BALTIMORE – Loyola University Maryland head men's basketball coach
Tavaras Hardy announced Wednesday that
Cam Spencer (Davidsonville, Maryland/Boys' Latin School of Maryland) and Santi Aldama (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain/Spanish National U-18 Team) have signed National Letters of Intent and will join the Greyhounds Class of 2023.
"I am thrilled to welcome Santi and Cam to the Loyola Men's Basketball family," said Hardy, who is in his first year as Loyola's head coach. "Santi adds an entirely new dimension to our program being that he is 6-foot-11, yet capable of playing any guard or forward position effectively. With his versatility, length and shooting touch, it's no surprise he was highly coveted by ACC, Big East, Big 12 and so many other schools.
"Cam, while coming off an injury, demonstrated toughness, smart play, and an elite ability to shoot with range this summer. He comes fully equipped with a high basketball IQ, and the confidence necessary to win in our league and beyond."
Spencer had a breakout junior season at nearby Boys' Latin and will join two of his former high school teammates,
Jaylin Andrews and
Brandon Bradsher, who are current members of the Loyola program. Spencer averaged 13.2 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists per game as a junior in 2017-18 as the Lakers reached the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Championship Game.
Spencer was a MIAA 'A' Conference All-Star in 2017-18 as Boys' Latin posted a win over MIAA regular-season division champion St. Frances Academy. Overall, Spencer and the Lakers went 25-7 during the season with a 12-5 mark in the MIAA.
The Davidsonville, Maryland native has played AAU basketball for BBC, helping the team reach the Adidas Gauntlet Finale. The shooting guard's family is no strange to the Loyola community as his older brother, Pat, is a senior on the Loyola men's lacrosse team for which he is a three-time All-American, a two-time Tewaaraton Award finalist and the Patriot League's all-time leader in points and assists.
Aldama will cross the Atlantic Ocean to play for the Greyhounds after having a decorated career at the junior level in Europe. A member of the Spanish National age-group teams since he was 14, he has participated in numerous tournaments across the continent, including the European Championships.
During 2017-18, the post player averaged 15.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game for the Spanish National U-18 Team in games preparing for the European Championships. He participated in the 2016 European Championships at the U16 level, the La Amistad International Tournament in 2015 as a U15 and the BAM International Tournament for the U14 club.
Aldama has also played club for Canterbury Academy as he has attended the Canterbury School in Las Palmas. That team finished third in the Spanish National U16 Championships, and he was the 3-point contest champion at two tournaments, the Orotava International U16 and the Tenerife International U18.
His father, Santiago Aldama, was a professional basketball player who played in the Spanish and Portuguese professional leagues and numerous European competitions for 15 years. He was a member of the Spanish National Team that competed at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, including in a game against the "Dream Team." The younger Aldama's uncle, Santiago Toledo, was a professional player in Spain, Italy and Portugal, as well.
