PORTLAND- University of Portland head men’s basketball coach Michael Holton has announced that point guard Brian McTear of Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles, Calif. has signed a National Letter of Intent and will join the Pilots next fall.

McTear (5-11, 155), rated the fourth-best point guard in the West Region by scouthoops.com and a top 500 senior nationally (489) according to hoopscoop.com, averaged 19.2 points, 6.5 assists and 2.0 rebounds per game as a senior. A two-time first team all-Coliseum League and second team all-city selection, McTear guided Crenshaw to a 21-8 record this year.

“Brian is a pure point guard with excellent quickness,” Holton said of his newest recruit. “His court vision and pass-first mentality will provide a valuable asset to our program.”

McTear will follow in the footsteps of former Pilot great Darwin Cook, also a native of Crenshaw High School. Cook tops the UP career charts in assists and is No. 2 in scoring in the Pilot record books.

“I’m very excited to come play basketball for the University of Portland and coach Holton,” McTear said. “I like his credibility, I like what he and the program is all about and the goals that they have set out to accomplish. Darwin Cook is one of the best players to come out of my high school and that was also an inspiration in my decision.”

McTear joins previously signed guard Marcus Carter and forwards Alex Tiefenthaler and Jamie Jones to comprise Portland’s 2005 recruiting class.

In addition to adding a talented crop of incoming freshman, the Pilots will welcome 6-11, 280-pound Oregon State transfer Kevin Field to the court after sitting out last season due to transfer residency regulations.

With the influx of talented newcomers, a seasoned transfer and the return of Portland’s top five scorers from 2004-05, Portland is primed to move up the West Coast Conference ladder and improve on its 15-15 overall record from a year ago, the most wins since Portland’s 1995-96 team went 19-11.