Nov. 8, 2017
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State men's basketball coach Patrick Chambers added two guards to the class of 2018 as Rasir Bolton and Myles Dread have signed their national letters of intent to enroll at Penn State and play for the Nittany Lions.
"We are elated to welcome Myles and Rasir to the Penn State family," said Nittany Lion men's basketball coach Patrick Chambers. "Our staff's primary focus was on recruiting individuals who align with our vision for the Penn State basketball program. In both Myles and Rasir we believe we have found two young men who have distinguished themselves with their academic and athletic accomplishments and we are thrilled about the future."
Dread, a 6-4 guard from Burtonsville, Maryland, helped lead Gonzaga College High School to the Washington Post's number-one ranking in 2016-17. His junior season saw the Eagles win the 2017 Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) and District of Columbia State Athletic Association titles as well as the Alhambra Catholic Invitation. It was Gonzaga's second-straight WCAC championship and Dread earned second-team accolades both years, as well as fourth-team All-Met honors in 2017.
As a junior, Dread averaged 10.4 points and 4.9 assists per game as Gonzaga posted a 32-5 record. He joined future teammates Lamar Stevens, Nazeer Bostick and Tony Carr on the 2015 DC Classic All-Tournament team and was a repeat selection when Gonzaga claimed the championship in 2016. Dread's outstanding performance at Junior Orange Bowl Classic in 2015 earned him a spot on the all-tournament first team as a sophomore as Gonzaga swept through the competition.
Basketballspotlight.com named Dread as its Class of 2018 Scholar Athlete of the Year. The son of Aaron and Kisha, Dread was also a part of Team Takeover's 2008 AAU national championship team.
"Myles has been a part of winning programs in his high school (Gonzaga) and AAU programs (Team Takeover) and we feel he will fit really well in our system," Chambers said. "He is a fierce competitor who is extremely skilled, which will allow him to play multiple positions. In addition to those characteristics, he has a great shooting stroke and high basketball I.Q. We became close to his family during the recruiting process and we are excited Myles and his family are now part of our Penn State family."
As a member of the Team Loaded Virginia team that won the 2017 adidas Uprising championship, Bolton averaged 11.6 points during the eight-game tournament with two 20-point games. Bolton, from Chesterfield, Va., is rated as the top point guard in Virginia and as one of the top point guards on the East Coast.
An all-state and all-conference pick following his sophomore year where he had multiple 30-plus scoring games, Bolton has already eclipsed the 1,000-point scoring mark. The son of Ray and Chalonda, he plays for Massanuttan Military Academy.
"Rasir is an explosive point guard and an elite student who will bring energy and passion to the court and classroom," Chambers said. "His AAU program (Team Loaded) and high school (Massanuttan Military) have given Rasir the opportunity to compete on some of the biggest national stages. He plays with toughness, can shoot the ball, and has great floor vision that allows him to make plays off ball screens. We are excited that he and his family are officially Nittany Lions."
Keep up to date with the latest information from Coach Chambers and the Nittany Lions on Twitter by following @Coach_Chambers and @PennStateMBB, on Facebook and Instagram at @PennStateMBB.