Central Christian College of the Bible head men's basketball coach Jack Defreitas on Monday announced the signing of Taylor Petersen for the 2018-19 season. Petersen is the 10th member of the Saints' 2018 class.

Petersen, a 5-10 combo guard, is a transfer from Grace University in Omaha, Neb., which closed its doors in May. Petersen played two seasons at the junior college level and then played his junior season at Shepherd University in Los Angeles, Calif. He will be a senior during the 2018-19 season.

During the 2016-17 season at Shepherd, Petersen averaged 10 points, six assists and two steals per game. He sat out the 2017-18 season at Grace when the school announced its closing prior to the start of the season.

"Taylor is an all-around solid player with a great work ethic," Defreitas said. "He adds physical strength on the perimeter, is a good on-ball defender, and can really shoot from the outside. We've got a good nucleus returning, but he also adds more veteran leadership having played three years of college basketball."

Petersen plans to pursue an Associate of Professional Studies degree while also earning a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from CCCB's partner institution, Hope International University.

Petersen joins Luis Garza of Mission, Texas, Cruz Mendoza of Alton, Texas, Trey Black of Choctaw, Okla., Ian Denton of Cairo, Mo., Keshawn White of Slater, Mo., Anthony Moreno of Donna, Texas, Caleif Gregg of Independence, Mo., Caleb Kendrick of Jacksonville, Ark., and Emanuel Harris of Cape Girardeau, Mo., as members of the Saints' 2018 recruiting class.

Central Christian College of the Bible head men's basketball coach Jack Defreitas on Friday announced the signing of Emanuel Harris for the 2018-19 season. Harris is the ninth member of the Saints' 2018 class.

Harris, a 6-3 small forward, is a 2018 graduate of Central High School in Cape Girardeau, Mo. The two-year letterman was part of a Cape Girardeau Central team that finished 23-5 and lost by a point to eventual Final 4 participant Sikeston in the Class 4 District 1 title game.

"Emanuel comes from a Cape Girardeau Central program that is just loaded with talent," Defreitas said. "Between his high school program and the summer competition he faced, he has become a very good, well-rounded basketball player. He is a strong defender, has tremendous athleticism, and is a hard worker. We are extremely excited to have Emanuel joining us this fall."

Harris plans to pursue an Associate of Professional Studies degree while also earning a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from CCCB's partner institution, Hope International University.

Harris joins Luis Garza of Mission, Texas, Cruz Mendoza of Alton, Texas, Trey Black of Choctaw, Okla., Ian Denton of Cairo, Mo., Keshawn White of Slater, Mo., Anthony Moreno of Donna, Texas, Caleif Gregg of Independence, Mo., and Caleb Kendrick of Jacksonville, Ark., as members of the Saints' 2018 recruiting class.

Central Christian College of the Bible head men's basketball coach Jack Defreitas on Wednesday announced the signing of Caleb Kendrick for the 2018-19 season. Kendrick is the eighth member of the Saints' 2018 class.

Kendrick, a 5-5 point guard, is a 2018 graduate of Jacksonville High School in Jacksonville, Ark. The three-year letterman averaged 11.2 points, 4.2 assists, and 2.5 steals per game as a senior.

"Caleb is a spark out on the floor that makes up for his lack of size with hustle," Defreitas said. "He is quick, can jump passing lanes, looks to take charges, and shoots the ball well. On top of that, he is another strong character guy that we've added to an already strong group."

Kendrick helped the Titans, who advanced to the quarterfinals of the 6A state tournament, to a 15-16 record in 2017-18. The Titans went 15-15 during Kendrick's junior season and 18-9 when he was a sophomore. This past December, he was named the MVP of the Bulldog Classic in Fayetteville.

Kendrick plans to pursue an Associate of Professional Studies degree while also earning a Bachelor of Arts in Teacher Preparation from CCCB's partner institution, Hope International University.

Kendrick joins Luis Garza of Mission, Texas, Cruz Mendoza of Alton, Texas, Trey Black of Choctaw, Okla., Ian Denton of Cairo, Mo., Keshawn White of Slater, Mo., Anthony Moreno of Donna, Texas, and Caleif Gregg of Independence, Mo., as members of the Saints' 2018 recruiting class.

Central Christian College of the Bible head men's basketball coach Jack Defreitas on Friday announced the signing of Caleif Gregg for the 2018-19 season. Gregg is the seventh member of the Saints' 2018 class.

Gregg, a 6-2 shooting guard, is a 2018 graduate of Truman High School in Independence, Mo. The three-year letterman saw limited time during his senior season while battling an injury, but came on strong at the end of the season to help the rebuilding Patriots make a late push.

"I've heard nothing but great things about Caleif from his former coaches," Defreitas said. "He can really shoot the basketball and has a long wingspan for a guard. Now that he is healthy I think he has a ton of potential as a basketball player, and will be a great addition off the court as well."

Gregg plans to pursue a Bachelor of Religious Studies degree from CCCB and an Associate Degree in Nursing from partner institution, Moberly Area Community College.

