Pinewood's Jennings signs with Clemson

Some of the Lowcountry's most high-profile athletes took advantage of the NCAA's early signing period, which began Wednesday.

Pinewood Prep basketball player Milton Jennings signed to play for the Clemson Tigers, while his teammate K.J. Manigault signed with Wichita State.

Porter-Gaud basketball standout Khris Middleton's decision means a little more travel. He signed with Texas A&M, which is located in College Station, Texas.

Wando's Christina Glover, the state's top volleyball player, signed with South Carolina.

Bishop England's Brison Celek, one of the state's top 10 baseball players, signed with South Carolina.

Wednesday was the first day student-athletes could sign binding national letters of intent, and no one scored a bigger victory than Clemson coach Oliver Purnell when Jennings signed. He is the top player in the state and checks in at No. 12 nationally according to Rivals.

"I'm glad it came," said the 6-9 Jennings, a scoring threat from anywhere on the court. "I'm glad it's finally here. I'm glad it's come and gone. It was a great day. I made my family and friends proud. It was a day when they smiled and even cried a little. It was just a great day."

Jennings committed in April, and chose the Tigers over South Carolina, Florida, Georgetown and UCLA. He said he still received some mail from UCLA and Florida.

"They said I could still come and play there is I changed my mind," Jennings said.

Middleton also has a national reputation. ESPN released its superlatives for the Class of 2009, and Middleton was picked as the top shooting small forward in the country.

"Khris is a great young man who comes from a great family," Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon said. "His mom and dad have done a great job of teaching Khris the right values to be successful in life. Khris is one of the best shooters in the country at his position. He can shoot the three spotting up or coming off screens. Khris has a great feel for the game and for his height he can really pass and dribble, which will fit great into our system. We are excited about Khris because we feel he has a big upside. With another inch or two plus working hard in the weight room, the sky is the limit for him."

Jennings' teammate Manigault will join former Winthrop coach Gregg Marshall at Wichita State. Manigault will go over the 1,000-point mark this winter. He averaged 11.7 points 7.7 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game. Coach Pat Eidson said Manigault is the most versatile, all-around players he's coached since Chuck Eidson played in the late 1990s.

Wando's Glover recently was named the state's top volleyball players for the second year in a row. She led the warriors to two appearances in the state championship match.

Celek, the Bishop England baseball player, had a stellar season, hitting .405. He shared the Lowcountry lead in homers with 11 and drove in a Lowcountry best 50. He also helped the Diamond Devils' 17-U travel team to two national wood-bat championships.

Clemson

Devin Booker of Whitmire, the younger brother of Clemson forward Trevor Booker, signed with the Tigers. The 6-7 forward averaged 10.2 points and 6.4 rebounds a game. Clemson also signed 6-5 guard Donte Hill from Virginia Beach, Va.

South Carolina

Gamecocks coach Darrin Horn announced that two players have signed Ramon Galloway, a 6-2 guard from Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., and Lakeem Jackson, a 6-5 small forward from Charlotte.

Galloway averaged 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists last year. Jackson averaged 15.8 points and 6.5 rebounds.

The Citadel

Bulldogs coach Ed Conroy announced the signing of Harrison DuPont, a 6-5 forward from Midwest City, Okla.

DuPont (Carl Albert High School) averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds last season.