Murray State Snares South Plains Duo

With Head Coach Mick Cronin and Asst. Coach Ryan Wolf in tow, there may not be a better suited program than Murray State to scour the junior college ranks for talent.

Late last week, the Racers dipped into the talent rich state of Texas and secured commitments from a pair of South Plains College players.

According to South Plains Head Coach Steve Green, Issian Redding and Charles Johnson inked with Murray State on Thursday. The school has yet to officially announce the signings.

Redding, a smooth 6-6, 190 pound swingman from Sandusky, Ohio, averaged 5.9 points and 2.5 rebounds per game for South Plains in 2002-2003. He shot 50 percent from the field, 28 percent beyond the arc and 50 percent from the foul line. Those stats came on a deep and sophomore laden squad that finished 31-4 and qualified for the NJCAA Tournament last March.

Programs such as Bowling Green, Kent State and Wright State expressed preliminary interest in Redding before the Racers wrapped him up this fall.

"Issian is a phenomenal athlete with a long wingspan," former South Plains Asst. Coach Josh Newman told JUCO Junction last spring. "He has a fancy handle, and he shot the ball great this spring."

"He's a lefty who simply knows how to score," Newman continued. "He can hit the midrange jumper and three pointer, but he's more of a slasher than an outright shooter."

Newman left South Plains this past summer to accept a coaching position at Nevada-Reno.

Johnson, the other half of the equation, played at Dixie State College in Utah last season.

A 6-7, 215 pound power forward from Atlanta, Ga., Johnson started 23 of 35 games for the Rebels, averaging 7.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Johnson shot 50 percent from the field and 55 percent from the foul line for Dixie, which finished 30-6 overall and claimed third place at the 2003 NJCAA Tournament.

"Charles is difficult to deal with around the basket," Coach Green noted on the SPC website. "He is a power forward with good skills."