JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (May 3, 2017) – ETSU men’s basketball head coach Steve Forbes announced Wednesday that the Buccaneers have received a signed national letter of intent from junior college transfer James Harrison (Dallas, Texas).

Harrison, a 6-foot-7, 225-pound forward, comes to the Bucs from Blinn College following a prep career at South Oak Cliff High School. During his final season at the junior college level, Harrison averaged 14.2 points and 6.7 rebounds a game, while shooting 60.6 percent from the floor and receiving Region XIV honorable mention honors. He also posted a season high 26 points versus Weatherford and finished with six double-doubles on the year, including a 23-point, 15-rebound effort against Lone Start College – Cy Fair, and a 15-point, 11-rebound showing versus Panola in the NJCAA National Tournament.

“James is a crafty lefty scorer around the basket,” Forbes said. “He has great hands, feet and a tremendous feel for the game. He can score in a variety of ways. Blinn plays in one of the most competitive junior college leagues in the country and James plays for one of the top junior college coaches, who has been a friend of mine for over 20 years.”

Blinn head coach Scott Schumacher said Harrison will make a strong addition to the Bucs’ roster.

“James is a quality young man that is a joy to be around every day on and off the court,” Schumacher said. “He has a unique set of basketball skills that make him a difficult matchup in and around the basket.”

Harrison said he is thankful for this opportunity at ETSU.

“First, I’d like to thank my family and my coaches for their support and encouragement throughout my life. I wouldn’t be here without them,” Harrison said. “I’m excited about the opportunity to play at a program with such a great tradition and the success Coach Forbes has had there is very impressive. I felt a real connection between the current players and the staff, and that’s something I want to be a part of. I’m excited about the future and I can’t wait to get to school.”

Harrison joins guard Bo Hodges (Nashville) and forward Jeromy Rodriguez (Santiago, Dominican Republic) as part of the Bucs’ 2017-18 recruiting class. For more on ETSU men’s basketball throughout the 2017-18 season, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the men’s hoops link.