Panthers land prep in Michigan

The Journal Sentinel staff

Rodney Poole stands 6 feet 7 inches tall, weighs 230 pounds and on Friday announced that he would sign a letter of intent to play basketball at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

And that was good news for rookie Panthers coach Ric Cobb.

With the announcement, the forward from Flint (Mich.) Central becomes the first player to commit to the Panthers' program since Cobb was named head coach last week.

"I think I'll have a nice opportunity to play," said Poole, who averaged 15 points and 12 rebounds a game as a high school senior. "I like Milwaukee, and I'm excited about getting to know the city."

UWM has two scholarships available during the spring signing period, which begins Wednesday, and Poole will fill one of the slots.

Poole helped Flint Central to a 14-9 record during the 1994-'95 season, with three of the losses coming to eventual Division A state champion Flint Northern. Flint Central finished third in the Saginaw Valley Conference.

"He's got basketball maturity to go yet," said Stan Gooch, Poole's high school coach. "He doesn't have a bad shot.

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