Anthony Pratt is the latest to join the growing list of Bahamian basketball players on National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I rosters.
Despite dealing with an injury that limited his playing time during his senior season at St. Louis Christian Academy in St.Louis, Missouri, the 6' 7" forward was pursued by Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) as a part of their five-member recruiting class, which now includes four players that are 6'5" or taller.
Eastern Kentucky Colonels' Head Coach Dan McHale said that he was pleased they were able to add Pratt to their team, and he's excited to see what he can bring to the table at the collegiate level.
"We are thrilled that Anthony has decided to join our EKU family," McHale said. "He was being recruited at a high level and we were fortunate he saw an opportunity to get a great education at Eastern Kentucky and play in a fun style of play. The 'Bohemian Bruiser' will provide toughness and energy to our frontcourt. I am really excited about his ceiling; he doesn't know how good he is going to be. We are fortunate that he played for Coach Maxey, who does a great job in the summer with young men like Anthony."
Pratt averaged 13 points and seven rebounds per game during his injury-plagued senior season for the St. Louis Christian Cougars. He was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Phenom Hoops National Showcase in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in November. Against Quality Education, which came in ranked No. 31 in the country by USA Today, Pratt scored a game-high 25 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the field and grabbed five rebounds in a 65-59 victory.
In the Cougars' first game of the showcase, Pratt finished with 10 points and nine rebounds against Faith Assembly. As a junior at St. Louis Christian Academy, Pratt averaged 12 points and six rebounds. He had 10 offers from mid-major and high-major division one schools, before choosing Eastern Kentucky.
In addition to Pratt, Nick Mayo (6'8", 225-pound forward), Greg King (6'7", 225-pound forward), Jarelle Reischel (6'5", 210-pound guard) and Cameron Williams (5'11", 170-pound guard) will join the Colonels program in the fall of 2015.The Colonels finished with a 21-12 win/loss record last season and went 11-5 against teams in the Ohio Valley Conference. They made it to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) quarter-final round before falling 70-69 to UT Martin (University of Tennessee at Martin).
Eastern Kentucky University, commonly referred to as Eastern or by the acronym EKU, is an undergraduate and graduate teaching and research institution located in Richmond, Kentucky, U.S.A. EKU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
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