Virginia Tech announced the singing of highly-touted basketball prospect Tyrone Appleton-Miller to a letter of intent on Wednesday. Appleton-Miller originally committed to the Hokies back on January 5, and signed on the first day of the Spring signing period. He completes a four-member 2006 recruiting class that should keep the Hokies competitive in the ACC for years to come.

Appleton-Miller is a 6-3 combo guard originally from Gary, Indiana. He has played basketball for Bridgton Academy in Maine, as well as Harmony Prep in Cincinnati. He is known for his pressuring defense and his excellent floor game. He is considered by some basketball scouts to be a Jamon Gordon type player.

Appleton-Miller is ranked among the Top 75 players in the country by respected recruiting analyst Brick Oettinger. Appleton-Miller reportedly has a good jump shot out to 17 feet, although he isn’t a great three-point threat at this point. He is also known as a clutch free throw shooter and an outstanding defender at each of the three perimeter positions. Appleton-Miller has the ability to play both guard positions at Virginia Tech.

Appleton-Miller chose the Hokies over teams such as Washington and Missouri. He also had an offer from LSU, a 2006 Final Four participant.

Appleton-Miller joins what was already a very good recruiting class that features point guard Nigel Munson and forwards Lewis Witcher and Jeff Allen. All four players are ranked in the national Top 100 by at least one recruiting service, which makes the 2006 recruiting class one of the best in Virginia Tech history.

Jeff Allen is a 6-7, 215-pound forward who has the ability to play inside or outside. He played for DeMatha High School, then transferred to famed Oak Hill Academy for his senior season, where he was a standout on a team that featured UNC signee Tywon Lawson, Duke commit Nolan Smith and one of the nation’s top juniors in Michael Beasley. Following his junior season, Allen was rated the #74 player in the nation by Hoop Alliance, and #93 by Hoop Scoop. He is not expected to enroll at Virginia Tech until 2007, likely spending the 2006-07 season at Hargrave Military Academy.

Nigel Munson is a 6-0, 175-pound pure point guard who was Jeff Allen’s teammate at DeMatha. Munson has seen his stock rise dramatically in the past few months. He is a pass-first point guard who can hit the open jump shot. As a junior, he shot 91% from the free throw line and 47% from three-point range. He shot 43% from the outside as a senior.

Munson was ranked #108 by Hoop Alliance prior to his senior season, and #87 by Hoop Scoop. Following an outstanding senior season, he will move into Brick Oettinger’s Top 100, and possibly into the Top 75 on some lists.

Lewis Witcher is a 6-8, 215-pound power forward prospect from Rocky Mount, Virginia, which is approximately an hour away from Blacksburg. Witcher chose the Hokies over Maryland and Wake Forest. He is a very athletic player who can run the court and has a nice jump shot out to 15 feet. Rivals.com ranks him the #89 player in the nation, while Hoop Scoop lists him at #87.

In just a short time at Virginia Tech, head coach Seth Greenberg and staff have elevated Virginia Tech's recruiting profile to a point where the Hokies can be competitive in the ACC. With the strong 2003 recruiting class of Coleman Collins, Jamon Gordon, and Zabian Dowdell getting ready to start their senior seasons in 2006-07, the four-member 2006 class has the talent and diversity to pick up where the current players leave off.