May 4, 2006

EASTON, Pa. - Head coach Fran O'Hanlon has secured the commitments of four student-athletes who will join the Lafayette men's basketball program as part of the first scholarship class since Lafayette joined the Patriot League in 1990. The Class of 2010 is a geographically diverse group with international players from Poland and Sweden and recruits from Colorado and and Maryland.

Marek Koltun (Krakow, Poland/Caravel Academy) is the biggest player Fran O'Hanlon has signed since Stefan Ciosici '00 arrived on campus in 1995. Koltun is a 6-10, 265-pound center from Krakow, Poland. He spent the 2005-06 schoolyear at Caravel Academy in Bear, Del.

Koltun, who began playing basketball at the age of 14, was an All-State honorable mention choice while at Caravel. He averaged 12.5 points, 9.6 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game while leading Caravel to a 23-3 record, the best mark in school history. Koltun managed 11 double-doubles during the 2005-06 season, scoring at least 19 points in four of the games. In the regular season, the big man also recorded a triple-double against St. Thomas More on Feb. 7 when he dropped in 16 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and swatted away 11 shots. He shot 62 percent from the floor in 2005-06.

As Caravel moved to postseason play, Koltun raised his level of play. He posted a triple-double against Brandywine (18 pts., 14 reb., 10 blks) in the second round of the state tournament and a double-double (14 pts., 14 reb.) in a semifinal win over Hodgson. Caravel advanced to the state championship game where before losing to Tatnall, 73-71, in double overtime.

Koltun shined in the classroom at Caravel. He maintained a 3.8 GPA through the second marking period and was ranked third in his class.

"Marek is a five-man who is very good around the basket," O'Hanlon said. "He is very strong and is a solid post defender."

Andre Hines (Denver, Colo./Solebury School) is a 6-7, 215-pound forward who looks to immediately make Lafayette a better rebounding team. Hines spent a post-graduate year at the Solebury School in Bucks County after graduating from Denver East High School in 2005.

Hines averaged 10.2 points and 11.0 rebounds per game at Solebury for head coach Cleve Christy. He also contributed 3.0 blocks and 3.0 assists per game. His top performance of the season came against International Christian School when he scored 16 points and pulled down 19 rebounds. A two-time all-tournament selection at Solebury, he helped lead the team to a 21-9 record. Hines is a 3.0 student at Solebury.

"Andre is a great rebounder and defender," O'Hanlon said. "He really goes after the basketball which is something we haven't had in our program at Lafayette in a while."

Jesper Andersen (Norrkoping, Sweden/Ebersteinska Gymnasiet) is a 6-7, 190-pound small forward. He averaged 18.3 points and 8.0 rebounds per game for Norkoping Basket.

"Jesper is an excellent three-point shooter who moves well without the ball," O'Hanlon said. "He has the ability to play on in the inside and on the perimeter."

O'Hanlon also deepened his backcourt ranks with the signing of Michael Gruner (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman). Gruner is a 6-1, 180-pound shooting guard who led his team to the Maryland 4A state title, the first such title for Walt Whitman High School. Gruner averaged 19.9 ppg while leading Whitman to a 24-3 record. In the championship game against Eleanor Roosevelt, Gruner scored 23 of his team's 39 points in a 39-38 win.

Gruner earned 2006 All-Met First Team honors as selected by the Washington Post and was the Gazette Co-Player of the Year, sharing honors with NBA prospect Kevin Durant of Montrose Christian. Gruner played in the 33rd Annual Capital Classic on April 19, a renowned high-school basketball all-star game played each year in the nation's capital. Gruner is a scholar-athlete award winner at Walt Whitman and was also recently nominated for a regional Scholastic Athlete of the Year award to be presented this summer.

Lafayette will open the 2006-07 season in the Preseason NIT. The non-conference slate is highlighted by trips to Miami and San Diego State, while annual renewals with Penn and Princeton will be played at Kirby Sports Center.