By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
SIGNING DAY PHOTO ALBUM - here
SIGNING DAY VIDEO - here
Toledo, Ohio---Owens Community College men's basketball sophomore forward Bikramjit Gill (Our Ascension of the Lord/Toronto, Ontario, Canada) signed his official letter of intent today to play for Ball State University next year.
The signing, which took place in the Student Health and Activities Center (SHAC) at Owens, marks the fourth NCAA Division I signee that Owens men's basketball has produced in the past two seasons.
Gill transferred to Owens prior to this past season from Moberly Area Community College. In his one season with the Express, he averaged 15.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 1.3 steals in 30 games. In conference play, he produced nine double-doubles in 11 games, including two games of 21 rebounds, which tied the single game record. He averaged 19 points, 13 rebounds, 3.2 blocks and 1.9 steals per game in conference play.
"When I came to Owens, I was looking for a place where I could come and show what I have, and I didn't get to do that at my last school," Gill said. "(Owens Head) Coach (Dave) Clarke gave me the opportunity to play and show what I got, and he promoted me really well. Playing Division I basketball, that's a dream, since I was a little kid. So I'm really happy that I'm getting the chance."
Following this past season, Gill was named First Team All-Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC), First Team All-Region XII and NJCAA Division II Third Team All-American. During the season, he was five time OCCAC player of the week.
"Bik did a great job for us, both academically and on the court," Clarke said. "He was a big part of us going 25-6 this year and winning the league. He did a great job of developing his game for the mid-major and for Ball State. I thought coming into Owens, he was definitely a Division I player. He struggled early on, but second semester he did a great job of developing his game."
Gill now joins James Kelly (2011-13), who is now at University of Miami (Fla.), Justin Edmonds (2011-13), who is now at Marshall University and Joe Retic II (2012-13), who is now at Liberty University, as one of four players from the Owens men's basketball program in the past two years to play at the NCAA Division I level.
Additionally, the Express had a total of five players move on from last year's team, and all five of this year's sophomores, including Gill, are expected to graduate and sign with four-year schools this spring.
Notes
Provided all goes as planned, third-year head coach Dave Clarke will have sent 11 players to four-year schools by the time he enters next season, including four Division I players. The program itself has a record of 75-24 in his three years.
Overall, Gill will become the 26th NCAA Division I player in Owens men's basketball history dating back to Jim Penix (BGSU) in 1968. Of those 26, eight will have played at Mid-American Conference (MAC) schools, with the most recent being Justin Manns (2007-09) at Kent State University.
The Owens men's basketball program went 25-6 this past year, including an 11-1 record in OCCAC play. They split the regular season conference championship with Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, who ended the Express season with a buzzer beater as time expired in the district championship game.