William & Mary men’s basketball head coach Tony Shaver announced the signing of 6-4 guard Chase Audige (Coram, N.Y./The Hill School (Pa.), 6-6 wing Quinn Blair (Livonia, Mich./Dearborn Divine Child), 6-3 guard L.J. Owens (Annapolis, Md./Severn School) and 6-5 point guard Thornton Scott (Glen Cove, N.Y./Holy Trinity/Vermont Academy) to National Letters of Intent on Wednesday.
Audige, Blair, Owens and Scott will be eligible to compete for the Green and Gold in the fall of 2018.
“It is an exciting day for the future of Tribe basketball as we officially welcome four highly-talented individuals into our William & Mary basketball family,” Shaver said of the newest signees. “Chase Audige, Quinn Blair, LJ Owens, and Thornton Scott are outstanding student-athletes who will bring a wide range of abilities to Williamsburg. They possess the diverse skill sets and intangibles that we have always valued as a program. And along with their numerous accomplishments on the court, they are also high-character young men who will represent our school and program with tremendous pride. Each newcomer has been heavily recruited and excelled both with their high school teams and nationally in AAU. With bright futures ahead, we are thrilled that they have each chosen to continue their academic and basketball careers at William & Mary!”
Here is a look at the Tribe’s 2018 Signing Class:
Chase Audige
Guard
6-4 • 190
Coram, N.Y./The Hill School (Pa.)
Prep:
A three-star recruit according to 247 Sports … Ranked as No. 313 nationally, the 76th-best shooting guard and No. 8 in the state of Pennsylvania according to 247 Sports … Playing his third and final high school season at The Hill School in Pottstown, Pa., in 2017-18 … A stat-sheet stuffer averaging 15.2 points, four rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.3 steals per game as a junior at The Hill School … Named the team’s most improved player in 2017 … Selected All-MAPL First Team as a junior … Helped the Hill School to a 20-win season in 2016-17, an undefeated home record for the first time in three decades, the Mercer Invitational Tournament Championship and an appearance in the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association (PAISSA) Semifinals … Turned in a strong PAISSA tournament, tallying a team-high 21 points to go with six rebounds and five assists in an OT loss to InterAc Champion Episcopal Academy in the semifinals after turning in a 22-point, seven-assist, six-rebound, four-steal stat line vs. Haverford School in the quarterfinals … Hit the game-winning free throws and scored 20 points in the Mercer Invitational Tournament Championship win over Kent School (Conn.) … Named a captain for the 2017-18 season at The Hill School … Played in the 2017 Nike EYBL for PSA Cardinals, averaging 7.1 points per game, including a high of 14 against Wisconsin Playground Elite … Played AAU for the Black Mambas and Long Island Lightning as well.
Personal:
Son of Andre and Claudette Boothe Audige … Intends to major in business at W&M.
Head Coach Tony Shaver on Chase Audige:
“I love the way Chase competes every time he steps on the floor and does whatever it takes to win. He is a high-level athlete with a skill set to match, and I believe he will excel on both ends of the floor at William & Mary. His ability to score as well as create for himself and others is something we really value in our offense. His experiences with PSA Cardinals and Coach Munch Williams, as well as his time at The Hill School with Phil Canosa and Seth Eilberg, have prepared him well to contribute at the collegiate level.”
Quinn Blair
Guard/Forward
6-6 • 220
Livonia, Mich./Dearborn Divine Child
Prep:
A three-time all-state selection in Michigan … A Class B All-State pick in 2017 after earning third-team honors as a sophomore … A freshman all-state selection in 2015 … Averaged 20 points, eight rebounds and three assists per game as a junior, leading Divine Child to the 2017 Detroit Catholic League AA Championship and the district championship … A three-time all-league selection … Named All-Catholic in both 2016 and 2017 … Selected to the Detroit All-West First Team in 2016 … Ranked one of the top 20 players in the state of Michigan regardless of class … Led Divine Child to a 17-6 record as a sophomore, averaging 17 points, 8.5 rebounds and four assists per game … Scored his 1,000th career point in March of 2016 … Played AAU for Detroit REACH Legends… A First Team All-NY2A Basketball Association pick in 2016 and a second-team selection in 2017 … A three-year letterwinner in football at Divine Child as a wide receiver, quarterback and linebacker … Helped program to back-to-back Catholic League, District and Regional Championships in 2016 and 2017 … A two-time all-league pick on the gridiron and an All-Catholic selection as a senior … Recorded 31 catches for 400 yards and eight touchdowns in 2016 … Chose W&M from 19 Division I scholarship offers.
