“We are very excited about this group of young men,” said Alabama head Coach Mark Gottfried. “Not only are they very good players but they are great young guys with strong character. I expect all of these student-athletes to come in here and compete for immediate playing time as young players.”
Glenn Miles is a 6-foot-4, 185 pound combo guard from Birmingham. Miles averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds a game his junior season last year at West End High School. West End has advanced to the 5A state championship finals the last two seasons. Miles also was named to the North All-Star team at the 2003 Alabama All-Star Sports Week.
“Glenn is a fierce competitor that can play both guard positions,” said Gottfried. “He has great instincts and size for a guard. He loves to win and has taken West End to the state championship’s game twice. He just finds ways to win.”
Ron Steele made state history as the first junior to be named “Mr. Basketball”, an award he won from the Alabama Sportswriters Association in 2003. Steele, a senior at John Carroll High School in Birmingham, is a 6-foot-2 point guard. John Carroll won the 2003 6A state championship in a season it went undefeated at 36-0. In fact, his teams have a combined overall record of 86-7 over the last three seasons. Steele was the state tournament’s MVP. He averaged 19 points, 7.6 assists and 4.1 steals a game his junior season and was named to the North squad in the 2003 Alabama All-Star Sports Week North-South All-Star game.
“Ron is an exceptional player that can really see the floor,” said Gottfried. “He passes the ball as well as anyone in the country. He has great leadership qualities and we are extremely excited about his future. He is a winner.”
Albert Weber, a 6-foot-3 guard from Mt. Zion Christian in Durham, N.C., has signed. Weber averaged 21 points, five assists and four rebounds a game in 2003. Weber is originally from New Orleans where he played at Higgins High School.
“Al has the potential to be a great player. He has offensive instincts and can play both guard positions. He loves to play and I like his approach to the game. He is a student of the game and has the ability to score in so many different ways,” said Gottfried.
From the junior college ranks comes Jean Felix, a small forward at Bevill State. The 6-foot-7 Felix was born in the Congo Republic of Africa and moved to Paris, France. Felix was a junior college All-America Honorable Mention. He averaged 18.6 points and 8.2 rebounds last season as a freshman at Bevill State in Jasper.
“Jean is a great young man. He is very athletic and has tremendous skills. He can score, defend and rebound as well as anyone in the junior college ranks. He is also one of the finest people you will ever meet. He plays hard and can make an immediate impact here at Alabama,” said Gottfried.