Drew Signs McLaughlin to Impressive 2009 Class
4/27/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
April 27, 2009
WACO, Texas - Baylor head men's basketball coach Scott Drew announced the signing of consensus top-100 shooting guard Mark McLaughlin to a National Letter of Intent Monday.
McLaughlin was ranked No. 76 by Rivals.com, No. 77 by Dave Telep of Scout.com and No. 92 in the 2008 ESPNU 100. The 6-foot-6 guard originally signed a letter of intent as a part of the University of Nevada, Reno's 2008 class, but was granted his full release earlier this month.
"Mark comes from a basketball family and is a real gym rat," Drew said. "He has very good offensive skills and has a knack for scoring."
Ranked No. 14 on the Long Beach Press-Telegram's prestigious "Best in the West" and No. 16 nationally at his position by Rivals.com, McLaughlin averaged 17 points as a sophomore in 2005-06. He earned All-King County first team honors in 2007, averaging 21.3 points in 12 games for the Inglemoor Vikings as a junior.
McLaughlin led Inglemoor to a sixth-place finish in King County in 2006-07 as its team captain. He later enrolled at New Hampton Prep in New Hampton, N.H., for the 2008-09 academic year.
McLaughlin becomes the second student-athlete to sign with Baylor in less than a week and the fifth member of the Bears' 2009 signing class, joining Givon Crump, a 6-7 small forward from Wolfeboro, N.H.; Nolan Dennis, a 6-5 shooting guard from North Richland Hills, Texas; Cory Jefferson, a 6-9 power forward from Killeen, Texas; and A.J. Walton, a 6-1 guard from Little Rock, Ark.
BAYLOR CLASS OF 2009 SIGNEES
| Name | Pos | Ht | Wt | Yr | Hometown (Previous School) |
| Givon Crump | SF | 6-7 | 210 | Fr | Wolfeboro, N.H. (Brewster Academy) |
| Nolan Dennis | SG | 6-5 | 185 | Fr | North Richland Hills, Texas (Richland) |
| Cory Jefferson | PF | 6-9 | 200 | Fr | Killeen, Texas (Killeen) |
| Mark McLaughlin | SG | 6-6 | 200 | Fr | Kenmore, Wash. (New Hampton [N.H.] Prep) |
| A.J. Walton | PG | 6-1 | 180 | Fr | Little Rock, Ark. (Hall) |
