Charleston, S.C. The Citadel Basketball and head coach Ed Conroy announced the names of three athletes who committed last week to playing for the Bulldogs starting next season.
“We are proud to announce the signing of Khalif Guiden, EJ Hicks and Matt Roberts to play basketball at The Citadel starting with the 2008-09 season,” said Head Basketball Coach Ed Conroy on Monday. “These young men fulfill all the qualities we search for in a cadet-student-athlete.”
Khalif Guiden, a 6'4” guard from Matthews, N.C., attends David Butler High School. He is coached by Kurt Wessler, and his team will be one of the most competitive in the Charlotte area this season. Wessler helped lead Butler to the Southwestern 4A conference title last year. He played AAU with the Charlotte Nets and really exploded as a player during the fall recruiting period. He is the son of Tanya Douglas.
“We are privileged to sign another high character player to our program. Khalif will add more athleticism, defense, rebounding, versatility, and scoring to our roster. He has shown tremendous improvement during the off season due to a strong work ethic,” Conroy said. “His gym rat mentality will serve him well as he continues to develop at the collegiate level. Look for Khalif to have a tremendous senior year after learning from Clemson University's phenom freshman Demontez Stitt for three years. As a member of the National Honor Society, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and as the 100 Black Men Mentee of the Year, count on Khalif to represent The Citadel and its core values.”
EJ Hicks is a 6'3 combo guard from Davenport, Iowa. EJ attends Central High School. He is coached by Craig Wurdinger. His Davenport Central squad will be among the best in Iowa this season. Hicks was the 2007 Mississippi Athletic Conference Player of the Year and a 2007 First Team All-State Selection in class 4A. Hicks is rated the No. 8 player in the state of Iowa by Iowapreps.com. This past summer Hicks played with Martin Brothers Select. Martin Brothers is perennially one of the best AAU programs in the Country. EJ is the son of Rochelle Allen of Davenport, Iowa.
“EJ is a very talented young man, we are fortunate to be able to add him to our roster. We love his versatility; EJ can play any spot in the backcourt. He can post up, shoot the ball from the three, he has a nice mid-range game, and is an excellent finishers for a guard,” said Conroy. “He knows how to make people around him better. EJ comes from a great high school program. I also think he can be a great defender in the Southern Conference. EJ has a tremendous drive to succeed. I know he will maximize his abilities in the pursuit of a Citadel degree and a Southern Conference Championship. We are excited to see him continue to develop as a member of the Corps.”
Matt Roberts is a 6'9 Center from Cincinnati Moeller High School. He is coached by Carl Kremer. He has played on the varsity for three years, and was a member of their 2007 State Championship Team. Moeller is perennially one of the best high school basketball programs in the Midwest. Matt played AAU for the Northern Kentucky Jazz. Matt was recently named a Sporting News honorable mention High School All-American and Rivals.com lists him as the best center coming into the Southern Conference in 2008-09. He is the son of Tom and Debbie Roberts.
“We are very excited about Matt Roberts deciding to join our basketball program. Matt come from one of the best high school basketball programs in the Midwest. He has been well coached by Carl Kremer. Throughout high school he has demonstrated the leadership, character, determination, and hard-work that it will take to be a standout cadet-student athlete. We look forward to seeing Matt have a great senior season at Moeller,” added Conroy. “He has also battled through some tough injuries in his career. Matt's determination really came through and he is poised to have a great senior year. We are hopeful that Matt can physically step in next year and rebound and defend at a high level in the Southern Conference. We look forward to helping Matt continue his development as a player and person. We are excited to have Matt and his parents as part of our Citadel Family.”
For more information on Bulldogs Basketball or The Citadel Athletics, go to www.CitadelSports.com.
