May 15, 2008

By Tom Weber
www.SIUSalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Guard Justin Bocot has signed a financial aid agreement and will become the 12th scholarship player for the 2008-09 Saluki men's basketball team, head coach Chris Lowery announced Thursday.

Bocot is a 6-foot-3, 175-pound lefthander from Bloomington, Ill., who was enrolled at SIU during the 2007-08 season but did not play basketball in order to focus on academics. He will be a sophomore in eligibility next season and will have the opportunity earn a fifth year, if he completes 80 percent of his degree requirements by the end of his fourth year at Southern Illinois.

"We're extremely excited to have a player of Justin's caliber," Lowery said. "He dedicated himself to academics this past year, and I think that has made him even more hungry to play basketball."

As a senior at Bloomington High School in 2007, he averaged 20.0 ppg, 3.2 apg and 2.3 spg and was named the Bloomington Pantagraph Player of the Year.

The Salukis will be deep at the guard position next year with a backcourt that includes Bryan Mullins (Sr.), Wesley Clemmons (Sr.), Joshua Bone (Jr.), Kevin Dillard (Fr.), Torres Roundtree (Fr.), Ryan Hare (Fr.) and Bocot.

The frontcourt will feature Tony Boyle (Sr.), Christian Cornelius (Jr.), Carlton Fay (So.), Nick Evans (Fr.) and Anthony Booker (Fr.).

The Salukis still have one scholarship available.