball background, as his father serves as a head coach for a high school girl’s team in Oregon.
“Marquis is a smooth and precise point guard,” Taylor explains. “He really has a high understanding of the game and knows how to lead a team. Marquis will bring great vision and passing along with the ability to score in a variety of ways.”
A 6-5 shooting guard from Moline High School, Bayer is a tremendous shooter with deep range and very good size for a shooting guard. Bayer, who has already scored 1,000 points in his career, comes from a strong high school program that is steeped in tradition and advanced to the Illinois state “Elite Eight” in 2003-04. A starter since his freshman year, Bayer was named to the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association All-State Third-Team as a junior, and carries a 3.9 grade point average in the classroom.
“Paul is a tremendous long range shooter. But more than that, he moves and cuts well without the ball which gives him additional opportunities to score. Paul’s confidence and leadership will make a big impact on and off the court,” Taylor explains.
Carrington is a 6-6 power forward from nearby Philadelphia, where he attends Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School, which is the most highly ranked school in the Philadelphia School District. Carrington, who plans on attending law school upon graduation from Lehigh, led Masterman to a 16-5 record last season, while averaging 15.1 points, eight rebounds and just over three blocked shots per game. For his efforts, Harrington was named to the All-Public League team and received honorable mention accolades as a sophomore. Off of the court, Harrington has posted a 94.95 grade point average and is highly involved within the community, donating much of his time to the Finlay Recreation Center, and serving as a peer counselor at his high school. As a result of his academic, athletic and community achievements, Carrington has been nominated for the Markward Award, which has been presented to the top scholar-athlete in the city, since its inception in 1948.
“Zahir is a tough and talented forward. He has length, size and speed to play multiple positions.” Taylor adds, “Zahir is very unselfish in his approach to the game and is willing to do whatever the team needs to win.”
The second member of this class from the state of Illinois, Shamis is a 5-11 point guard who attends Glenbrook North High School, and helped lead Glenbrook North to the Illinois state title in 2004-05. Shamis, who is teammates with Duke University recruit Jonathan Scheyer, has shown tremendous growth with his game during recent months, and enjoyed a great deal of success with his AAU team, Full Package. Shamis has displayed solid leadership skills and a “team-first” approach to the game, while maintaining a 3.65 grade point average off of the court.
“Matt is a quick and heady guard. He played great this summer and I expect a big senior season from him,” Taylor explains. “Matt is a good shooter who can also penetrate the defense to find open teammates. His passion and winning background will be an excellent fit in our program.”
Lehigh will return to the court on Sunday evening, as the Mountain Hawks travel to Philadelphia to take on the number-four ranked Villanova Wildcats. Tip-off is set for 7:30 from the Pavilion and all of the action can be heard on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 AM following New York Giants football, as well as on lehighsports.com with streaming provided by Yahoo! Sports. Matt Kerr and Greg Falkenbach ’72 will call the action.
