University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men's basketball coach Lamont Paris announced the signings of four players for his first recruiting class Wednesday.
Guards Jonathan Bryant II and Jerry Johnson Jr. and forwards Justin Brown and James Lewis Jr. turned in their letters of intent to join the program in the 2017-18 season, although Johnson will have to sit out after transferring from Fairfield and will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.
The quartet join junior college transfer Joan Duran, the only remaining recruit from the group signed in November by former coach Matt McCall.
Brown, a 6-foot-9 forward from Marist High School in Chicago, was considered one of the most improved players in the city by Chicago's Suburban Hoops Report. He averaged 11.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 3.2 blocks as a senior, improving his scoring average by four points per game while doubling his rebounding output.
The 6-3 Bryant holds several records at Oakleaf High School in Orange Park, Fla., including scoring, rebounding, steals, 3-pointers made and attempted, field goals made and attempted, plus free throws made and attempted.
He was the two-time Clay County player of the year, averaging 18.7 points and 5.3 rebounds as a senior.
Lewis, a 6-8 forward, took a postgraduate year at Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass., averaging 18 points and 11 rebounds per game. He had a solid high school career in North Carolina prior to that, averaging double-doubles at both Northside Christian Academy (16 points, 12 rebounds) and Gaston Day (11.4 points, 10.3 rebounds).
Johnson already has proven to be a gifted scorer at the college level, scoring in double figures in 28 games during his two-year career at Fairfield. He played in 55 games with 14 starts, averaging 9.8 points and 3.0 rebounds per game while shooting 36.1 percent from 3-point range.
"(I'm) extremely excited about the group," Paris said in a UTC release. "It's nice to be able to come in and make an impact bringing some much-needed depth.
"All of these fit specific needs while building toward the future."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.