Men’s Basketball Unveils 2016 Recruiting Class

MEDIA, Pa. -- Penn State Brandywine third-year head coach Omar Richburg released his 2016 men's basketball recruiting class on Wednesday, featuring seven incoming standouts.

The coaching staff expects the new class of student-athletes, which includes Keyon Boykin, David Kusz, Jamal Jones, Mike Patterson, Isaiah Wilmore, Tahir Wharton and Jordan Wright, to provide key pieces as it looks to build on last season's progress. The Lions posted a seven-game improvement in the win column in 2015-16.

Boykin, a graduate of Ben Franklin High School, was a starter on a team that finished 17-7 in the Philadelphia Public League Division B. The 5-foot-11 guard ranked third on the team in assist and steals.

"Keyon is a big-bodied, crafty guard who brings great court awareness to our team," said Richburg.

A 6-foot-8 center, Kusz received the Most Improved Player Award from the Stroudsburg High School basketball team as a senior. He provided size on a team that was guard heavy, leading Stroudsburg to a 14-8 overall record in 2015-16.

"David has tremendous upside and works extremely hard to improve every single day," said Richburg.

Jones was the sixth man as a senior on the Chester High School basketball team, helping the Clippers reach the District 1 Finals and PIAA Class AAAA quarterfinals. The 6-foot-5 Jones led Chester to a 22-8 record and also competed for the Clippers' football team.

"Jamal will bring a defensive presence to our program along with unbelievable athleticism," said Richburg.

Patterson led the Ridley High School boys basketball team to a record-setting season in 2015-16 as the Raiders finished with a 26-3 record, won the Central League and qualified for the PIAA Class AAAA State Tournament. He earned Central League honorable mention accolades after Ridley finished ranked in the top 10 in the state.

"Mike has an incredible ability to get in the post and rebound, which is a skill not many players his size possess," said Richburg.

Wilmore, a 6-foot-4 combo guard, served as team captain during his senior year at Ben Franklin High School. As the team's leading scorer with over 350 points during his senior year, Wilmore was named Second Team All-Philadelphia Public League and selected as Ben Franklin's team MVP by MaxPreps.com.

"Isaiah has the ability to score at an incredible rate. He's going to get stronger, which will enable him to have a great college career," said Richburg.

A graduate of Simon Gratz High School, Wharton scored over 1,000 points during his career and claimed Second Team All-Philadelphia Public League as a senior. He helped Robert Vaux High School win the Pennsylvania State Class A Championship in 2013 prior to transferring to Simon Gratz.

"I expect Tahir to bring a winning attitude and experience that will be contagious within our program," said Richburg.

A 6-foot guard, Wright was a First Team All-Main Line and Second Team All-Central League selection during his senior season at Harriton High School. Additionally, he was selected to play in the prestigious Philadelphia Area Labor Classic All-Star Game, which annually showcases some of the most talented players in the Greater Philadelphia Area.

"Jordan brings amazing speed and quickness, both with and without the basketball, to our team," said Richburg.

Brandywine opens the 2016-17 season at home against NCAA Division II Mansfield on Tuesday, November 15.