AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Augusta State head basketball coach Dip Metress announced Thursday that Kip Small has signed a national letter-of-intent to play for the Jaguars beginning in the fall of 2006. He is the second signee of the spring period for Metress, who led the Jaguars to a 15-13 record in 2005-06, his second season at the helm of the ASU men’s basketball program.

A 5-foot-11, 190-pound point guard from Columbia, S.C., Small averaged 16.7 points per game as a senior and team captain for Keenan High School in Columbia. He helped lead the Raiders to a 21-6 record and to the semifinals of the Class AA State Tournament. He was named runnerup for AA Player-of-the-Year in the state of South Carolina and was also selected Region 4-AA Player-of-the-Year. He earned All-Region 4-AA honors as quarterback of the Raiders’ football team as well and ranks 11th in his class academically.

“Kip is one of the best passers I have seen at the high school level,” Metress said. “He comes from a great program under coach Zach Norris’ guidance. He has the most important characteristic of a player -- he makes people around him better. He brings the total package in terms of academics and skill level to our program. From the time we saw him play last summer, we knew he was the type of point guard and leader we wanted and needed at Augusta State.”

The Jaguars return two starters and nine lettermen from last year’s squad that finished sixth in the Peach Belt Conference regular-season standings and advanced to the PBC Tournament quarterfinals.