CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cleveland State Men's Basketball Head Coach Dennis Gates has announced the additions of freshman forward Jayson Woodrich and transfer junior forward Chris Greene to the team's 2020-21 roster, as both student-athletes used their #GreenInk to sign their National Letters of Intent.
Woodrich and Greene join Yahel Hill, D'Moi Hodge, Mabor Majak and Alec Oglesby to round out the Vikings 2020 recruiting class. Cleveland State, who owns the top-ranked recruiting class in the Horizon League, was ranked the 80th best class of 2020, according to Rivals.com (as of April 18).
"I'm thrilled to announce the additions of Jayson Woodrich and Chris Greene to our 2020-21 roster," head coach Dennis Gates said. "Both young men bring a variety of skill sets to our program and I'm confident they will be fantastic representations of our men's basketball family and the Cleveland State community."
Jayson Woodrich joins the men's basketball program following a prep season at Scotland Campus in Pennsylvania, where the 6-6 wing averaged 17.6 points, including a .523 mark from the three-point line, 7.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals, on a team that finished the season 40-4 and reached the quarterfinals of its national prep tournament.
"I'm very excited to have Jayson join our Cleveland State family," said Vikings head coach Dennis Gates. "Jayson fits our culture that we're building and will be a great addition to our program in the classroom, on the court and in the community. I'm equally as thrilled that Jayson will have the opportunity to play his college basketball in front of his family and friends back home in Northeast Ohio."
In November at the Prep National Showcase in New Haven, Connecticut, Woodrich averaged 27 points per game, burying 13 three-pointers in his two games of play. The newly-signed Viking had an impressive outing in a win over Capital Christian (Maryland), tallying a 6-6 (1.000) mark from beyond the arc. Woodrich also registered 22 points in a 101-69 win over The Patrick School in the 2020 GAC championship contest.
"He was a great teammate, competitor, had a good work ethic and could really play in the big moments," said Scotland Campus head coach Chris Chaney. "He did a lot for us with his shooting and scoring, but he became better off the dribble and made the right plays at the right time. He learned to be tougher on defense and with his length will be an all-around good player in college."
The Beachwood, Ohio, native suited up for the Bisons during his high school years, averaging 26.1 points and 9.8 rebounds per game during his senior campaign, knocking down 87 triples on .410 shooting from the three-point line. Woodrich garnered Division III first-team All-Ohio honors during the 2018-19 season, in addition to being named the Northeast Lakes All-District Player of the Year and Chagrin Valley Conference MVP.
Woodrich, who ranks third in Beachwood High School history in total points scored, poured in 1,176 total points over his four-year career. On Dec. 29, 2019, he was inducted into the Beachwood Athletic Hall of Fame/Wall of Champions.
Chris Greene, a 6-8 forward, comes to Cleveland State following a one-year stint at Community College of Beaver County. The Newport News, Virginia, native appeared in 27 games for the Titans (24 starts), notching 13.7 points on .585 shooting from the floor, in addition to a .419 clip from three-point territory, 7.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals in 19.9 minutes per game, leading the Titans to a 25-4 record, including a perfect 7-0 mark in conference play. Greene's .585 shooting from the field and his .419 mark from beyond the arc were good for fifth-best in the NJCAA Region 20.
"I couldn't be happier to welcome Chris to our men's basketball family," head coach Dennis Gates said. "Chris is a high-caliber person and competitor with an incredible work ethic and the ability to play inside or out on the perimeter. He's played at both the Division II level, as well as the junior college level and will be a great addition to our program both on and off the court."
The transfer forward posted 20-or-more points in five games during the 2019-20 campaign, including pouring in a season-best 24 points in a 133-54 win over Westmoreland County Community College on Dec. 2.
"Chris is a high-character person who is going to give you his all every time he steps on the floor," said Bryen Spriggs, men's basketball head coach at Community College of Beaver County. "The size and skill Chris has been blessed with will allow him to take advantage of mismatches all over the floor. His best basketball is ahead of him."
Prior to his time at Community College of Beaver County, Greene spent one year at Division II Wheeling Jesuit University, where he played alongside former Philadelphia 76ers two-way small forward Haywood Highsmith. A 2017 graduate of St. Mary's Ryken High School, Greene was named as an All-WCAC honorable mention and second team All-County.
D'Moi Hodge, who was one of four recruits who signed with the Vikings on Nov. 20 2019, is coming off of a season where he averaged 25.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists for State College of Florida. The 6-4 guard was named to the FCSAA All-State and NJCAA All-Region VIII team this past season, after being named a two-time NJCAA Basketball Player of the Week (three-time career) and four-time FCSAA Region VIII Player of the Week (seven-time career). According to Junior College Recruiting Rankings, Hodge is ranked as the 11th-best JUCO player in the country.
Alec Oglesby, a three-star recruit who signed on Nov. 20, 2019, averaged 24.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game as a senior at The Rock School in Gainesville, Florida. In 2018-19, he led his team in three-point field goal percentage and made three-pointers, on his way to winning the Florida state title. In addition to his athletic accolades, Oglesby was a member of the Florida All-State Academic team and part of the National High School Mathematics Honor Society.
Yahel Hill, a Cleveland, Ohio, native comes to Cleveland State following a season at Tallahassee Community College, appearing in 32 games (five starts) for the 27-6 Eagles, and was named to the FCSAA All-Tournament Team. A Junior College Recruiting Ranking honorable mention, the 6-0 guard, averaged 13.5 points during the 2018-19 season at West Liberty, leading the Hilltoppers to a 28-5 record. Hill, who signed with the Vikings on Nov. 20, 2019, was named the Lake Erie Conference Player of the Year during his senior season at Cleveland Heights High School, averaging 20.2 points, 5.6 assists and 4.0 rebounds, leading Cleveland Heights LEC championship.
Mabor Majak, a 7-2 three-star recruit, averaged 11.4 points (team-leading), 10.0 rebounds (team-leading), 1.9 assists and 2.6 blocks (team-leading) per game for Hamilton Southeastern High School this past season. The future Viking, who also signed on Nov. 20, 2019, was named the Co-County Player of Year, Associated Press All-State, part of the IBCA Supreme 15 and a member of the Indiana All-Star game. Coming into the season, Majak was ranked third among 2020 prospects in the state of Indiana by INDYStar.
The Vikings are coming off of a 2019-20 season that saw seven league wins, the most since the 2014-15 season. Cleveland State won three consecutive league games for the first time since the 2014-15 season, in addition to three straight non-conference wins for the first time since 2011-12. Head Coach Dennis Gates earned Horizon League Co-Coach of the Year honors this past season, while forward Algevon Eichelberger was named to the league's third team.
