Basketball: Wolf Pack signs point guard

Derrell Conner of East Chicago, Ind., has signed a national letter of intent to study and play basketball at the University of Nevada beginning in 2010-11, Wolf Pack head coach David Carter announced Monday.

A 6-0, 165-pound point guard, Conner comes to Nevada from Kankakee (Ill.) Community College where he was a second-team all-region and an all-tournament selection by the National Junior College Athletic Association. He led Kankakee with 12.3 points, 4.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game as a sophomore this year. Conner also ranked second in the region in assists and third in steals. He shot 44 percent from the field, including 33 percent from three-point land, and 80 percent from the free throw line this season.

Conner graduated from tradition-rich East Chicago (Ind.) Central High School where he helped his high school to a state championship as a junior.

"Derrell will be a great addition to the Wolf Pack basketball program. He is a tough-minded player who can do a lot of things offensively from the point guard spot," Carter said. "He is a leader and a fierce competitor who has been a winner at every level, and we look forward to having him bring that mentality to our program this fall."

Conner joins guards Jordan Burris of Bakersfield, Calif., Deonte Burton of Compton, Calif., and Jordan Finn of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., and center Illiwa Baldwin of Queensland, Australia, in this year's recruiting class.