May 7, 2002

Villanova, Pa. - Baker Dunleavy and Michael Claxton will enroll at Villanova University in the fall and join the Wildcats as non-scholarship athletes, head coach Jay Wright announced today.

A 6-5 guard, Dunleavy averaged 14 points and six rebounds per game as a senior at Portland (Ore.) Jesuit High School in 2000-01. Last winter, he played at Lawrenceville Prep in New Jersey. His father, Mike Dunleavy, is a former National Basketball Association head coach who is serving as a color analyst for NBC during the playoffs. His older brother Michael is an All-American forward at Duke.

Claxton, meanwhile, also is part of a notable basketball family. The 6-2 guard is the younger brother of Craig "Speedy" Claxton, who played for Wright at Hofstra before becoming a first round draft pick of the Philadelphia 76ers. Michael Claxton was the starting point guard in 2001-02 at Christ the King High School in New York and averaged six points per game.

"We are thrilled to have a student-athlete of Baker's caliber join our program," said Wright. "He has a great understanding of how to play the game and an appreciation of Villanova and its basketball tradition. Baker has the potential to develop into a fine college basketball player.

"I've known Michael since he was eight years old and watched him grow into an outstanding student and tenacious high school basketball player. Michael will be a great addition to our basketball family and the Villanova community."

These two join a freshmen class that includes Allan Ray of St. Raymond's (N.Y.) H.S.; Curtis Sumpter of Bishop Loughlin (N.Y.) H.S.; Randy Foye of Newark (N.J.) East Side; and Jason Fraser of Amityville (N.Y.) H.S.