Men’s Basketball Announces 2015-16 Incoming Class

TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Tampa men's basketball team has announced its 2015-16 incoming class. This class of four players is made up of three freshmen and one transfer senior year.

The class is made up of Pat Bacon, Zach Hollis, Freddy Ibrahim, and Jaylen Taylor.

"We signed four players in this year's class and we are very excited to have them join the Tampa Basketball family." Says assistant coach Justin Pecka. "All four of them are great people that we believe will excel both on the court and in the classroom."

Pat Bacon will be a six-foot freshman guard for the Spartan program out of Indianapolis, Indiana. Bacon played his high school ball at Lawrence's North High School under Head Coach Jack Keffer. At Lawrence's North, he was named Marion County Player of the Year, first team All-Marion County, first team All-MIC, 2015 sectional champion and three-time Subway Player of the Week. He was named Andre Owens MVP, a Top 100 senior, and top 60 workout All-Super team. Bacon participated in the County vs. City All-Star game, the Hickory All-Star game, and the Hoosier Reunion All-Star game. At UT, Pat will be an education major.

Coach Pecka's thoughts: "Pat is a combo guard that has a knack for scoring the ball. We're also counting on him to be a solid perimeter defender. He comes from an area of big-time high school basketball, and we think that will serve him well in the SSC."

Zach Hollis is a transfer senior for the Spartans, after spending his junior season at Lamar University. At Lamar, Hollis earned action in 21 games, as he racked up 30 points and 51 rebounds. Prior to Lamar, Hollis spent time at Antelope Valley College, where he averaged 6.0 points per game, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game. He helped guide AVC earn the top overall seed in the Southern California Playoffs. His team advanced to the Semifinal of the playoffs. He also helped guide the team to a 27-5 record, as the 27 wins marked the fourth most in school history. In high school, he averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds per game, as he ranked as a top-50 player in California. His most memorable athletic achievement was when he recorded a 30-point and 30-rebound game, as well as a triple-double in a game. At UT, he will be majoring in Communications, with aspirations of becoming a professional basketball player, a college basketball analyst, or a high school teacher.

Coach Pecka's thoughts: "Zach comes to us with a ton of playing experience. He is big and strong and a great rebounder. We are counting on him to fill an immediate need in the front-court."

Freddy Ibrahim is an incoming freshman hailing from Mississauga, Ontario. The 6-3 guard graduated high school from Father Michael Goetz S.S. In high school he played for head coach Norm St. Louis, where he was a two-time Senior Basketball MVP, 2015 Senior Athlete of the Year, and helped his team earn a top 25 national ranking. With his club team, he won the Waterloo Tournament, and his team made it to the Adidas Invitational Elite 8. He was also a two-time Peel All-Star MVP, GTA Top 20 MVP and was also a Sheridan Cup Champion and MVP. Ibrahim also graduated high school with honors. At Tampa, he will be studying Business Management, with aspirations of playing basketball professionally or becoming an entrepreneur.

Coach Pecka's thoughts: "Freddy is more of a point guard that will give us added depth in the backcourt. He is a good shooter and very athletic for a guard. With a little-added strength, he will be a good player in our system."

Jaylen Taylor will be a freshman this year for Tampa, as he hails from Augusta, Georgia. The 6-6 forward graduated from Lucy C. Laney High School, where he played for coaches Jerry Hunter and Kerwin Harris. During his time at Laney, Taylor won the 2012 AA State Championship, won his region three times (2012,2014,2015), and compiled over 100 career wins. Taylor also won the CRSA Dunk contest, Rookie of the year, Defensive Player of the Year, Most Outstanding Player, and 2015 MVP. He was also involved in many All-Star games as he played in tournaments including Peach State, Fab 48, Bob Gibbons, Nike Memorial Day, and the CRSA All-Star game. Jaylen will be majoring in Cybersecurity, with aspirations of becoming a cyber security engineer, and eventually owning his technology service company.

Coach Pecka's thoughts: "Jaylen's ceiling is very high. He is long, can jump out of the gym and is very quick off the floor. His midrange game is solid, and he has the potential to be a good defender on the wing and in the post."