ANDERSON, S.C. - Anderson University head men's basketball coach Jason Taylor has announced that Andrew Boynton (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), Randall Shaw (Simpsonville, S.C.), Shawn Benard (Mobile, Ala.) and Carlos Dotson (Spartanburg, S.C.) have signed national letters of intent to play for the Trojans next season.

The four players join Jeremy Bouton from Boone High School in Orlando, Fla., who signed during last November's early signing period.

"I could not be more excited about the young men we have in our 2015 class," said Taylor. "Each signee in this class came from high schools that compete at a high level, compete for championships, and each one played for a very good basketball coach. They also played for quality AAU programs that are well-coached and competed in top national tournaments. I want to thank my staff for all their tireless work, especially my recruiting coordinator and associate head coach, Ryan Hilburn. His countless hours on the road and on the phone show their payoff."

Boynton is a 6-foot-2, 180-pound guard that helped lead Westminster Academy to a 21-7 record last season, while pouring in 19 points per game and dishing out five assists per contest. He finished his prep career with 1,584 points and made more than 256 career 3-pointers. Boynton was a three-time all-conference honoree for Coach Ehren Wallhoff's Lions and was named All-County twice by the Miami Herald.

He earned Deland Rotary Invitational All-Tournament Team accolades and was a two-time Fort Lauderdale Beach Classic All-Tournament Team honoree. Boynton was the MVP of the Hollywood Christian School Tournament and was named to the Westminster Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team. He capped his career by being selected to play in the Broward versus Dade County All-Star Game. He competed at the AAU level for East Elite and head coach James Barthlolmew. Boynton is an AP Scholar, a member of the National Honor Society and will graduate summa cum laude. He is the son of Scott and Manuela Boynton.

"When I describe Andrew to others, I tell them that he doesn't miss and he doesn't turn the ball over," said Taylor. "Andrew absolutely loves the game and understands it well. He doesn't take bad shots and he makes very good decisions with the basketball. He is a true student of the game and a gym rat."

Randall Shaw, a 6-foot-2, 185 pound guard from Hillcrest High School, helped lead Coach Reggie Choplin's Rams to a 26-3 record last season and an appearance in the Class 4A state championship game, while going undefeated in SCHL Region One play. Shaw scored 1,573 points during his prep career and holds the school record with 248 career 3-pointers, while garnering First-team All-Region recognition three times and all-state honors twice.

He was a Preseason Top 5 4A Player and was named Greenville County Player of the Year as a junior by the coaches association and led the Rams to a pair of Upper State Championships and a 23-game win streak. Shaw scored a game-high 25 points in the North-South All-Star game last month and was named the North team's most valuable player. He was also named the MVP of both the FCA Spartanburg vs. Greenville All-Star Game and the 2014 C. Dan Joyner Poinsettia Classic.

Shaw played for Coach Curtis Wheeler's Upward Stars AAU team and is the son of Randy and Angela Shaw.

"Randall can flat-out shoot the basketball and has a college-ready quick release," noted Taylor. "He is one of the best shooters in the state, but he's much more than a shooter. He has elite athleticism, a great scorer's mentality, and a great attitude."

During his senior season, Benard helped lead Faith Academy to a 34-2 mark, including a school record 33 consecutive wins. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound point guard was named Alabama Sportswriters Association (ASWA) 5A Second-Team All-State after averaging 10.4 points, 4.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game as a senior. Benard was a three-time winner of the Mobile Optimist Club Player of the Week and was named MVP of the Birmingham Tip-Off Club Steel City Classic.

Benard posted an 83-17 mark, while starting 100 contests during his three-year prep career and helped lead Coach John Price's Rams to three Area Championships, three Region Championships and three consecutive Class 5A Final Four appearances. Benard was named to the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) 5A South All-Region Team, the Mobile Coaches Association All-County First Team and garnered "Sweet 16" Second-Team honors from the Mobile Press-Register. Bernard also competed for the Mobile Warriors Elite AAU squad, coached by Stanley Hill and is the son of Monical Travis.

"Shawn is a true point guard," added Taylor. "He has exceptional quickness and is the kind of point guard I like. One that can make plays for others but can also put the ball in the basket himself. He loves to compete. He even enjoys competing on the track after basketball season. He excels there too."

Dotson is a 6-foot-6, 250-pound post player that helped lead Coach Thomas Ryan's Dorman High Cavaliers to a 20-5 mark this past season, while averaging 13 points and 10 rebounds per game. He earned First-Team All-Area recognition and garnered All-Region honors twice, while also capturing All-State accolades. Dotson scored three of his 14 points in the final moments to send last month's North-South All-Star game at Lexington High to overtime and was also selected to play in the FCA Spartanburg vs. Greenville All-Star Game.

He earned a spot on the Farm Bureau Classic All-Tournament Team and was named MVP of the Impact Sports Tournament. Dotson captured the Cavalier's
Most Improved Player Award and Spartanburg High School Athlete of the Week honors. He also competed at the AAU level with Coach Jeff McInnis' Team Charlotte squad and Coach Claude Sears Jr.'s Carolina Hurricanes, along with the Upward Stars, coached by Curtis Wheeler. He is the son of Lafayette Dotson and Latise Savoy

"Carlos is a post with huge upside," said Taylor. "He has great hands and loves contact. He loves a challenge and takes pride playing post defense, which is rare. When he seals you on the offensive end, you are sealed. He also has a fun-loving attitude that his teammates will instantly love."

"Each one of these young men has a huge upside on the basketball court, but more importantly they will represent our program and our university in a first class way - the way we expect our student athletes to," concluded Taylor. "They will be great players, but they will also be solid students and great ambassadors for Anderson University. I want to give a special thank you to each of their high school coaches - Coach Choplin at Hillcrest, Coach Wallhoff at Westminster, Coach Price at Faith, and Coach Ryan at Dorman. They are each very good basketball coaches and have been extremely easy to work with and very helpful during the recruitment of their players. We can't wait for August workouts to start."