AK Signs South Carolina Mr. Basketball

(UMAA)
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss bolstered its strong 2008 hoops signing class on Wednesday when Andy Kennedy’s Rebels inked Murphy Holloway to a national letter of intent.

An athletic 6-foot-7, 215-pound forward, Holloway will arrive in Oxford as one of the top-rated recruits in Ole Miss history after a decorated career at Dutch Fork High School in Irmo, S.C.

Ranked as the nation’s No. 65 overall recruit by ESPN/Scouts, Inc. and the No. 67 recruit by Scout.com, Holloway recently garnered the titles of Gatorade Player of the Year, 4A Player of the Year and Mr. Basketball for the state of South Carolina.

“We’re excited about having the 2008 South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year join our program,” Kennedy said. “Murphy’s athleticism and versatility at the forward spot will give him an opportunity to come in and pay immediate dividends. We think he’s an excellent addition to our team.”

He was named MVP of the state tournament after leading Dutch Fork to the semifinals and scoring 32 points with 12 rebounds and 10 blocks in the semifinal game, his sixth triple-double of the season. He averaged 28 points and 15 rebounds as a senior after putting up 25 points and 13 boards per game as a junior.

Holloway, who plays AAU ball with the South Carolina Ravens, was also selected to participate in the North Carolina-South Carolina All-Star game. He chose Ole Miss over Tennessee, Clemson and Maryland, among others.