By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information

PHOTOS - here

Toledo, Ohio---Edmond Early Jr. (Thurgood Marshall/Dayton, Ohio), a sophomore guard on the Owens Community College men's basketball team, will be moving on to play at the four-year level after signing with Indiana Tech University today.

"One of our main goals here at Owens is to move guys on to four-year schools," said Owens men's basketball head coach Dave Clarke. "Whether its Division I, II, NAIA, D-III, we take a lot of pride in moving guys on."

As a sophomore, Early Jr. averaged 10.5 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.7 steals per game. He scored a season-high 21 points on Feb. 11 against Lakeland Community College. In the team's Region XII District 11 semifinal win over Cincinnati State, he made several key 3-pointers late to seal a come-from-behind victory.

In his two seasons with Owens, Early Jr. averaged 8.4 points, 2.5 assists, 1.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. The team went 50-13 overall, 23-3 in Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) play and captured back-to-back OCCAC championships.

Early Jr. is the fourth member of the 2014-15 Owens men's basketball team to sign with a four-year school. He joins John Murry (North Central/Indianapolis, Ind.) and Kenny Jones (Clay/South Bend, Ind.), who signed with NCAA Division I Austin Peay State University, and Pete Firlik (Catholic Central/Grand Rapids, Mich.), who signed with NCAA Division II Ferris State University.

Indiana Tech is a member of the NAIA. They will be led by second-year head coach John Peckinpaugh in 2015-16.

"When I went on my visit, the coaches were great, and I got along with with the team," Early Jr. said. "I felt it was the best place for me. Coach Peck said he wanted me to come in right away and lead."

Notes

Early Jr. will join former Owens men's basketball player Franklin Lindsey (Whitmer/Toledo, Ohio) at Indiana Tech. Lindsey, who will be a senior next year, averaged 12.7 points per game for the Warriors last year and produced a season-high 23 points in a game against University of Northwestern Ohio (UNOH) on Feb. 14.

Moreover, if you include Early Jr. and Lindsey, the Owens men's basketball program has now sent 16 players to four-year schools over the past four years. The others include: Kenny Jones (2013-15, NCAA D-I Austin Peay State University), John Murry (2013-15, NCAA D-I Austin Peay State University), Pete Firlik (2014-15, NCAA D-II Ferris State University), Justin Edmonds (2011-13, Marshall University), James Kelly (2011-13, University of Miami, Fla./Marshall University), Bikramjit Gill (2013-14, Ball State University), Joe Retic II (2012-13, Liberty University), Tony Boykins (2012-14, NCAA D-II Gannon University), Andy Bachman (2012-14, NCAA D-II Tiffin University), Markese Allen (2012-14, NCAA D-II Ohio Valley University), Jay Marquette (2011-13, NCAA D-II Lee University), Jerron Jamerson (2011-12, NAIA Goshen College), DeVondre Peoples (2013-14, NAIA Berea College) and Jordan Basinger (2011-12, NAIA Siena Heights University).