NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State men’s basketball program announced today that two additional players will join the Spartans for the upcoming season. Robert Morris graduate transfer Charles Oliver and sophomore walk-on Justin Peebles will add depth to NSU’s 2015-16 roster.
Oliver is a 6-foot-3, 190-pound redshirt senior guard out of Scotch Plains, N.J., who originally began his career at Rider in 2011-12. After transferring to Lakeland Community College for the following season, Oliver played in 36 games his junior year at Robert Morris in 2013-14. He averaged 6.3 points and 1.5 rebounds per game while shooting 35-of-106 (33.0 percent) from beyond the arc and 43-of-51 (84.3 percent) from the free throw line.
The Colonials finished 22-14 that year and advanced to the second round of the postseason National Invitation Tournament (NIT).
“The signing of Charles Oliver provides immediate veteran leadership, a winning attitude and outside shooting to this year’s team,” said head coach Robert Jones. “Having played at a winning program like Robert Morris, Charles knows what it takes to be successful. He is a premier outside shooter and a former JUCO All-American, and we look forward to him joining Spartan Nation.”
Oliver did not compete last year and will thus have one season of eligibility left in 2015-16. He was a NJCAA Division II First-Team All-American for the 2012-13 season after averaging 19.3 points per game at Lakeland CC.
Peebles attended NSU last year and sat out as an NCAA non-qualifier. A 6-6, 160-pound guard, he attended Christchurch School in Christchurch, Va., averaging 11.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game as a senior in 2013-14. He led Christchurch to the VISAA Division II state championship in 2012-13, tallying 7.3 points and 2.2 rebounds that year as a junior. Peebles once sank eight 3-pointers in a game during his sophomore season at Hanover High School.
“Justin possesses great length and size at the wing spot,” said Jones. “He can shoot over most defenders at any point in time. We look forward to him having a solid freshman year and a bright future at NSU.”
The two new players will bring to 13 the number of active members of NSU’s 2015-16 roster, including six returning letterwinners and five previously announced scholarship recruits. In addition, Daniel Robinson and Kerwin Okoro will sit out the upcoming season as Division I transfers.
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