TicketsCINCINNATI -- University of Cincinnati men's basketball head coach Wes Miller, the week of his first win as the Bearcats' head coach, is set to build on his signing class ahead of the 2022-23 season. The three early signees give Cincinnati a No. 27 national ranking from 247Sports.com.
Josh Reed (6-7, 210, Atlanta, Ga. / Pace Academy)
Reed, a member of the Rivals Top 150, was a two-time state champion and arrived on the scene early with Freshman of the Year honors. He has also been a three-time All-Region selection to go with a First-Team All-State accolade. Reed averaged 17 ppg as a junior and 20 ppg in AAU with AC Georgia.
"I thought this summer, Josh may have been the most efficient offensive player on the circuit," Miller said. "He is totally unselfish, seems to make the right play and knows how to get fouled. He shoots it, puts his body on people and is a versatile player who gets his hands on a lot of balls. He's also a terrific young man. He's played for terrific coaches at great programs and has won at a high level. I think he fits us in a lot of ways at UC."
Sage Tolentino (7-1, 220, Kāne'ohe, Hawaii / Hamilton HS)
Tolentino, who moved to the Queen City after previously attending Maryknoll HS in Hawaii, is ranked No. 144 in the Rivals Top 150. He was the third-rated player in Hawaii's FAB 15, leading the state in blocks per game, before heading to Ohio, where he is rated the fourth-best center. His resume extends to his youngest days too, helping his team to the D1 Interscholastic Basketball Championship as an eighth-grader and state titles as a freshman and sophomore. Even at ages 10 and 11, he won free-throw and three-point competitions in his league. Tolentino has played for JaVale McGee's All-Star Team in Michigan on the AAU circuit, in addition to TSF in Atlanta and Power 5 in Wisconsin. He was also in show choir and two school plays, acting and singing, in fifth and sixth grade.
"We're super excited about Sage," Miller said. "He's skilled, long, athletic and has versatility at 7-foot-1 to guard multiple positions. He can step out and shoot the three, and he's our type of kid. He's fun-loving with a great personality, but I love that when he works, he's very serious about his game. I'm real excited to welcome him to our program."
Daniel Skillings (6-6, 190, Blackwood, N.J. / Roman Catholic HS)
Skillings has been rated as high as the No. 41 prospect nationally as well as 12th among shooting guards. The honor roll student and averaged 24.6 points and 10 rebounds per game on the AAU circuit with Philly Pride and earned First-Team All-Catholic, All-State and All-City honors on his high school team.
"I was so blown away with Dan, first because of the way he competes and rebounds the ball at the guard position and also his toughness defensively," Miller said. "He has so much upside. He can score on every level. He's explosive at the rim, can shoot the three and do a lot off the bounce. I think he's just scratching the surface of the kind of player he can become, and he has the chance to be an elite guard in college basketball sooner rather than later. He's our type of young man. He's serious about basketball with his grind and work ethic every day. Off the court, he's fun-loving with a great sense of humor, and it's neat to add him to our program in a year."
Josh Reed (6-7, 210, Atlanta, Ga. / Pace Academy)
Reed, a member of the Rivals Top 150, was a two-time state champion and arrived on the scene early with Freshman of the Year honors. He has also been a three-time All-Region selection to go with a First-Team All-State accolade. Reed averaged 17 ppg as a junior and 20 ppg in AAU with AC Georgia.
"I thought this summer, Josh may have been the most efficient offensive player on the circuit," Miller said. "He is totally unselfish, seems to make the right play and knows how to get fouled. He shoots it, puts his body on people and is a versatile player who gets his hands on a lot of balls. He's also a terrific young man. He's played for terrific coaches at great programs and has won at a high level. I think he fits us in a lot of ways at UC."
Welcome to Cincinnati, @Josh_Reed12!
— Cincinnati Men's Hoops (@GoBearcatsMBB) November 10, 2021
📝: https://t.co/y5esuGY0zj pic.twitter.com/5Ncp0r0Uwc
Sage Tolentino (7-1, 220, Kāne'ohe, Hawaii / Hamilton HS)
Tolentino, who moved to the Queen City after previously attending Maryknoll HS in Hawaii, is ranked No. 144 in the Rivals Top 150. He was the third-rated player in Hawaii's FAB 15, leading the state in blocks per game, before heading to Ohio, where he is rated the fourth-best center. His resume extends to his youngest days too, helping his team to the D1 Interscholastic Basketball Championship as an eighth-grader and state titles as a freshman and sophomore. Even at ages 10 and 11, he won free-throw and three-point competitions in his league. Tolentino has played for JaVale McGee's All-Star Team in Michigan on the AAU circuit, in addition to TSF in Atlanta and Power 5 in Wisconsin. He was also in show choir and two school plays, acting and singing, in fifth and sixth grade.
"We're super excited about Sage," Miller said. "He's skilled, long, athletic and has versatility at 7-foot-1 to guard multiple positions. He can step out and shoot the three, and he's our type of kid. He's fun-loving with a great personality, but I love that when he works, he's very serious about his game. I'm real excited to welcome him to our program."
Welcome to the Bearcats, @SageTolentino!
— Cincinnati Men's Hoops (@GoBearcatsMBB) November 10, 2021
📝: https://t.co/y5esuGY0zj pic.twitter.com/9z7Xi5Q2px
Daniel Skillings (6-6, 190, Blackwood, N.J. / Roman Catholic HS)
Skillings has been rated as high as the No. 41 prospect nationally as well as 12th among shooting guards. The honor roll student and averaged 24.6 points and 10 rebounds per game on the AAU circuit with Philly Pride and earned First-Team All-Catholic, All-State and All-City honors on his high school team.
"I was so blown away with Dan, first because of the way he competes and rebounds the ball at the guard position and also his toughness defensively," Miller said. "He has so much upside. He can score on every level. He's explosive at the rim, can shoot the three and do a lot off the bounce. I think he's just scratching the surface of the kind of player he can become, and he has the chance to be an elite guard in college basketball sooner rather than later. He's our type of young man. He's serious about basketball with his grind and work ethic every day. Off the court, he's fun-loving with a great sense of humor, and it's neat to add him to our program in a year."
Welcome to Cincinnati, @DanielSkillin11!
— Cincinnati Men's Hoops (@GoBearcatsMBB) November 11, 2021
📝: https://t.co/y5esuGY0zj pic.twitter.com/0yUDb4BrKI