Aug. 22, 2008

DAVIS, Calif. - UC Davis men's basketball head coach Gary Stewart has announced Ryan Howley has signed an athletics grant-in-aid agreement. Howley (6-5, 190) comes to the Aggies after starring at Sinagua High School in Flagstaff, Ariz.

Last year as a senior, he averaged 22.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists on his way to receiving most valuable player honors in the Grand Canyon Region's 4A Conference. He averaged 18.2 points and 6.7 rebounds as a junior after a sophomore season that saw him pour in 20.6 points per game.

"Ryan comes into our program very highly thought of," said Stewart. "He had an outstanding high school career, and I'm excited about his athleticism and explosiveness."

Howley has been named first-team All-Region three times and was an All-State honorable mention as a junior and senior. He also helped lead Sinagua to the state quarterfinals in both of those seasons. Howley was a three-sport athlete for the Mustangs as he was also a first-team All-State selection as a senior while placing third in the state in the high jump. In addition, he was a member of the school's golf team.

"Because of his versatility, Ryan has a chance to help us on both ends of the floor," added Stewart. "He immediately improves our ability to get out and run in transition and pressure defensively."

Howley played in last year's Arizona Preps Fall Showcase Top-25 All-Star Game and was listed as a No. 9 prospect by ArizonaPreps.com. In addition, he was among the Top-10 small forward prospects by scout.com in their West Coast region.

The latest Aggie joins a strong recruiting class put together by Stewart and his staff. It includes Derek Oestreicher (So, C, 6-11, 265, Redding, Calif./Shasta College), Jacob Ranger (Fr, G, 6-5, 215, Carpinteria, Calif./Carpinteria HS) and Julian Welch (Fr, G, 6-3, 180, Elk Grove, Calif./Franklin HS).