Hampton, Va. – A year after landing the highest ranking men’s basketball recruiting class in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) history, Hampton University head coach Kevin Nickelberry and his staff have mirrored that performance with a five-man class that is ranked No. 56 in the country by HoopScoop Online. In comparison, the Pirates class tops that of mid-majors such as Virginia Commonwealth (No. 62), George Washington (No. 86) and Sweet 16 participant Southern Illinois (No. 100).

I’m excited," Hampton coach Kevin Nickelberry said. "If this class produces anything close to what we got from last year’s, we’re well on our way to becoming one of the top mid-major programs in the country."

HoopScoop list Donte Harrison, a 6-foot-9 forward from Sullivan County Community College in Loch Sheldrake, N.Y. as the Pirates highest ranking recruit with a rating of 4, equivalent to a top 100 high school senior. Harrison averaged a double-double with 11.6 points and 11.3 rebounds per game to help lead Sullivan to a perfect season and the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III national championship.

The other four recruits in Hampton’s 2007 class include: point guard Chris Tolson from Laurel High in Maryland, shooting guard Kwame Morgan from Largo High in Maryland, center Milade Lola-Charles from Laurel High and point guard Brandon Tunnell from Concord High in Delaware. Tunnell and Tolson should see plenty of time as rookies after Vincent Simpson was moved to shooting guard following last season, and Morgan should also have an immediate impact as well. At 6-foot-2 he averaged 27.5 points per game and was an All-Metro selection by The Washington Post.