IRVINE, Calif. --- Two prep standouts have signed National Letters of Intent with the UC Irvine basketball program, announced by Anteaters' head coach Russell Turner.
Collin Welp, a 6-9 forward from Seattle Prep, and Solomon Ruddell, a 7-1 post player from The Hill School in Pottstown, Pa., have signed to join the UCI program next year.
"We are excited to add two excellent young men and basketball prospects to the UC Irvine basketball family," Turner said. "Both of these guys bring many winning qualities to our team, along with outstanding talent and potential to improve.
"Solomon Ruddell has been a target of ours for a long time and with him, we will continue the trend of having difference-making size on our roster. Solomon is highly competitive and smart--he is the first champion chess player that I have recruited, and I am excited about his combination of skill, size and drive to be better. He comes from excellent high school and AAU programs and he has been coached very well as a young player. His family has been a big part of his decision-making process and we are excited that they will be able to see his career unfold up close," Turner added.
"Collin Welp struck me as a highest-level competitor the first time I saw him. It quickly made sense that he hails from a basketball family because when he plays, you can see an edge and intelligence in his game that comes from his parents," said Turner. "Collin also has been well coached in both his high school and AAU basketball, and I am excited to add his combination of size, shooting ability and rebounding to our roster. It is difficult to recruit excellent players from Seattle, and I am thrilled that Collin and his family have chosen to join us at UCI.
"Both of these players were highly recruited and I give my staff credit for their excellent efforts on behalf of the future of our program. It is fun for me when prospects with multiple options choose UC Irvine and this strengthens my belief in all that is possible here," added Turner.
Ruddell played at Morro Bay High School before transferring to The Hill School, where he averaged 8 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocked shots last season when he shot 55 percent from the field and 77 percent from the free-throw line.
Welp, who averaged 17 points and 7 rebounds last season at Seattle Prep, is the son of the late Christian Welp, who was the 1986 Pac-10 Player of the Year at Washington, a three-time All-Pac-10 selection and an NBA player for three seasons.
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