With their senior seasons long over, and graduation from their respective high schools rapidly approaching, Lehigh’s class of 2010 will arrive on campus soon. And when they do, this newest group will bring with them an impressive list of credentials from their final year, both on the hardwood and in the classroom.
Marquis Hall, a point guard from Jefferson High School in Portland, Oregon, is coming off an incredibly successful senior season, in which he was named the MVP of the Oregon/Washington All-Star Game after netting a team-high 29 points, including 21 in the second half, and was also a McDonald’s All-American Nominee. In addition, Hall, who played his high school ball for Marshall Haskins, garnered Third-Team All-State accolades, Second-Team All-State tournament team recognition and First-Team All-League honors as he led Jefferson to the Portland Interscholastic League (PIL) Championship for a third consecutive season with an overall record of 21-6, which included a league record of 17-1. For his efforts, Marquis was named the Jefferson High School Sportsman of the Year for 2006, was awarded the faculty award for citizenship, and was given the Hopkins-Jenkins trophy, which goes to the athlete of the year. In the classroom, Hall was just as impressive, posting a 4.0 grade point average on his way to class valedictorian honors, while serving as the student body vice president.
A Third-Team All-State selection as named by the Associated Press, Paul Bayer from Moline, Illinois, was honored by numerous sources for his on-court performance as a senior. In addition to his recognition by the AP, Bayer received All-State accolades from the Champaign News Gazette and the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association, and he was named the AA Metro Player of the Year by the Moline Dispatch/Rock Island Argus. Bayer, a 6-5 shooting guard from Moline High School who like Hall was a McDonald’s All-American nominee, will graduate as the number two scorer in school history (1467 points) and the all-time leader in made three-pointers with 230. In the classroom, Bayer, who was coached by Frank Dexter, has earned a 3.88 grade point average and was a Western Big Six Academic All-Conference selection, while being honored with the John Deere Harvester Leadership Award.
Zahir Carrington, a 6-6 power forward from Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School in Philadelphia, was a First-Team All-Public League and Third-Team All-City selection after averaging 19 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks in his senior season. Carrington, who played for John Gannon in high school, was also named a First-Team All Daily News pick and a Labor Union All-Star. A distinguished honor roll student all four years with a cumulative GPA of 94.9, Carrington received the Book Award from St. Bonaventure and the Markward Award, which is presented to the top scholar-athlete in the public league.
A 5-11 point guard from Illinois, Matt Shamis helped lead his high school, Glenbrook North, to a Class AA “Elite Eight” appearance in Peoria while earning all-conference honors along the way. Shamis, who played for Dave Webber at Glenbrook North, led his team in assists, while shooting 52 percent on field goals and 41 percent from three-point land. Shamis earned a 3.6 GPA in the classroom while serving as a leader of the Peer Group association and was honored as the Senior-Scholar Athlete award winner.
In other news, head coach Billy Taylor has announced the signing of Dave Buchberger as the fifth member of Lehigh’s class of 2010. Buchberger is a 6-3, 190 pound guard from Cincinnati, Ohio who attends Sycamore High School and averaged 16.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 78 percent from the free throw line as a senior. Buchberger served as team captain this past season and garnered All-GMC honors, as well as First-Team All-Star accolades for District 16 and First-Team All-Star honors from the Cincinnati Enquirer. His 17 points led the East team in the Cincinnati East-West All-Star Game and his 16.6 points per game during the regular season ranked third in the GMC. Off of the court, Buchberger is an AP student with a 3.9 grade point average and a member of the National Honor Society. In addition, he earned the All-Academic Athlete Award for the Greater Miami Conference as a senior.
Along with the five newcomers, Lehigh returns eight letterwinners for the 2006-07 season, including three starters from a team that won 19 games a year ago, which included a school record 11 Patriot League contests.
