WALTERBORO, S.C. – Savvy forward Rhys Grocott from Portsmouth, England has signed a letter of intent to play for the USC Salkehatchie men's basketball program this fall.
Grocott, a 6-foot, 9-inch, 200 pound forward, competed in the Elite Academy Basketball League (EABL), England's top division for players under the age of 19. He played for John Madejski Academy in the EABL and the Reading Rockets in the National Basketball League (NBL). Throughout this past season, Grocott averaged 10 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 block per game. Grocott ranked third overall in the EABL in shooting percentage by shooting 64% from the field.
"We are so excited to have Rhys join the Salkehatchie family," Coach Lynch said. "Rhys will help us continue to fortify our interior presence, but he's so much more than just a stereotypical forward. Through the recruiting process we were able to see that Rhys will bring a strong IQ and versatility to the group. He's played against pro's for the majority of this last season, and his development has come a long way in just a year. His best basketball is still in front of him."
Grocott was coached and mentored by Matt Johnson, director of coaching for the Reading Rockets. "We are thrilled that Rhys has found USC Salk as his next opportunity, and we are excited to see how Coach Lynch and his team continue to develop Rhys over his time there," Coach Johnson said. "Rhys has developed very quickly here, culminating in an impressive stat line in the Elite Academy League. We are excited to follow Rhys’ progress."
Grocott becomes the twelfth overall signee and the second to come from the United Kingdom. Rhys will join fellow England signee Declan Kom as the duo looks to represent the UK at USC Salkehatchie.
Grocott plans to continue training with the Reading Rockets throughout the summer before heading to the States in August. He plans to major in finance.