May 22, 2000

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Lee Church (G, 6-0, Boy's and Girl's HS/Brooklyn, N.Y) and Dawud Munir (G, 6-4, Bridgton Academy/No. Bridgton, Maine) committed to play basketball for the University at Stony Brook during the spring signing period, head coach Nick Macarchuk announced.

Church, a 6-0 point guard out of Boy's and Girl's High School in Brooklyn, N.Y., lead his team to a 21-6 record and the PSAL quarterfinals this year. He averaged 14 points, eight assists, four rebounds and three steals per game. Considered one of the top point guards in the New York area, he earned MVP honors at the Martin Luther King Classic and was a Daily News First-Team All-Brooklyn selection.

Dawud "DJ" Munir comes to Stony Brook from Bridgton Academy in North Bridgton, Maine. Prior to Bridgton Academy, he was a standout player at Bishop Hendrickson High School in Warwick, RI, where he earned second team All-State honors as a junior and First-Team All-State honors as a senior. In his senior season, he led the team in scoring, rebounding, assists and three-point shooting.

At Bridgton Academy, the 6-4, 185 lb. shooting guard was a starter for his team which went to the semifinals of the New England Prep School tournament. He averaged 13 points, six rebounds and four assists per game, shooting 40 percent from three-point range. Munir hails from a highly respected program where five of his teammates will also attend Division I schools in Dayton, Fordham, Middle Tennessee State, Albany and St. Bonaventure.

Coach Macarchuk is excited to have both Church and Munir as Seawolves next season. "DJ Munir is a versatile player who comes from an outstanding program and has the ability to play two or three different positions for us. He will most likely help us at the off-guard position immediately," Macarchuk explained. "We are also thrilled to have our first New York City recruit in Lee Church, a point guard with outstanding leadership ability from the storied Boy's and Girl's High School basketball program. It is important that quality New York City basketball players like Lee Church play for the University at Stony Brook now and in the future," Macarchuk added.

Munir and Church join four other players who signed with Stony Brook in the fall. Bayette Gordon (G, 5-9, Amherst HS/Amherst, Mass.), J.B. Bennett (F, 6-8, William Floyd HS/Shirley, N.Y.) , Mike Konopka (F, 6-8, Toms River East HS/Toms River, N.J.) and Jairius McCollum (F, 6-8, Rancocas Valley HS/Mt. Holly, N.J) committed to Stony Brook in November.