AIKEN, S.C. - The University of South Carolina Aiken, in conjunction with head men's basketball coach Mark Vanderslice, is pleased to announce the addition of Anyeuri Castillo and Jakobi Pearson.

The duo joins Latreavin Black, Quincy Canty, Anthony Hardy Jr., Tehree Horn, Tyler Johnson and Jalen McCoy. All eight will continue their education and playing careers at USC Aiken in the fall of 2020.

Castillo, a 6-7 forward from Santo Domingo, D.R., is a rising senior. He spent the 2019-20 season at Kent State, posting a season-high eight points against UC Irvine. Castillo played 14 games, earning a start against North Carolina A&T. He buried 47.1 percent of his shots from the floor and 33.3 percent from distance.

"We are absolutely thrilled about the addition of Anyeuri," Vanderslice said. "Not only was I drawn to his toughness and winning attitude, but as a shooting forward there is nothing he can't do on the basketball court. He has a multi-dimensional game as a two-way player that takes pride on both ends of the court. Defensively, he has a knack for always being in the right position along with an uncanny ability to have great timing on his jumps. Offensively, he poses a great threat to the opposition because of his versatility.

"The combination of his terrific shooting ability and toughness off the bounce will allow him to take advantage of different lineups in our league. I'm really excited about the experience and leadership that AC can bring right away to our program."

The Norcross, Ga., product starred at Meadowcreek H.S. before playing at Central Georgia Tech for two seasons. Over two years, Castillo averaged 13.1 points per game, canning 55.5 percent of his shots from the floor. He snagged 7.5 boards a contest and swatted 2.5 shots a night.

Pearson is a 6-1 point guard from Dallas, Texas and is a rising junior. A transfer from Northwest Community College, Pearson poured in 19 points a game. He also tallied six rebounds and four assists a contest while earning all-MACJC accolades.

"Jakobi wins everywhere he goes," Vanderslice stated. "From high school to junior college, he is a fearless competitor that has winning in his DNA. We are ecstatic about his addition to our program to say the least. As a natural playmaker and microwave scorer, he is capable of getting anywhere on the court with the ball in a hurry.

"Along with shooting and scoring he is a great decision maker off the bounce. I was amazed at how physical Kobi was on defense and rebounding the ball. It's not often to find a guard that gets his nose dirty on the glass and chases down every loose ball. He fits our physical and fast style of play perfectly and we're really looking for his winning ways to carry over on and off the court."

Pearson picked up all-Region 23 honors in addition to being named to the Region 23 all-tournament team.

Prior to Northwest Community College, Pearson was a standout at Duncanville H.S. There, he guided his team to a pair of 20-win seasons while guiding the Panthers to a District 7-6A championship. As a senior, Pearson poured in 33 points in a double-overtime victory over DeSoto. He garnered all-District 7-6A honors twice.