May 9, 2007

Los Angeles, CA (May 9) - Loyola Marymount men's basketball completed its 2007 recruiting class with the signing of Quentin Turner, a transfer from Motlow State (Tenn.) Community College. The 6-1 point guard is the fifth player to sign with Head Coach Rodney Tention and the Lions this off-season. Turner joins Tim Diederichs (Sonomish HS - Wash.), Isaiah Jenkins (Westchester HS), Orlando Johnson (Palma HS), and Brandon Walker (Bishop O'Dowd HS).

Turner was named All-Eastern Division by the Tennessee Junior and Community College Athletic Association this past season. He was third in the league in free throw shooting at 80.6 percent and was also ranked in the top 10 in assists and steals. He averaged 11.1 points per game and was fifth in the league in steals with 71 (2.7 spg) and eighth in assists with 106 (4.1 apg).

"Quentin is a very good athlete and is a great addition to our program," said Tention. "We were in need of finding a point guard with experience. With Quentin, we have found a player who has the skills to fill that need for us."

Only at Motlow one season, he helped the Bucks to a first-place tie in the Eastern Division as they went 10-6 in league play.

Prior to Motlow, Turner spent one season at Cloud County Community College in Concordia, Kan., a member of the high-profile Jayhawk Conference. He was a key participant of Cloud County's 24-9 record in the 2005-06 season.

A native of Dickinson, Texas, Turner graduated from Dickinson High School in 2005 and was named the district MVP after averaging 25 points, seven assists and six rebounds as a senior.

Turner rounds out an incoming class filled with off-season accolades.

Jenkins was named All-City Section for the second year and is a two-time All-Area selection after averaging 14.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. He scored 18 points on six three-pointers to defeat Los Angeles Dorsey 90-75 in the second round of the Southern California Regional Division I playoffs and was named MVP of the Westchester Tip-off Classic in December.

Diederichs finished the 2006-07 season at Snohomish averaging 14 points, nine rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. The Panthers went 25-3 and finished fifth at the 4A state tournament. He was an All-Wesco North forward and team captain and led the team in assists in the final game of state.

Walker led O'Dowd to the Division III Championship game against Artesia, the 10th-ranked team in the nation by the USA Today. He scored a game-high 24 points despite an allergy infection that had his eyes swollen shut. O'Dowd finished the season 26-7 overall and Walker was named Bay Area co-Player of the Year and First-Team All-Bay Area. He was also named San Francisco Chronicle All-Metro third-team while averaging better than 14 points per contest.

As for Johnson, he led Palma to their sixth CCS Division IV crown with 23 points and 12 rebounds in a 61-47 win over Menlo. He led the Chieftains to a 27-3 record and the Northern California semifinals. He helped the team to a 19-game winning streak, going undefeated in the Tri-County Athletic League and winning a Central Coast Section Division IV title, the school's first since 1999. He was named the Monterey County Player of the Year and first-team All-County as he averaged 25 points and 12 rebounds per game.