BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - Bakersfield head coach Rod Barnes has announced the signing of 6' 8” forward Antonio Jenifer from Hagerstown Community College, Md., to a national letter of intent to play for the Roadrunners next season.
Jenifer, a Potomac, Md. native, will have two years of eligibility remaining and is coming off a sophomore season at Hagerstown where he averaged 21 points per game while pulling down eight rebounds and shooting 47% in 33 games played. He was second in the Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference (MDJUCO) in scoring as a sophomore with 697 points and was named a National Junior College Athletic Association All-American.
“Antonio will be a great addition to our team, he is a very versatile player with the ability to play both inside and outside which we expect to pay big dividends for us next year,” Barnes said. “Antonio is a very good scorer, solid rebounder and more importantly fits our style of play.”
Jenifer helped lead Hagerstown to a 29-5 record last season and a MDJUCO Tournament championship and a trip to the NJCAA Tournament following a Region XX championship. Along with his scoring, he managed a conference 7th-best 8.4 rebounds per contest while also recording 49 blocks last season.
Barnes said not only does Jenifer fit the style of play for Bakersfield; he fit in to the team immediately.
“When he came to visit us it seemed as if he was already part of our family,” he said. “We are excited about him and believe he will do great things on and off the court.”
Jenifer joins Tyrell Corbin as the second student-athlete to sign with the Roadrunners for next season, the first for the program in the Western Athletic Conference.
“Signing my letter of intent is a stress reliever, I am so happy I made it to play Division I basketball,” Jenifer said via his Twitter feed. “If it wasn't for my family and my teammates I wouldn't be here.”
