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WKU Men's Basketball Adding Three New Players to Recruiting Class

WKU head men's basketball coach Ray Harper added three more players to the roster for the 2012-13 season, as Eddie Alcantara, Michael Bradley and Aleksejs Rostovs will be suiting up for the Hilltoppers beginning in the fall. Alcantara (F, 6-5, 205, Chicago, Ill. [Hales Franciscan HS]), Bradley (F/C, 6-10, 225, Chattanooga, Tenn. [University of Connecticut]) and Rostovs (C, 6-9, 225, Riga, Latvia [Canarias Basketball Academy]) join junior college guard Brandon Harris as newcomers for the Hilltoppers in 2012-13.

Alcantara and Rostovs will have four years of eligibility, and Bradley is expected to have three.

"I think we filled the needs that we identified," Harper said. "We were fortunate to get the players we targeted. We had a plan that we wanted to follow on the recruiting trail, and our staff did a great job of building relationships with these kids. Each one brings something to the table, and I think they will fit extremely well with the returning group of players on the roster."

Alcantara, a 6-5 forward, was a Chicago Tribune all-state special mention after the 2011-12 season at Hales Franciscan High School. He averaged 21 points and nine rebounds per game as a senior, and he holds a three-star rating from Scout.com's recruiting service. As a junior he was a member of Hales Franciscan's 2011 Illinois Class 2A state championship team, where he averaged 15.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per contest in 29 games played. The Spartans finished that season with a 27-4 record.

Bradley, a transfer from the University of Connecticut, is expected to be immediately available for the Hilltoppers due to extenuating circumstances regarding his personal situation. He was a part of the Huskies' program for two years but did not see action in either the 2010-11 or 2011-12 campaigns after redshirting his freshman season and suffering an injury as a redshirt-freshman this past season.

The Chattanooga, Tenn., native played high school basketball at Tyner Academy, where he helped the program earn district, sub-state and regional championships as a senior in 2010. He averaged 5.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and three blocks per game during his senior season and was a McDonald's All-America nominee.

Rostovs spent last season at Canarias Basketball Academy in Spain, one of the top prep schools in Europe, where he helped the team to a strong showing in the 2012 National Prep Invitational Tournament in Rhode Island. The 6-9 center scored 14 points and added seven rebounds and two blocks in 32 minutes in a contest against NIA Prep. The native of Latvia played for his home country in the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championships, where he averaged 1.3 points and 2.0 rebounds in seven minutes per game in the tournament. Latvia went 3-5 during the international competition.

The regular signing period for the Class of 2012 began on April 11 and lasts until May 16.

Kevin is the News Director at WKU Public Radio. He has been with the station since 1999, and was previously the Assistant News Director, and also served as local host of Morning Edition.