Gibbons announces first two Clayton State men’s basketball recruits for spring signing period
Division I transfer center, JUCO forward set to join Lakers

MORROW, Ga. – April 29, 2009 – Aiming to boost his team’s offensive output for next season, Clayton State men’s head basketball Gordon Gibbons announced on Wednesday his first two recruits for the spring signing period. Joining the Laker fold for the 2009-10 season will be junior center Armon Jones and junior forward Brandon Robinson.

The 6-foot-9, 250-pound Jones transfers to Clayton State from NCAA Division I Liberty, while the 6-6, 185-pound Robinson is a JUCO transfer from Seminole Community College in Sanford, Fla. Jones and Robinson join Palm Beach Community College point guard standout Tim Downs in this season’s Clayton State recruiting class. Downs signed with the Lakers during the early signing period in November.

"Armon and Brandon both bring experience and fill voids left by some of our graduating seniors," said Gibbons, who is 155-86 in eight seasons at Clayton State. "We are very fortunate to add two players of that level to our recruiting class for the 2009-10 season."

A native of Powder Springs, Ga., Jones should add the needed strength and offensive force in the paint that the Lakers lacked there this past season. He lettered two seasons at Liberty under head coach Ritchie McKay. Jones prepped at McEachern High School in Powder Springs, averaging 10 points and 10 rebounds a game for the Indians as a senior.

While at McEachern, he was teammates with Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith.

Graduating from McEachern, Jones attended prep school for one season at Chavis Prep in Goldsboro, N.C., averaging 12 points and 10 rebounds a game. He was rated as the 69th-best fifth-year senior that year by Hoop Scoop Basketball.

A native of Lake Wales, Fla., Robinson was a two-year starter at both small forward and power forward for head coach Bobby Washington the past two seasons at Seminole. He is set to play small forward the next two seasons at Clayton State.

This season, Robinson led Seminole in scoring, averaging 18 points and six rebounds a game and earning first team FCCAA All-Mid-Florida Conference honors and second team NJCAA All-Region honors in the process. He shot 45 percent from the field and 35 percent from 3-point range. As a freshman, Robinson averaged 12 points and four rebounds a game, while shooting 49 percent from the field and 34 percent from 3-point range.

DOWNS DELIVERS: The signing of Downs in November was a big coup for the Clayton State staff, and he made Laker fans anticipate his arrival with a stellar sophomore season at Palm Beach Community College.

Downs averaged 21 points, five assists and three steals a game while shooting 43 percent from 3-point range. He ranked 14th in the nation in scoring, 24th in steals, 30th in assists and 44th in 3-point field goal shooting percentage.

Downs was a first team NJCAA All-Region VIII selection and NJCAA National Player of the Week for Feb. 27. He finished his two-year career at Palm Beach with 1,041 points. With that in mind, Gibbons is anxious for Downs to give some much-needed offensive firepower for Clayton State at the point this upcoming season.