He joins A.J. Slaughter of Shelbyville, Ky., who signed with the Hilltoppers Wednesday.
“Signing A’Darius Pegues helps us accomplish three goals,” Horn said. “First, he is an athletic big man with basketball tools and versatility. Second, he helps us establish a presence in Louisville. And third, we believe that along with A.J., we've signed the top two college prospects in Kentucky — our goal every year is to get the best players in our own state.”
Pegues, a 6-foot-9, 230-pound center from Louisville, Ky., averaged 11 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks per game last season at Western High School, his first year of organized basketball. By the end of the year, he was named to the district all-tournament team.
Pegues — who is the third ranked player in his region entering the 2006-07 season — also played with the Greyhounds AAU team last summer. In addition, he was ranked as high as 82nd in the nation by Rivals.com at the beginning of the summer.
He chose Western Kentucky over Cincinnati, Georgia, Louisville, Purdue and Xavier.
“The most exciting thing about A’Darius is that his best basketball is ahead of him,” Horn added. “Cypheus Bunton did a terrific job with his recruitment. He is quickly establishing himself as a top-notch recruiter and a major recruiting presence in the Louisville area.”
WKU opens the regular season Friday at 7:30 p.m. (CST) at E.A. Diddle Arena against Austin Peay.
