June 20, 2007

NEWARK, NJ - Brendon Lyn, a point guard, is the latest recruit to sign on with New Jersey Institute of Technology to continue his academic and basketball career starting this fall, Highlanders coach Jim Casciano announced.

Lyn, who hails from Mt. Vernon, NY, graduated from prestigious Episcopal High School in Alexandria, VA, in 2006 and then spent a postgraduate year at Rise Academy in Philadelphia.

"He's about 5-10 and 180 and he has a Division I-ready basketball body," said Casciano. "He's a prototypical New York City point guard (Mt. Vernon borders the Bronx) with that good toughness and basketball IQ. He's a strong, quick kid who can get to where he needs to. He makes good decisions and he doesn't force things and we think he'll compete for important minutes right away."

In his senior year at Episcopal High, Lyn was honored on the 2006 Washington Post all-Metro team, as well as making all-Interstate Athletic Conference.

Lyn's athletic ability was underlined in track, where he won the IAC sprint championships at 100 (11.3 seconds) and 200 meters (22.83). He was also one of four runners on the Episcopal 4 x 400 relay team that captured 1st place in the Prep School Boys division in 2005 at the famed Penn Relays.

In his season with Rise, Lyn was matched against some of the top postgraduate prep school talent in the country and he did well, averaging 10.5 points, 5 assists and 3 steals a game.

Sam Rines, the Rise coach, was the AAU summer coach for Kobe Bryant and Richard Hamilton, among others. Said Rines of Lyn: "He held his own against every top point guard in the country. I expect Brendon to help NJIT become a quality and respected Division I program."

At NJIT, Lyn will be one of several young players vying for time in the backcourt. He is the fourth guard signed by NJIT for the upcoming year.

"We're going to be very young all around, but especially in the backcourt," said Casciano. "We'll deal with that part of it, but the quality and talent of the new players will make us a better team."

The other guards signed before Lyn are: Justin Garris (Ledgewood, NJ/Delbarton School); Jheryl Wilson (Irvington, NJ/St. Benedict's Prep), and Tyler Epps (Charlotte, NC/North Mecklenburg HS). Big man Paulius Skema (Vilnius, Lithuania/Veritas Christian Academy of Fletcher, NC) also signed with the Highlanders.