April 12, 2006

NEW ORLEANS, La. - Tulane University has signed two high school basketball players to National Letters of Intent, Green Wave head men's basketball coach Dave Dickerson announced Wednesday. The Green Wave has added 6-5 guard Johnny Mayhane of Mobile, Ala., and 5-10 point guard Kevin Sims from Jackson, Miss. They are the first signees in Dickerson's tenure with the Green Wave.

2006 Tulane Men's Basketball Signees
Name (Pos., Ht., Wt., Hometown/High School)
Johnny Mayhane (G, 6-5, 185, Mobile, Ala./LeFlore)
Kevin Sims (G, 5-10, 160, Jackson, Miss./Forest Hill)

"As a staff, we went into recruiting looking to improve two key areas - our ball-handling and our outside shooting," Dickerson said. "We have four scholarships available and we are signing two guys today that will help us meet those needs. In addition to both players being very talented, we are excited because both come from successful programs with excellent coaches who know what it takes to prepare a high school player for the jump to the collegiate level."

Mayhane averaged 19 points and eight rebounds per game as a senior, leading LeFlore to a 28-6 record and the regional semifinals. He earned first team all-state honors as well as collecting all-region, all-county and all-city recognition. During his junior season, he helped the team to the No. 2 national ranking and a 35-game winning streak, which was snapped in the state championship game. During his three-year varsity career, LeFlore registered a 92-12 record.

"We expect Johnny to come right in and do a lot of things for us from the perimeter," Dickerson said. "He is a proven scorer, a proven shooter and he is quick and athletic. With the success of his high school team over the last three years, it shows he is also a proven winner. We're looking for him to come in and use his versatility to help us improve as a team immediately."

"Johnny is a very versatile player," LeFlore coach Otis Hughley said. "He can play anywhere from 1-3. He is an intelligent player and a perimeter threat as a scorer and a passer. He can get a rebound and go the distance of the floor, get someone a layup or create for himself. He is also long and rangy and a pretty good defender."

Sims led Forest Hill High School to a 26-8 record and the state semifinals this season while averaging 26.2 points per game. He was a first team all-state selection for all classifications in Mississippi and was selected to play in the Mississippi-Alabama All Star game. A native of New Orleans, he scored 24 points to help his team snap Lanier High's five-year home winning streak and added 31 in the first round of the South 5A playoffs as Forest Hill upset top-ranked Gulfport. His career-high was 42 points against Brandon High. He was also a first-team all-metro selection and a McDonald's All-American nominee and averaged 2.5 assists and 2.3 steals per game while shooting 86.2% from the line.

"Kevin Sims brings a lot to the table," Dickerson said. "He is what point guards are these days - a guy who can run the team, but also a guy who can score. That ability to score along with his ability to handle the basketball will be very important for us. The fact that he was a first team all-state selection for all classifications in Mississippi shows how talented a player he is."

"Kevin is one of the smoothest basketball players I have seen," Forest Hill coach Clay Norton said. "The things he can do with a ball, you can't coach or teach that. You can't back off him, because he can shoot it, but he'll blow by you if you get too close. He does a great job of drawing fouls and he shoots 86% from the line. He makes his size into an advantage. He's a big-time sleeper and Tulane had a very good pick-up."

Tulane battled injuries, transfers and Hurricane Katrina in 2005-06 to improve by two victories to 12-17 in its first-year under Dickerson. The Green Wave finished in a tie for sixth place in Conference USA and posted its most league wins since the 2003 season. The Wave defeated Marshall in the first round of the league tournament before falling to top seed, tournament host and eventual league champion Memphis in the quarterfinals.