Personal:
Son of John and Maureen Blair … Grandfather, Edgar Blair, played basketball at Western Michigan and was drafted in 1958 by the Detroit Pistons and in 1959 by the New York Knicks … Sister, Morgan, played basketball at Northern Kentucky and finished her career at Hillsdale College … Sister, Riley, plays basketball at Ferris State.
Head Coach Tony Shaver on Quinn Blair …
“Quinn is a very versatile and hard-nosed player who will add a great deal to our program in a lot of areas. He possesses a high basketball IQ and can really shoot. I love his leadership qualities and just how tough and competitive he is on the court. Quinn’s versatility is an ideal fit for our style of play, and he also has the ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor. He had an outstanding summer in AAU with the REACH Legends and has developed into one of the best players in the state of Michigan under the guidance of his coaches at Divine Child High School, Andy Dold and Mac Horvath. I am extremely excited about Quinn’s future at W&M!”
L.J. Owens
Guard
6-3 • 165
Annapolis, Md./Severn School
Prep:
Three-star recruit and ranked in the top 20 in the state of Maryland according to ESPN.com … Named the Capital Gazette Communications boys basketball Player of the Year in 2017 … Averaged 23 points, 5.8 rebounds and four assists as a junior to help Severn School to a 19-10 record and a spot in the MIAA B Conference semifinals … Selected as the Anne Arundel County Player of the Year as a junior … A four-year starter at Severn School … A three-time First Team All-MIAA selection … Earned first team all-county honors the last two years after being a second-team choice as a freshman … Chose the Tribe from over 20 Division I scholarship offers … Scored 1,434 points through his first three seasons at Severn … Played the UAA for D.C. Blue Devils 17U and coach Richardo Rush … Played AAU for Maryland 3D and coach Mike Gielen … A member of Multiculural Alliance club in high school … Was a honor roll student as a junior … Attended the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Conference as a sophomore.
Personal:
Son of Londell Owens, Sr., and Gail Gaskin … Father, Londell Sr., played basketball at Kent State.
Head Coach Tony Shaver on L.J. Owens:
“LJ is a terrific young man and an explosive basketball player. He possesses a lot of intangibles: toughness, competitiveness, IQ, and leadership that are all valued in our program. He is a very talented player and can help us win in many ways. LJ has the potential to be an elite scorer and a very good guard in the CAA. We are exited about what he can be right away and what he can grow into throughout his career. LJ’s time with Richardo Rush and the DC Blue Devils combined with his high school experience under coach VJ Keith have prepared him to be successful at the next level.”
Thornton Scott
Point Guard
6-5 • 178
Glen Cove, N.Y./Holy Trinity/Vermont Academy
Prep:
A four-year letter winner at Holy Trinity, before enrolling for a postgraduate year at Vermont Academy of the NEPSAC in 2017-18 … Missed the majority of his senior season at Holy Trinity in 2016-17, but returned to average 18 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists per game over his final month … Averaged 16.5 points and hit 40 3-pointers in 2015-16 … Twice scored 30 points against McClancy in December of 2015 and vs. St. John the Baptist in January 2016 … Averaged 11 points, five rebounds and four assists as a sophomore in 2014-15 … A team captain during each of his final three seasons at Holy Trinity … A three-time all-league selection … Named team MVP in 2016 … Was the 2013 New York state free throw champion in 2013 … Chose the Tribe from over 15 Division I scholarship offers … Played AAU for Crown Basketball … Helped the program to titles at the Live in AC event and the Buzzer Beater Classic in 2017… Named the MVP of the Buzzer Beater Classic and was recognized as one of the best shooters at the Live in AC event after hitting seven 3-pointers in the semifinals.
Personal:
Son of Thomas and Siobhan Scott … Father, Thomas, played college baseball at Boston College (1972-76) and played in the Cincinnati Reds minor league system from 1977-80… Intends to major in business at W&M.
Head Coach Tony Shaver on Thornton Scott:
“Thornton is a winner, a leader and one of the most competitive young men I have been around. I love what he brings to our team as a point guard – he possesses elite court vision and passing ability. He is a shot maker with deep range, who is also an outstanding decision maker in ball screen situations and in the open floor. Thornton’s skill set will be highlighted in our style of play, and the ‘edge’ he plays the game with will really impact our program. He had a breakout summer in AAU with Crown Basketball, becoming one of most sought-after players in the entire northeast. He has developed as a player under the guidance of his high school coach at Holy Trinity, Joe Conefry, and is poised to have a big postgraduate year playing for Alex Popp at Vermont Academy, one of the top prep school programs in the country. Thornton has a very bright future ahead in a Tribe uniform!”
