North County High School senior David Ford (right) will join coach Mike Francis at CCBC-Essex next year.
High School senior David Ford signed on to play basketball next year at the Community College of Baltimore County-Essex, coach Mike Francis announced last week.
Ford, a DigitalSports
All-Anne Arundel County Co-Player of the Year, averaged 17.5 points, 11.2 rebounds and two blocks a game for a Knights (14-9) squad that advanced to the Class 4A East Region quarterfinals.
The 6-foot-5, 210-pounder also visited Independence College (Kan.), the defending three-time national champion among junior colleges.
"This is a great addition because I already know what the kid can do and the transition will be very easy," said Francis, who coached at North County this past winter but was hired at CCBC-Essex coach in April.
"Since his signing, other kids have verbally committed. It's important to those other players to see David continue on with me."
Francis said that a 6-foot-7 forward and a 6-foot guard from New Jersey may also join his inaugural recruiting class.
Ford was a tenacious rebounder, who fought off multiple defenders and scored a majority of North County's points. Not known for moving bodies in the trenches but possessed good footwork.
"David was double- and triple-teamed all year," Francis said. "His strength was his agility and he had a motor that didn't stop. Every coach in the county knew they had to stop David Ford if they had any chance of beating us."