Nov. 13, 2013
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech signed two men’s basketball prospects Wednesday when 6-2 guard Tadric Jackson and 6-10 Ben Lammers signed letters of intent to join the Yellow Jackets, head coach Brian Gregory announced.
Jackson, a 6-2, 205-pounder from Tift County High School in Tifton, Ga., is a 4-star prospect ranked as high as 68th nationally in the class of 2014 (by ESPN.com) and is rated the top guard in the state by national recruiting analyst Justin Young on Hoopseen.com. Rated 14th nationally at his position, the left-handed Jackson averaged 15.4 points a game as a junior last season, which ranked 17th in class AAAAAA, and helped Tift County to a 26-5 record and a state ranking of No. 3. He plays for the Georgia Stars AAU team.
“Tadric has been our top guard priority in the class of 2014 since we arrived three years ago,” said Gregory. “He is a complete guard with the ability to score in a variety of ways, explode to the basket, create for others, and defend with intensity. His competitiveness and strong commitment toward improvement is impressive. He received excellent coaching on a daily basis at Tift County High School, one of the best programs in the state. He has also competed at the highest level during the summer playing for the Georgia Stars. Tadric and his family are a great addition to our program.”
“I really wanted to play in the best conference in the country — that’s the ACC,” Jackson told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Really, it’s home. (Georgia Tech) is not that far away, downtown Atlanta, (and) it’s where I want to be.”
ESPN.com’s evaluation – “Jackson is left handed combination guard that has off the charts athletic ability. He plays above the rim on all clear paths. He is strong and finshes through contact on the break and when he uses his burst of speed to slash to the basket. He not only gets to the rim at will and can stop and pop from behind the arc and shoot it off the catch as well. Jackson simply attacks defenders and knows how to play and is capable of big numbers in a short period of time not to mention the above the rim highlights.”
Lammers, a 6-10, 225-pounder, attends Alamo Heights High School in San Antonio, Texas. The 3-star prospect is rated the 10th-best overall prospect in the state of Texas according to Texashoops.com and the 19th-best center in the nation. An all-state performer each of the last two years, Lammers averaged 15 points, 10 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game as a junior, helping Alamo Heights advance to the class AAAA regional finals and a 32-4 final record. Lammers, whose father played football at Texas A&M, played AAU ball for the South Texas Spurs.
“We’re extremely excited about Ben becoming a Yellow Jacket,” said Gregory. “He is a perfect fit regarding our needs for next year and into the future. Ben’s skill package will be a great asset to our post play. He has great size, can score in a variety of ways around the basket, rebounds in and out of his area, runs the court well, and has really improved his ability to step out and make shots. His high school, Alamo Heights, has had great success and his AAU program, the South Texas Spurs, is sending three players to Division I programs.”
“Georgia Tech has a great coaching staff, and I really enjoyed myself there on my visit,” Lammers told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I’m looking to be an engineer, and it’s really hard to beat a Georgia Tech engineering degree.”
ESPN.com’s evaluation – “Lammers is a true center with excellent size. He plays big and knows how to use his body to seal defenders in the lane where he can catch and finish around the rim at a high percentage. He rebounds well in his area and reacts well to the ball where he uses his length to change and block shots. Lammers runs pretty well, had decent touch. He is a very good screen and roll to the rim post as well. Lammers is a smart player to go along with his size.”