Gregg joins Luis Garza of Mission, Texas, Cruz Mendoza of Alton, Texas, Trey Black of Choctaw, Okla., Ian Denton of Cairo, Mo., Keshawn White of Slater, Mo., and Anthony Moreno of Donna, Texas, as members of the Saints' 2018 recruiting class.

Central Christian College of the Bible head men's basketball coach Jack Defreitas on Tuesday announced the signing of Anthony Moreno for the 2018-19 season. Moreno is the sixth member of the Saints' 2018 class.

Moreno, a 6-4 forward, is a 2018 graduate of Donna High School in Donna, Texas. The four-year letterman averaged 15.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game as a senior.

Moreno earned all-district honors and all-defensive team honors the past three seasons, including a unanimous first team all-district selection in 2018. In addition, he was named MVP of the Rio Grande Valley Basketball Coaches Association All-Star game in April.

"Anthony is a great addition for us and I am excited to have him joining us this fall," Defreitas said. "He provides us with more length and athleticism. He will be the third player we've added from that area of Texas, so I think those guys will enjoy getting to play together."

As a freshman, Moreno helped Donna to a 23-14 mark, which included a district championship and a trip to the second round of the 5A region tournament. The Redskins finished 14-17 in 2017-18.

Moreno plans to pursue an Associate of Professional Studies degree while also earning a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from CCCB's partner institution, Hope International University.

Moreno joins Luis Garza of Mission, Texas, Cruz Mendoza of Alton, Texas, Trey Black of Choctaw, Okla., Ian Denton of Cairo, Mo., and Keshawn White of Slater, Mo., as members of the Saints' 2018 recruiting class.

Central Christian College of the Bible head men's basketball coach Jack Defreitas on Thursday announced the signing of Ian Denton for the 2018-19 season. Denton is the fourth member of the Saints' 2018 class.

Denton, a 6-6 small forward from Northeast R-IV (Cairo) High School in Cairo, Missouri, is currently a senior and will graduate in May. The four-year letterman and three-year starter for the Bearcats averaged 13.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game as a senior.

Denton earned All-Central Activities Conference honors during his sophomore and senior seasons.

"I am extremely excited to be adding Ian to our program," Defreitas said. "I've know him for quite some time, and he is an excellent fit for us. He comes from a strong Christian family and absolutely loves the game of basketball. His length and skill will provide a lot of versatility for our lineup and his faith will strengthen our foundation."

While at CCCB, Denton plans to pursue an Associate of Professional Studies and a dual-enrollment degree in Business Administration from a partner institution.

Denton joins Luis Garza of Mission, Texas, Cruz Mendoza of Alton, Texas, and Trey Black of Choctaw, Okla., as members of the Saints' 2018 recruiting class.

Central Christian College of the Bible head men's basketball coach Jack Defreitas on Wednesday announced the signing of Trey Black for the 2018-19 season. Black is the third member of the Saints' 2018 class.

Black, a 6-0 combo guard from Choctaw High School in Choctaw, Oklahoma, is currently a senior and will graduate in May. The three-year letterman and two-year starter for the Yellowjackets averaged 10.2 points, 4.0 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game as a senior.

Black was named as an honorable mention selection to both the Oklahoman's Big All-City team and the Super 5, All-State team for 2017-18. This past season Black helped the Yellowjackets, who compete in Oklahoma's largest classification at 6A, achieve their first winning season in over a decade with a 12-11 season.

"Trey is just an outstanding addition for us all around," Defreitas said. "He shoots it well from the inside and out, plays the game extremely hard, and does a lot of the little things that not everybody wants to do. He's a leader in his youth group and I believe he'll be a leader here as well."

While at CCCB, Black plans to pursue an Associate of Professional Studies and a dual-enrollment degree in Business Administration from a partner institution.

Black joins Luis Garza of Mission, Texas, and Cruz Mendoza of Alton, Texas, as members of the Saints' 2018 recruiting class.

Central Christian College of the Bible head men's basketball coach Jack Defreitas on Friday announced the signing of Cruz Mendoza for the 2018-19 season. Mendoza is the second member of the Saints' 2018 class.

Mendoza, a 5-10 point guard from Juarez-Lincoln High School in La Joya, Texas, is currently a senior and will graduate in May. The three-year starter for the Huskies averaged 13.2 points, 6.5 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.4 steals per game as a senior.

Mendoza, the high school teammate of Luis Garza who was also announced as a Saints signee today, helped lead the Huskies to their best season in school history with a 21-12 record and the program's first Class 6A playoff appearance. As a senior, Mendoza earned Rio Grande Valley Coaches Association second team honors.

"Cruz is strong point guard that defends well and sees the court," Defreitas said. "Along with Luis, he was instrumental in turning his high school program around. I am excited to have Cruz joining us; having several guys from the same area will provide an instant connection for the newcomers."

Mendoza was a Rio Grande Valley Basketball Coaches Association All-Star selection as a senior. Last summer he was AAU teammates with current Saints Jaime Rodriguez and Jesse Granados.

While at CCCB, Mendoza plans to pursue an Associate of Professional Studies and a dual-enrollment degree in Education from a partner institution.