The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ernest Ross Announces 2005-06 Men's Golf Signing Class
11/16/2004 | Men's Golf
Nov. 16, 2004
OXFORD, Miss. - Michael Naaman (Greenville, Miss.) and Larry Blatt (Orland Park, Ill.) have both signed national letters of intent to attend the University of Mississippi and compete for the Rebel golf program, head coach Ernest Ross announced Tuesday afternoon. The duo will be eligible for the 2005-06 academic year.
"I'm very excited about these two signees," Ross said. "Michael Naaman and Larry Blatt have solid credentials on the junior level and both have the potential to be great college golfers. Our program is on the upswing and I feel like Michael and Larry are the type of young men who can help us reach our long-term goals."
Naaman, a senior at Washington School, is a two-time Mississippi Junior Amateur State Champion. He also captured the Mississippi Private Schools Individual State Championship in 2003. Naaman had a successful summer of 2004, claiming the Greenville (Miss.) Country Club Men's Championship, tying for fourth at the Pepsi Little Peoples in Quincy, Ill., and placing seventh at the Bubba Conlee in Olive Branch, Miss. His best American Junior Golf Association finish -- a tie for eighth -- came at the Taylormade Junior in Woodlands, Texas. Naaman is a four-year member of the school's varsity golf, basketball and soccer teams.
"Michael is a very athletic kid with a great golf swing," Ross said. "Once he begins to concentrate on one sport in college, I really think his golf game will reach a new level. Michael has the potential to be an outstanding college golfer. He's the type of guy who should be able to contribute immediately."
Blatt, a senior at Carl Sandberg High School, was named Callaway PGA Junior Series Player of the Year in 2003. His top American Junior Golf Association finish was an 11th-place effort at the 2004 Winnetka Tournament in Chicago (73-71-75--219). He also fired a 72 in Benton Harbor, Mich., to qualify for the 2004 Western Amateur. Blatt registered a 65 during a regular-season tournament in the fall and posted a 71 during the sectional round of the 2004 Illinois High School State Tournament.
"Larry has great fundamentals and an outstanding golf swing," Ross said. "He is strong and can really hit the ball off the tee. Larry has had two terrific instructors during most of his junior career and we think he has the chance to be a great college golfer."
Ole Miss kicks off its 2005 spring campaign Feb. 28-March 1 at the Tulane Invitational in New Orleans. The Rebels will be looking to build on one of their most successful starts in school history after posting four top-five finishes in the fall.
