Pair of Vanguards basketball players sign with Johnson & Wales

Two sophomores from the Vance-Granville Community College Vanguards men’s basketball team have signed letters of intent to play at the next level with Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte. Guard Jarrett Ballard of Durham and forward Rodney Kirby of Burlington are transferring to the four-year school that is considered a rising program within the United States Collegiate Athletic Association.

Ballard intends to study Sports/Entertainment/Event Management at JWU, while Kirby plans to major in Business Administration.

Ballard is a 2013 graduate of Hillside High School in Durham. In two seasons at VGCC, he averaged 14.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game for the Vanguards. In addition, his 8 assists per game placed him in the national top ten of National Junior College Athletic Association Division II in 2014.

Kirby is a Manhattan, N.Y., native who graduated from Hugh M. Cummings High School in Burlington and played one season with Guilford Technical Community College. At VGCC, Kirby has been involved in the Male Mentoring program.

Ballard and Kirby will join a Wildcats team that loses only one senior heading into next season.  JWU made it to the Final Four of the USCAA Division II basketball championship earlier this year, and Coach Jim Casciano was named Division II Men's Basketball Coach of the Year.

 

Above: Rodney Kirby (seated) signs his letter of intent to continue his playing career at Johnson & Wales University. Standing behind him, are from left, VGCC Academic Skills Center coordinator Jason Snelling, who served as an academic coach for Kirby, VGCC men’s basketball Assistant Coach Matthew Johnson and Head Coach Michael Woody. (VGCC photo)

 

Above: Jarrett Ballard (VGCC photo)