Nov. 18, 2003

FAIRFAX, Va. - Head men's basketball coach Jim Larranaga has announced that three players have signed National Letters of Intent during the NCAA early signing period to play basketball at George Mason University, beginning in the 2004-05 season. Mason has signed commitments from area players Folarin Campbell, John Vaughn, and Will Thomas.

"We will be losing some exceptional seniors at the conclusion of this season," said Larranaga. "However, we are fortunate to replace them with an outstanding recruiting class in Campbell, Vaughn, and Thomas. These young men are very capable of immediately contributing to our program."

Campbell, a 6-4, 200-pound guard, is a senior at Springbrook High School in Silver Spring, MD. As a junior last season, he helped lead his team to an 18-6 overall record and a spot in the Maryland 4A Regional Finals. For his efforts, he garnered Washington Post All-Metropolitan honors and first-team All-Montgomery County accolades after averaging 26 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists. A team captain as a senior for Coach Keith Adams' Blue Devil squad, Campbell chose George Mason over Georgetown, Providence, La Salle, and others.

"Folarin is an excellent scoring guard who can play the point or shooting guard positions," explained Larranaga. "He can score from the inside or from 3-point range and his athletic ability is a great fit for our defensive style of play."

Vaughn, a 6-4 senior out of Laurel High School in Maryland, was a Star/Gazette first-team all-county selection as a junior last year for head coach Keith Coutreyer's team, averaging 20.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. A two-sport star at Laurel, Vaughn is also the starting quarterback for the Spartans football squad.

"It all boiled down to wanting to stay close to home and George Mason was the best fit for me," expressed Vaughn. "My family and I felt very comfortable there."

"John is a tremendous two-sport athlete," stated Larranaga. "As a quarterback for his football team, he has a lot of poise and determination on the field, and that personality also shows on the basketball court. He is a multi-dimensional player who can shoot from beyond the arc and take the ball to the basket. He reminds me of Erik Herring and Mark Davis."

Thomas is a 6-7, 200-pound senior forward from Mount St. Joseph's in Baltimore, MD, which is the same high school as current Patriot Kevin Mickens. As a junior, Thomas helped head coach Pat Clatchey's Gaels to their first Baltimore Catholic League regular-season title and a 29-5 overall record. The team won the Baltimore Catholic League tournament title and Thomas was selected the John Plevyak Most Valuable Player. An All-Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference team member, Thomas averaged 16.9 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game as a junior, earning the Jerry Savage Player of the Year award.

"Thomas is an excellent back-to-the-basket player," said Larranaga. "He has an unstoppable left-handed jump hook, and with more experience, he will blossom at the collegiate level both as a back-to-the-basket player and as a threat on the perimeter."

George Mason hosts Morehead State Friday night at 7 p.m. at Patriot Center to open the 2003-04 regular season.