Nobles joins hoops recruiting class

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. –-Arkansas men’s basketball head coach John Pelphrey has added a fourth member to his recruiting class for next season with the addition of high school guard Julysses Nobles of Jackson, Miss.

Nobles is a 6-1, 170-pound point guard from Callaway High School. He averaged 20.9 points, 6.3 assists and 5.1 rebounds as a senior on a 33-6 squad. He was named to the Jackson Clarion-Ledger’s Dandy Dozen list and was a finalist for the state’s Mr. Basketball award.

He helped his team win the state Class 4A title and the overall state championship with a 72-63 victory over Class 2A Hinds in The Grand Slam. In the win over Hinds, he had 23 points and six assists.

“We are very excited to have Julysses Nobles as a Razorback and in our program,” Pelphrey says. “He played against strong competition in Mississippi and won a state championship. He’s a really good player and a tough kid. He’s committed to playing both offense and defense, and he’s committed to being a student-athlete.”

Ranked the No. 46 point guard prospect in the nation by ESPN, he had four points, four assists and three steals in a 78-74 loss in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game.

He signed with the Razorbacks after also receiving offers from Florida State, Baylor, Wichita State, Alabama-Birmingham, Tulane and Georgia State. He also received interest from Wake Forest and Tulsa, among others.

Nobles joins a class including early signees Anthony Borden, Jemal Farmer and Marshawn Powell.

Borden is a 7-0 center from West Memphis, Ark., Farmer a 6-5 junior guard from Cloud Community College in Concordia, Kan., and Powell a 6-7 forward from Crozet, Va.

Borden averaged 16.0 points and 10.0 rebounds as a junior, and 13.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 7.0 blocked rebounds as a senior. Ranked the No. 18 center in the nation by ESPN, he earned Class 6A all-state honors after leading WMHS to a 20-9 finish and into the state semifinals. He signed with the Hogs after considering Ole Miss, Xavier, Alabama, South Carolina and UAB.

Farmer averaged 16.1 points and 5.4 rebounds, and made 37 threes as a freshman at CCC. This year as a sophomore, he averaged a team-high 17.1 points along with 4.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.3 steals in earning second-team All-Jayhawk Conference honors. He shot 45.1 percent from the field (148-328), 30.1 percent on threes (34-110) and 76.2 percent at the line (115-151). He prepped at Bloom Township High in Chicago, and signed with Arkansas over Nebraska, Iowa State, Kansas State and UAB.

Powell, a 220-pounder, averaged 22.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and 5.0 blocked shots last year at The Miller School. This year, he averaged 22.0 points and 12.0 rebounds again. He had 15 points in 69-61 victory over Atlantic Shores to win the Virginia Independent Schools Division II title. He had 14 points in a 48-45 win over Blue Ridge for the Division I title. He is ranked the No. 16 power forward in the nation and the No. 47 player overall by Scout, and the No. 25 power forward and No. 73 prospect overall by ESPN. He chose the Razorbacks over Pittsburgh, Kansas State, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Maryland, Florida State, New Mexico, Miami, North Carolina State, LaSalle and Massachusetts.

Arkansas’ 2009 Recruiting Class with 2009 averages and honors

Anthony Borden 7-0, 230, C West Memphis, Ark.; West Memphis HS13.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 7.0 blk ESPN No. 18 center, Class 6A all-state

Jemal Farmer 6-5, 213, G/F Chicago, Ill.; Cloud (Concordia, Kan.) CC17.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg 2nd-team All-Jayhawk Conference

Marshawn Powell 6-7, 220, F Crozet, Va.; The Miller (Charlottesville) School22.0 ppg, 12.0 rpgScout No. 16 PF; ESPN No. 25 PF

Julysses Nobles 6-1, 170, PG Jackson, Miss.; Calaway HS 20.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 6.3 assts State Dandy Dozen, Mr. Basketball finalist