The inside skills of Matt Peeler and the shooting ability of Jordan Jahr (pronounced 'Jar') attracted the University of Evansville basketball coaching staff to both players, and today they became the first to sign National Letters of Intent with UE.
Peeler is a 6'8", 230-pound forward from Alamogordo, New Mexico who attends Otero Junior College in LaJunta, Colo., and Jahr is a 6'6", 200-pound forward/guard from Austin, Texas. Peeler, who graduates May 1 from Otero, will have two years of eligibility with Evansville. Jahr is a 2009 graduate of Lake Travis (Texas) High School who attended Air Force Prep in Colorado Springs, Colo. He will have four years at UE.
"Both are really good basketball players, and really good people who come from great families," said UE Coach Marty Simmons. "Matt has a lot of athleticism and a great attitude. He runs the floor well, has good hands, rebounds well, and finishes well around the basket. In Houston Reed, he learned from one of the best coaches in the country.
"Jordan can really shoot it. He has good size, good range, passes the ball well, and knows how to handle the ball. Both have the potential to flourish in our system."
Peeler was averaging 17.5 points and 10 rebounds per game as a senior at Alamogordo (N.M.) High School in 2007-08, but a knee injury abruptly ended his season after three games. He went on to play two full seasons at Otero, averaging 14.2 points and 11.5 rebounds in 2009-10.
"I'm not a stranger to hard work," Peeler said. "I learned to persevere after my knee injury in high school, and I think it's made me a better player. I really had good vibes on my visit to Evansville. I feel like it's a good fit for me, and I think I can help the team around the basket. The players were cool; I'm looking forward to having them as teammates." Added Reed, “I definitely feel like Matt’s an impact guy who can come in and be one of the better rebounders in the Missouri Valley Conference."
Jahr averaged 15 points and 6.0 rebounds in 2009-10 at Air Force Prep after earning first team all-state honors one year earlier as a senior at Lake Travis High School. He averaged 16 points, 9.3 rebounds, and shot 41 percent from 3-point range and 80 percent at the free throw line at Lake Travis. In addition to making the all-state team, Jahr was first team all-region, District player of the year, and a Texas Association of Basketball Coaches All-Star.
"What intrigued me about Evansville was the campus, the players and coaches, and it just seemed like a nice hometown feeling," Jahr said. "I hit it off with the players and coaches, and that was important to me because I wanted the chemistry to feel right. I know we can bring back the winning tradition to the University of Evansville."
Both players will begin classes at UE this summer. They will join 11 returning players on the 2010-11 squad, including the top 10 scorers. Even though a very young Evansville team finished with a 9-21 record, the Aces won two of their last three games, including a victory over NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 team Northern Iowa. Losses included a four-point setback to national runnerup Butler.
