Published: 11:36 PM, 11/17/2009

Last updated: 11:46 AM, 11/23/2009

By: Steve Behr Sports Editor

By Steve Behr
sports@wataugademocrat.com
Appalachian State coach Buzz Peterson went looking for guards during the recent recruiting time. He found three of them, and they all have some size.
The Mountaineers  announced the signing of four players Monday afternoon. ASU inked 6-foot-4 guard Jonathan Frye from Greensboro, 6-7 guard  Anthony Thompson of Winston-Salem, 6-3 point guard Mitch Woods of Napes, Fla., and 6-7 forward Petey Hausley of Marion.
They join 6-5 transfer forward Anthony Breeze and 6-5 transfer guard Omar Carter to the list of players who will replace five seniors who continue their finals season Tuesday at home against Lees-McRae.
Peterson said the team had to think about replacing current senior guards Kellen Brand, A.J. Highsmith and Ryann Abraham. He decided to not only target guards in recruiting, but he wanted to add size to the position.
"We looked at situation felt we were small at guard and that we wanted to get bigger there," Peterson said. We really helped ourselves there. "
Hausley originally committed to Appalachian State a season ago, but had to attend Iowa Western Community College after graduating from McDowell High. A 6-foot-6 forward, Hausley was named second team all-region last year and was fourth on the team in scoring with 10.9 points per game. He also was second on the team in rebounds with 164.
At McDowell, he was a three-time all-state performer.
"I knew about Petey when I first got here," Peterson said. "He still wanted to come here. He's second-team all-league in one of the best junior college leagues in the country."
Thomas, a 6-7 guard out of Winston-Salem Prep, scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds per game.
Woods, a 6-3 point guard, averaged 18 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals as a junior at the Community School of Naples.
Frye, a 6-4 sophomore from Northern Guilford, averaged 16 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals last season. Though three seasons, he has scored 1,157 points and was named the team's Most Valuable Player and was first-team all-conference last year.
"He is an intelligent player and a student of the game. He is sneaky athletic and comes from a strong local program," Peterson said. 

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