The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

After several stops in his young basketball career, Zane Knowles hopes to establish himself at the university level this fall.

Knowles, a six-foot, nine-inch, 240-pound forward/center, has committed to Texas A & M Corpus Christi men's basketball programme for the fall 2012 semester.

After completing a stint at Pearl River Community College, Knowles will have two years of eligibility remaining when he suits up for the Islanders.

He is the fifth signee for the Islanders in an already deep recruiting class which also includes high schoolers Jelani Currie of Albany, New York, and Brandon Pye of Mansfield, Texas alongside junior college players William Nelson of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Joy Williamson of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

In his final season at Pearl River, Knowles became an impact player on both ends of the floor when he averaged a near double-double.

He posted 12.6 points and 8.4 rebounds and shot 61 per cent from the field. He added nine double doubles and recorded double figure rebounding in 10 contests.

Defensively, he protected the paint with 1.37 blocks per game and added 11 steals. He posted nine double-doubles on the year and 10 games with double-digit rebounds.

Pearl River finished 15-12 on the year.

He had several standout games in his final season, including a monster 28-point, 11- rebound performance against Hinds Community College.

He pulled down a season high 16 rebounds against Mississippi Delta and also posted 23 points against Copiah-Lincoln.

After a standout career on the local scene, the Exuma native finished high school at Champagnat Catholic School in Miami, where he was named a South Florida All-Star and earned a spot in the Miami Dade/Broward County All-Star Game.

The native Bahamian spent his freshman year at Grambling, where he was severely hampered by several injuries. He played in just 15 games and averaged 1.7 points and 2.0 rebounds in 7.8 minutes per outing.

According to the Islanders' team website, head coach Willis Wilson expects Knowles to fortify a front line which already includes a pair of seven-footers.

"Zane is a physical big man that will help add depth to our front line," Wilson said.

"He will help our low post game from day one and his physical presence should help open things up for the rest of our team. He will also improve physically once he arrives, and we think he can become an impact player for the Islanders."