OXFORD, Miss. Ole Miss added the sixth member of its 2008 signing class with the signing of Daytona Beach Community College forward DeAundre Cranston to a national letter of intent, head coach Andy Kennedy announced Thursday.
The 6-foot-9, 245-pounder will add another big body to the Rebel squad after the graduation of three senior post players Dwayne Curtis, Jermey Parnell and Kenny Williams from this year’s 24-win, NIT Final Four team.
“We are excited to add another big man to our signing class,” Kennedy said. “We think DeAundre could provide help in the frontcourt with his size, length and rebounding ability.”
Cranston earned All Mid-Florida Conference honors both years in junior college and All-State as a sophomore this past season. He averaged 12.3 points and 10.8 rebounds as a freshman and 10.9 points, 10.7 boards this season. Coached by Antonio Smith and Anthony Andre’, Cranston ranked third among all junior college players in the state of Florida in rebounding both years.
The Orlando native also excelled in the classroom while at DBCC, qualifying for the Dean’s List with a 3.0 GPA. He arrived in Daytona Beach by way of Evans High School in Orlando, while also playing AAU ball with the Fasttrack Future.
Cranston joins fellow Ole Miss signees Murphy Holloway (Irmo, S.C.), Terrance Henry and Brandon Wilson (both of Monroe, La.), Terrico White (Memphis, Tenn.) and Will Bogan (Caldwell, Idaho).
Kennedy also announced Thursday that sophomore guard Rodney Jones has decided to transfer to a school closer to home, and junior forward Terrence Watson has also left the team to pursue options elsewhere.
“We appreciate what Rodney and Terrence helped us accomplish this season and wish them all the best in their future academic and athletic pursuits,” Kennedy said.
A native of Alexandria, La., Jones played in 24 games in two seasons as a Rebel. He averaged 1.8 points and 5.3 minutes in eight appearances this past season. He scored five points and had three rebounds in a career-high 22 minutes of action against UC Santa Barbara in the first round of the NIT.
Watson played in 18 games and made one start after transferring from Mott Community College. Playing 6.7 minutes per contest, the Detroit, Mich., native averaged 1.4 points and 0.9 rebounds, while blocking 11 shots.
