By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

BRANDON Meadows will take the next step on his collegiate basketball journey at the NCAA Division II level.

Meadows signed with Eastern New Mexico University Greyhounds and transfers to the programme for the Fall 2019 campaign. He joins the Greyhounds following a two-year stint at the junior college level with the Eastern Wyoming College Lancers.

With the Lancers, the 6’3” 190-pound guard averaged 13.8 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game last year as a sophomore. He shot 50 per cent from the field and also finished with 42 steals and 27 blocks.

With an increased scoring load as a sophomore, Meadows had two career high 29-point games and another two games where he scored 25. He reached double figure rebounds in 14 games last season, including a career high 18 boards against Gillette College. “When we first saw Brandon play live we knew that his intangibles would be a huge part of his success here with us,” Greyhounds head coach Tres Segler said on the school’s athletic website.

“Brandon impacted the game in so many different ways. His smooth athleticism is special, and he had several dunks and blocks that were Division I calibre plays. His ability to score the ball in multiple ways will help our scoring attack tremendously.”

Meadows played for head coach Tim Moser and assistant coach Dwight Smith at Eastern Wyoming College and will bring a toughness and a motivation.

“I’ve coached one other player from the Bahamas, and kids from down there are always characterised by their toughness and hunger to compete,” coach Segler said. “Brandon is a great example of those character traits. We pride ourselves at Eastern with being tough, and we know that a willingness to compete everyday makes a team hungry and truly successful. Brandon will be a culture leader for us in this way, and we are very excited to see how much he will impact our programme. Brandon was honest with me about his motivations for playing basketball and he wants to get a degree from Eastern and represent his family back home in the best ways possible.”

The Greyounds ended their season 13-15 overall last year, but finished fourth in the Lone Star Conference with a 10-8 mark in conference play. The programme had its best record in conference play since the 2003-04 season when they were the conference champions with a 10-2 mark. “Our guards will be incredibly tough this next season. Brandon can guard all three positions, and offensively we feel that he will be a huge impact at the point guard and scoring guard positions,” Segler said.

“We feel like he will add firepower and athletic toughness so that we can compete with anyone in the Lone Star.”

Locally, Meadows starred for the Sunland Baptist Stingers and developed into one of the driving forces for the Stingers as he became one of the top senior players in the island nation.

The versatile guard increased his scoring numbers as a senior as he stepped into a leadership role for the Stingers and led the team to a runners-up finish at the Hugh Campbell Classic.