New Rochelle, NY- Iona College men's basketball head coach Kevin Willard announced the addition of two Big East Conference transfers to the program. Former Louisville forward Jonathan Huffman (Montgomery, AL/Central Park Christian) and former Seton Hall guard Kashif Pratt (New York, NY/Rice HS) will join the team in the fall and be eligible to play for the 2008-09 campaign. Huffman and Pratt join Rashon Dwight (Bloomfield, NJ/Bloomfield Tech) and Andre Tarver (Bronx, NY/Wings Academy/American Christian School) - who signed National Letters of Intent during the early signing period last fall - as newcomers to the men's basketball program.

Huffman, a 7-0 forward/center, played two seasons at the University of Louisville while Coach Willard was an assistant for the Cardinals. Huffman appeared in 27 games over two seasons at Louisville scoring 30 points in 114 minutes. He showed a soft outside touch, connecting on 2-of-3 three point field goal attempts as a sophomore in 2006-07. Huffman is described as a possessing a soft shooting touch with good range and is looked upon as a player with terrific potential when he gains strength and experience.

As a scholastic athlete, Huffman averaged 17.1 points and 10.2 rebounds as a senior at Central Park Christian High School. He was rated 38th among power forwards by RivalsHoops, and was listed among the top 300 seniors nationally by The Hoop Scoop. Huffman also ranked 12th nationally among center prospects by Scout.com after his senior season. After deciding to leave Louisville, Huffman chose the Gaels over UMass, Marshall, UAB and Fresno State.

"Jonathan is an extremely talented and skilled power forward/center," said Coach Willard. "His versatility with both his inside and outside games will give us an added dimension in the front court."

Pratt, a 6-4 guard, spent last season at Seton Hall after a solid four-year career with Coach Maurice Hicks at Rice High School in New York City. He appeared in 23 games with the Pirates as a freshman. He tallied 12 points and grabbed 12 rebounds with five assists in 132 minutes as a rookie. He netted a season-high five points against Caldwell in his first collegiate game. As a senior at Rice, he averaged 15 points and six rebounds helping the squad to a 25-5 record and the New York Catholic High School's Athletic Association state and city championships.

In the CHSAA city championship game, Pratt hit a buzzer-beating shot to the Raiders a 62-60 win over Christ the King. As a junior in 2004-05, he averaged 15 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Pratt played along side Louisville's Edgar Sosa and UConn's Curtis Kelly at Rice. The combo-guard participated in the Jordan All-American Classic Regional game on at Madison Square Garden and was ranked by Insidehoops.com as the No. 22 player in New York City among all classes. He was the No. 15 ranked player in the class of 2006 by NYHoops.com.

"Kashif is a multi-dimensional player who can play various positions on the court," said Willard. "He has tremendous ability to put pressure on the opponents' defense at all times."

Dwight, a 6-3 guard, comes to New Rochelle from Bloomfield Tech in Northern New Jersey. Under the guidance of head coach Nick Mariniello, Dwight helped Bloomfield Tech to three Group 1 state championships and one Essex County Tournament title in his four seasons. His squad's loss to St. Patrick's of Elizabeth this past year was the end of Bloomfield Tech's second trip to the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions final in four years. As a senior, Dwight averaged 14.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per contest. He was named NJ Star Ledger New Jersey Player of the Year, described as a "dependable scorer and playmaker all season for Bloomfield Tech". He was also selected to the All-State First Team.

Dwight elevated his level of play this past postseason in leading his squad through the state tournament. In the Group 1 state semifinals against Elmwood Park, he had eight assists and four blocked shots. In the next contest vs. Create Charter he netted 20 points and took down 12 rebounds. In the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions, Dwight had 19 points in the first round, 14 rebounds in the semifinal match up and 22 points in the championship game defeat. At 6-3, Dwight can play all three guard positions. At some points during his scholastic career he was asked to play all five positions. In addition to his offensive talents, Dwight has been described arguably the best defensive player in New Jersey.

"Rashon is a special player for the fact that he affects the game on both ends," added Willard. He is a tremendous defensive player and has a unique ability on the offensive end to make his teammates' on the floor a better player"

Tarver, a 6-2 guard, played for Coach Tony Bergeron at American Christian School in 2006-07 - in the Philadelphia suburb of Aston, PA - after a standout career with coach Bergeron at Wings Academy in the Bronx. Tarver served as a four-year starter and two-year captain for the Wings. As a senior, he posted 16.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game in leading his squad to an incredible 31-1 overall record, a second straight Bronx Borough Championship and a semifinal round appearance in the PSAL Championships. As a junior, Tarver averaged 15.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game as the Wings posted a 23-6 record. His squad made it to the quarterfinal round of the PSAL Championship and had defeated eventual champ Kennedy for the Bronx Championship in 2004-05. For his efforts, the 6-2 shooting guard was named New York Post PSAL Honorable Mention and New York Newsday Second Team All-Bronx. Tarver ranked No. 20 on InsideHoops.com's 2006 New York City Basketball Player Rankings; a list that included future teammates Alejo Rodriguez (No. 15), Kashif Pratt (No. 22) and Milan Prodanovic (No. 25).

"Andre is exactly the type of player that we're looking to have in this program," said Willard. "He is hard-nosed, hard working and tough and an all-around player. His ability to defend multiple positions makes him an asset at all times."

The Gaels embark on their inaugural campaign under Coach Willard this fall.

Iona Newcomers:

Name              Cl.  Pos. Ht.   Wt.  Hometown/High School (Last Team)
Jonathan Huffman  Jr.  F/C  7-0   230  Montgomery, AL/Central Park Christian (Louisville)
Andre Tarver      Fr.  G    6-2   180  Bronx, NY/Wings Academy (American Christian)
Rashon Dwight     Fr.  G    6-3   185  Bloomfield, NJ/Bloomfield Tech
Kashif Pratt      So.  G    6-4   185  New York, NY/Rice (Seton Hall)