FARMVILLE, Va. – Longwood head men's basketball coach Jayson Gee announced the signing of two newcomers to his 2015-16 signing class, adding sophomore forward Jahleem Montague and junior combo guard Kendrick Thompson to expand his fourth recruiting class to five members.
 
Montague, a 6-8, 210-pound forward from Palm Beach State Community College, and Thompson, a 6-2, 170-pound guard from Daytona State College, will be eligible to play immediately. Those two join freshman point guard Juan Munoz of Raleigh, N.C., freshman forward JaShaun Smith of Garner, N.C., and sophomore swingman Isaiah Walton of Oberlin, Ohio, in Longwood's 2015-16 class.
 
"Our signing class was already incredibly strong with Juan, JaShaun and Isaiah, but Jahleem and Kendrick make it a recruiting coup for our program," said Gee, who is entering his fourth season as Longwood's head coach. "Jahleem and Kendrick were sought after by some of the best programs in the Big South and other high-level mid-major teams, and their signing reflects the respect our program has earned in the world of college basketball. I want to credit my entire staff, especially [associate head coach] Jake Luhn, for selling Jahleem and Kendrick on our vision for Longwood basketball and their roles in taking us to the next level. These are two supremely talented players and high-caliber individuals, and I'm excited for the immediate impact they will have."

Montague and and Thompson will help the Lancers reload for 2016-17 along with an early signing crop that includes the 5-10, 160-pound Munoz, who ESPN.com ranks as the No. 6 point guard in North Carolina; the 6-5, 190-pound Smith, who appeared as ESPN SportsCenter's No. 1 play in December; and the 6-4, 180-pound Walton, who began his collegiate career at UC Davis in 2013-14.
 
That five-member class joins a Longwood squad that graduates four seniors in May, including All-Big South first team center Lotanna Nwogbo, two-time Big South All-Tournament Team selection Shaquille Johnson, starting point guard Tra'Vaughn White and combo guard Leron Fisher. The Lancers achieved their highest-ever Big South finish last season and now add Montague to a frontcourt that includes returning starter Khris Lane, and Thompson to a backcourt that features the league's top returning three-point shooter in guard Darrion Allen.

"Jahleem is like a great stock portfolio, somebody who will get better with time and provide us great return on our belief in him," Gee said. "He will be an impact player for us from day one with his elite athleticism, motor and offensive versatility. More importantly, he brings maturity, self-discipline and tremendous character to our program."
 
"Kendrick is a true gunslinger on the offensive end," said Gee. "He's capable of putting up big numbers in a short amount of time. He can shoot it from deep and make others better with his ability to draw defenders and assist to open teammates. He will be counted on heavily this season to provide us scoring from all three guard positions."
 
Montague comes to Longwood with three years of eligibility remaining after playing all 32 games for a Palm Beach State squad that finished 24-8 in 2015-16. The Atlantic City, N.J., native averaged 4.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game per game while shooting .560 (61-of-109) from the floor and .714 (35-of-49) from the free throw line.
 
"Our staff here at Palm Beach State could not be more happy about Jahleem's decision to attend Longwood," said Palm Beach State head coach Martin McCann. "As someone that puts family first, joining the family atmosphere coach Gee and his staff have created was the perfect fit for Jahleem.
 
"As an athlete, Jahleem brings elite athleticism, an endless motor and physicality that cannot be taught by any coach. Jahleem has won at every stop on his basketball Journey and will bring a winning mentality to the Lancer program. Additionally, Jahleem brings personality, character and a strong set of values to the Longwood Community."
 
Montague is a product of Atlantic City High School where he helped the Vikings win back-to-back state Group IV titles as a junior and senior. He averaged 9.9 points and 5.9 rebounds as a senior and upped that production in the postseason to 12.7 points in 11 postseason games. After high school graduation, Montague played a postgraduate year at The Robinson School before joining Palm Beach State.
 
"Jahleem is one of the most relentless players I have ever encountered," said Allen Ragland, Montague's mentor and former coach. "He is an undersized Mutombo, Mourning or Rodman. Jahleem is such a dedicated kid. He overcame the non-believers that said he couldn't graduate in a year-and-a-half from junior college."
 
While Montague will step in to anchor the frontcourt, Thompson will step into a major role in the backcourt. The second-leading scorer for a 25-7 Daytona State team last season, Thompson averaged 13.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game while posting a 1.9 assist-to-turnover ratio as one of Daytona State's primary ballhandlers.
 
"Kendrick Thompson has been vital to our team's success in his two years here," said Daytona State head coach Ryan Ridder. "He was a two-time Mid-Florida Conference first team selection and played a big part in leading us to the state semifinal game. He is a big-time scorer that has a great feel for the game and can get his teammates involved. He has a knack for making the big play, and he will go down as one of the better shooters to wear a Falcon uniform. Longwood University is getting an explosive scorer and, more importantly, a great young man that will represent the program at a high level."
 
Thompson shot .336 (84-of-250) from three-point range and scored in double figures 20 times last season, including seven 20-point outbursts. He was just as effective in NJCAA Region 8 Mid-Florida Conference play, averaging 14.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game as the Falcons finished 6-3 to tie for the regular season title.
 
"KT has worked extremely hard and has dedicated himself to the game," said Reggie Tucker, Thompson's mentor and former coach. "He understand what he needs to continue to do in order to help take Longwood to new heights. It has been a blessing to be a part of his grind and watch him fulfill his dreams and goals of impacting a D-I basketball program. Coach Gee and his staff did a tremendous job with Kendrick, and they are getting a great young man and player."
 
Longwood will open its fourth season under Gee in 2016-17 after a 2015-16 campaign that included an eighth-place conference finish that was the highest in four years in the league, a second straight postseason win in the Big South Tournament, the program's first-ever All-Big South first team selection in Lotanna Nwogbo and a win over reigning Big South champion Coastal Carolina.
 
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