WILMINGTON, N.C. – UNC Wilmington Head Coach Benny Moss and his staff have announced the signings of Maryland standout Brad Bald and Georgia prepster Jerel Stephenson to National Letters of Intent on the opening day of the fall signing period for the 2008-09 men’s basketball season.

     Bald, a 6-8, 215-pound forward from Severna Park, Md., and Stevenson, a 6-5, 205-pound shooting guard from Augusta, Ga., signed on the dotted line this week. Moss has three more openings left for next year’s recruiting class.

    “It’s great for us to get two on the first day,” said Moss, who takes his club on a four-game road trip through the Upper Midwest over the next eight days. “We lose four seniors, so this is good news for us to fill two scholarships on the first day of the signing period.”

     Bald is a senior at Severna Park High School and is completing his prep career for Coach Paul Pelicani. He averaged 10.1 points and 6.8 rebounds last season at Archbishop Spalding, a private school in the Baltimore Catholic League, and played on the Triple Threat AAU club coached by Keith Stevens.

    “Brad has size and skills,” Moss said of Bald, who was rated as one of the top five seniors in Maryland by Street & Smith Magazine. “He’s big, but he can also step out, pass, handle the ball and shoot. He has a wide variety of moves in the post. He’s a tough, hard-nosed kid who will continue to get better and stronger.”

    Stevenson, meanwhile, collected 18.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists one year ago for Coach Richard Wallace’s Glenn Hills High School squad. Stevenson, selected Georgia’s 3A State Player-of-the-Year in 2006-07, played for Curtis Wheeler’s Georgia Elite AAU club.

    “Jerel is a strong, athletic player who can really do a lot of things,” said Moss. “He’s a lean guy who can play defense, rebound, handle the ball and pass. With the loss of T.J. (Carter) and Daniel (Fountain) off this year’s team, he’s a very good recruit for us.”

     Moss and his club stands 1-0 after downing the College of Charleston, 98-91, in overtime last week. The Seahawks begin their four-game trek on Sunday with a 3:05 p.m. date against Illinois State at Redbird Arena in Bloomington, Ill., before facing national power Indiana on Tuesday at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind.