Movin' On: Six Texan Players ink Scholarships
LEVELLAND, Texas – Six South Plains College Texan basketball players have made commitments and signed scholarships to continue their academic and athletic pursuits in the upcoming season at four-years institutions.
On April 18 it was reported that Roderick Lawrence would attend the University of Mississippi and Michael Karena would take his skills to Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.
Since then, four more Texan players have inked commitments.
Sophomore Billydee Williams will play in the Big 12 Conference next season when he attends West Virginia University in Morgantown.
This past season, Williams shot nearly 44-percent from the field and averaged 10.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game to help the Texans to the Elite Eight of the NJCAA National Tournament in Hutchinson, Kan.
"We are excited to get a player of this caliber this late in the recruiting process," Mountaineer head coach Bob Huggins said. "Billydee is another guy who increases our size and athleticism on the perimeter as well as being able to stretch people out with his 3-point shooting. He also will be a valuable resource as we try to rebound the basketball more efficiently."
Texan point guard Sekou Harris will attend the University of South Dakota after starting in each of the Texans' 35 games this past season and averaging 6.7 points and just under five assists per game.
(Harris joins men's basketball)
"Sekou is an excellent addition to the University of South Dakota basketball program," USD head coach Craig Smith said. "Sekou really impacts the game on both ends of the floor with his speed and quickness. He plays with great pace. We love his competitive spirit and the winning mentality that he is going to bring on a daily basis."
A native of Queens, N.Y., Texan guard Malik Nichols will be making a move closer to home when he begins classes at Hofstra. Nichols played two seasons for the Texans, helping South Plains to a 51-14 record, including a 29-6 mark and a conference championship in his sophomore campaign.
(Nichols joins Hofstra basketball program)
"Malik is another great addition to our evolving roster," commented Hofstra head coach Joe Mihalich, Hofstra. "He will add some much-needed depth to our team as we continue to reshape the foundation of this program. We are also excited that we are adding a player from the local area. Bringing local, highly-talented student-athletes to Hofstra University is a priority of this coaching staff and we are thankful that Malik has chosen to become a member of the Pride."
Two-year starter Ryan Martin has chosen Tennessee Tech University to be his home for the next two seasons.
During his time at South Plains, Martin started in 59-of-63 games played and averaged 10.8 points 7.7 rebounds. On Jan. 31, 2013, Martin grabbed 21 rebounds to help the Texans to an 84-83 double-overtime victory over Clarendon College and set the school record for rebounds in a single game.
Martin was also a two-time All-Conference performer.