RICHMOND, Ky. – Four players – Jordan Crawford, Jayden Harris, George Kimble III and DJ Nussbaum – will join the Eastern Kentucky University men's basketball program starting with the 2024-25 season.
 
Crawford is a 6-foot-2 transfer guard from the College of Charleston.  As a redshirt freshman this past season, he averaged 4.7 points while playing in 32 games.  He shot 37 percent from the field and 33 percent from 3-point range.
 
The Charlotte, North Carolina native scored a season-best 13 points at No. 13 Florida Atlantic on Dec. 2 and again at Campbell on Jan. 27.  He knocked down a season-high four 3-pointers at UNC Wilmington on Jan. 20 and grabbed a season-best four rebounds against Liberty on Dec. 1.
 
Crawford was picked as the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Rookie of the Week on Dec. 4 after averaging 12 points per game against Liberty and FAU at the Field of 68 Tip-Off.
 
After helping Charleston capture the CAA regular season and tournament championships, Crawford scored five points in four minutes in the Cougars' first round NCAA Tournament game against Alabama.  He went 2-for-2 from the field.
 
"I'm extremely excited about our recruiting class additions," EKU Head Coach A.W. Hamilton said.  "Jordan helped Charleston reach the NCAA Tournament and he's an absolute winner.  He has deep range, can score in bunches, and is fearless."
 
As a senior at North Mecklenburg High School, Crawford was one of three finalist for the Charlotte Observer North Carolina Mr. Basketball Award after averaging 19.8 points per game.  He was a third team all-state and first team all-district pick by the North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association.  Crawford averaged 34 points over two games to help his squad win the Holden Classic and poured in 29 points at the John Wall Holiday Invitational.
 
Harris is a 3-star recruit from Dumfries, Virginia.  The 6-foot-7 wing is rated as the 145th-best prospect in the nation, the 34th-best guard in the country and the fifth-best recruit in Virginia. 
 
Harris, a first team All-Elite Prep League Session 2 selection, played this past season at Massanutten Military Academy in Woodstock, Virginia.  For the season, he averaged 19 points, seven rebounds and three assists per game.
 
"Jayden is a top-150 player in the country out of Massanutten Military Academy," said Hamilton.  "He's got great length at 6-foot-7 and is extremely dynamic.  Jayden has the ability to play multiple positions." 
 
Harris helped Massanutten to a top-20 national ranking and an invitation to the National Prep Championship Tournament.  He averaged 22.3 points and shot 44 percent from the field in three national tournament games.
 
In a February game against Experience Academy, Harris made eight 3-pointers and scored 44 points.  He finished with 23 points and eight rebounds in a January victory over IMG Select.  Harris contributed 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in a win over Brimmer & May in January as well. 
 
In December, Harris put together a 45-point, 10-rebound performance in a victory at the Holtzman Invitational, finishing 15-for-28 from the field.  He had a 30-point performance, with six rebounds and three steals, at the National Prep Showcase against the defending national champions in November.  Harris started the season with 30 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in a win over Experience in late October.
 
Kimble is a 6-foot-2 guard who played his freshman season at Eckerd College in 2023-24.  He earned Sunshine State Conference Freshman of the Year honors and third team all-league recognition after averaging 19.4 points, 4.6 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game.
 
During his first season of college basketball, Kimble shot 42 percent from the field, 33 percent from 3-point range and 84 percent at the free throw line.  He scored in double figures in 19 of his 21 games and scored 20 or more points 10 times. 
 
Kimble was second in the conference in scoring, fifth in assists, sixth in steals, seventh in free throw percentage, 15th in assists-to-turnover ratio and 16th in field goal percentage.
 
"George Kimble III (G-3) exploded last season at the Division II level winning Freshman of the Year in the Sunshine State Conference and also earning third team all-conference," Hamilton said.  "He's competitive, a great playmaker and incredible in the open court." 
 
The Division II All-South Region Second Team selection made a season-high five 3-pointers and scored a season-best 31 points against Tampa on Feb. 7.  Kimble dished out a season-high 12 assists against Embry-Riddle on Jan. 24.  He went 16-for-18 at the free throw line against Florida Southern on Dec. 9 and grabbed a season-high seven rebounds at Florida Tech on Feb. 28.
 
Kimble led Eckerd to its first appearance in the Sunshine State Conference Tournament since 2018-19. 
 
The Tampa, Florida native was the Hillsborough County Player of the Year at Berkley Prep.
 
Nussbaum is a 6-foot-9 center transferring from Virginia Military Institute.  This past year he averaged 6.7 points and 3.8 rebounds while starting 33 games for VMI.  He shot 55 percent from the field and connected on 89 percent (24-of-27) at the free throw line.
 
The Houston, Texas native scored a season-best 14 points at Radford on Dec. 12.  He pulled down a season-high nine rebounds against UNC Greensboro on Jan. 31.
 
"DJ has been a warrior for VMI," said Hamilton.  "He started every game for them last year and is coming to us as a grad transfer.  DJ is extremely tough and has great hands."
 
Nussbaum was an all-state pick his junior year at Episcopal High School in Bellaire, Texas.  He played for the Cooz Elite AAU Team, the runners-up at the National UA Rise Finals in the summer of 2019.
 
EKU won the 2023-24 Atlantic Sun Conference Regular Season Championship, the program's first regular season conference title in 45 years.  Hamilton was chosen as the ASUN Coach of the Year and the NABC District III Coach of the Year.  He is the first coach in program history to be named conference coach of the year twice.