May 22, 2012

Tulsa, Oklahoma - Rashad Ray, a guard from New Orleans' O.P. Walker High School, has signed a national letter of intent with The University of Tulsa, it was announced today by first-year Head Coach Danny Manning

The 5'11" point guard was a three-year starter at O.P. Walker High School and also played the last three years for the AAU Travel Team, Fleur De Lis All-Stars.

As a prep senior, Ray earned first-team all-state, all-metro and all-district honors, while helping his team post a 21-10 record and advance to the semifinals of the Class 4A state tournament. He averaged 18.5 points, seven assists and three steals his senior season and was an all-star selection to the Orleans vs. Jefferson Parish Team and to the Louisiana All-State Team.

Ray averaged 21.3 points, five assists and two steals in his junior season. He earned honorable mention all-state accolades and was also named first-team all-district and second-team all-metro as a junior. Ray helped lead his team to a 22-12 record and the Class 4A state quarterfinals as a high school junior.

"We're extremely excited to welcome Rashad to the TU basketball family. Rashad is someone we began recruiting once we arrived in Tulsa and are very fortunate to get a young man of his caliber at this point in the recruiting game," said Manning. "Rashad is an energetic and active point guard. He's very athletic and is greatly engaged as to what is happening around him on the court. The only thing that he cares about is his team doing well and winning, and he knows that the point guard initiates those actions.

"Rashad is a quality young man, drummer in his church choir and just a good, good kid that comes from a great family," added Manning.

Ray selected Tulsa over offers from UTEP, Tulane and Louisiana Tech.

"Rashad is a well-groomed student-athlete who takes his books very seriously. On the court, he's a very hard-nosed player and is very coachable. From a defensive standpoint, he plays 94 feet and is an in-your-face defender. On offense, he's a really quick, athletic point guard. He can shoot the three ball really well. He's a high-flyer and a finisher. He'll go to the hole," said AAU Travel Team Coach Cleavon Williams. "I've coached him for the last three years on the AAU travel circuit, and I have personally seen him put some 6-7's and some 6-8's (-inch tall players) in the rim.

"The Tulsa coaches did a great job recruiting Rashad. They did a great job of making him feel at home," said Williams. "When he came back from his official visit, I asked him, `How did you like it.' His words were, `Coach, I loved it. Cancel the rest of my visits, I'm a part of their family already."