Brian Ellerbe is barely into his first season as basketball coach at Loyola College, and already he has made his mark as a recruiter.
Loyola announced yesterday that the school has received national letters of intent from four players, whom Ellerbe envisions giving the Greyhounds the help they need in the frontcourt.
The signees are Nsilo Abraham, a 6-foot-6, 225-pound forward from Hampton, Va.; Lamar Butler, a 6-9, 235-pound center from Medford, Mass.; Roderick Platt, a 6-9, 240-pound center from Landover; and Duane Johnson, a 6-9, 200-pound forward from Philadelphia.
Those four join Milford Mill High School senior forward Blanchard Hurd, 6-7, 220 pounds, who signed with Loyola last month.
"Hurd was real important to us, because he's used to winning and he's a local kid. Butler probably has the most potential of the five," Ellerbe said. "He can run, jump and catch. He's raw, but what potential.
"All five could help us next year. But all five of them still have work to do academically, under NCAA guidelines."
Hurd averaged 23 points and 15 rebounds as a junior, when he led Milford Mill to the Class 1A state title. Abraham averaged 18 points and 13 rebounds at Kecoughtan High School. Butler averaged 11 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks last year, helping North Cambridge Catholic to a 20-3 record, which included Boston's Catholic Suburban League championship. Platt, now at the Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia, led Largo High to a 13-9 record last year.
And Johnson, whom Coppin State coach Fang Mitchell also was recruiting, averaged 19 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks at Frankford High School, where he earned first-team, All-Philadelphia Public Schools recognition.
Two other players will join the Greyhounds next year -- guards Mike Powell and Anthony Smith, who transferred to Loyola and are sitting out this season.
Powell, 6-1, from Forestville, came with Ellerbe from the University of Virginia, where he played sparingly as a freshman, averaging 1.6 points. He is the all-time leading scorer at Anacostia High School. Smith, 6-4, averaged 4.7 points and 1.5 rebounds as a sophomore at Duquesne. Powell has three years of eligibility remaining, Smith two.