WASHINGTON – American University head men's basketball coach Mike Brennan announced on Wednesday the signing of two players to his 2021 recruiting class.
 
Matt Delaney and Elijah Stephens have both signed National Letters of Intent to become Eagles next year.
 
Delaney hails from Mantua, N.J., and plays for St. Augustine Prep under legendary head coach Paul Rodio, the same high school and coach that produced AU assistant coach, Scott Greenman, and AU's all-time leading scorer, Sa'eed Nelson. Delaney plays AAU ball for Olympus.
 
"Matt plays for an elite coach and program in Paul Rodio and St. Augustine Prep so he understands everything that goes into winning at a high level," said Brennan. "He is continually increasing his skills, but what really excites me are all of his intangibles: his demeanor, competitiveness, aggression, coachability, and being a great teammate."
 
The 6-7 forward nearly averaged a double-double in his junior season, netting 16.1 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. Delaney led the Hermits to the 2020 South Jersey Non-Public A Championship. In addition to playing in the Cape Atlantic League All-Star Game, he was also named First Team All-Conference for his efforts.
 
Delaney comes from a line of basketball players as he has two brothers who have played college basketball. Tim was a part of two national championship teams at Villanova before transferring to Adelphi for his final season of eligibility to play with Matt's other brother, Andrew.
 
Stephens, an impressive playmaking point guard, hails from the Waco, Texas, area and is a product of China Spring High School. Stephens plays AAU ball for Southern Assault.
 
"Elijah is a fast point guard that does everything well. He makes other players better and is a great defender that gets steals and goes after loose balls," Brennan said. "He fits perfectly at AU and is able to do all of these things because of his elite feel for the game. His most attractive quality, though, is the type of kid he is: a leader, competitive, and fearless."
 
The 5-9 guard was named the Waco Tribune-Herald Super Centex Player of the Year and District 18-4A MVP as a junior after averaging 27.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 3.3 steals per game.
 
He led the Cougars to their first trip to the regional tournament since 1989, upping his production to 33 points, 7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in the playoffs. For his efforts, he was also named All-State and All-Region by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches. Stephens has been contributing since his freshman season, as he has already racked up over 2,000 career points in a China Spring uniform.