It has been a given that next year’s University of West Georgia men’s basketball team will feature many new faces. And the final pieces of the new-look Wolves are now in place.

UWG coach Michael Cooney announced the signing of West Georgia’s sixth and seventh players of the 2008 recruiting season on Wednesday. Cooney inked Chris Williams, a 6-5, 260-pound forward from Stone Mountain and a transfer from Division I South Carolina State. Also, the Wolves added 6-5, 205-pound guard Jeremy Smith, a JUCO transfer from Citrus (Calif.) College.

“Chris and Jeremy are excellent fits for our program,” Cooney said. “They’re good players with high character and both are excellent students.”

Williams comes to West Georgia for his senior season following three years at South Carolina State. The former Redan High star has been a regular in the Bulldogs’ rotation throughout his career, including a 20-point game against South Carolina.

Cooney describes Williams as “a very versatile four-man who can step out and hit a shot, and can post up. He’s very agile and has very quick feet for a man his size. He’s built like an offensive tackle. We expect him to be a force in our front line rotation.”

Smith brings a different presence to the Wolves’ lineup. A native of Chino Hills, Calif., Smith is described by Cooney as “a power guard who has the tools to be an excellent defender at any of the perimeter positions.”

“Look for Jeremy to be in the rotation at the wing spot,” Cooney said. “He’s a great athlete who can make a three and go to the rim hard. His team played in the CCCAA (California Junior College) Final Four and won the state title at 35-1.”

Needing quantity, Cooney was also elated with the quality of this season’s recruiting class.

“Our facilities and this campus had a lot to do with our success,” Cooney said. “The new arena is a big help, plus the beauty of the entire campus, the people here and the quality of a West Georgia education makes this an easy sell to recruits.”

The addition of Williams and Smith gives West Georgia seven new recruits for the upcoming basketball season. They are joined by three other transfers in center Jesse Oglesby, forward John Pringle and guard Chris Colvin. Also, wing man Gavin Field and point guard Ishmael John are headed to West Georgia from the high school ranks.

One other note about the Wolves’ recruiting class is the strong connection to Georgia and metro Atlanta. In addition to Williams, John, Oglesby and Colvin are all Atlanta area natives.