Aggies Sign Junior College Point Guard
Apr 18, 2001 | Men's Basketball
April 18, 2001
Michael Gardener of Garden City (Kan.) Community College has signed a national letter-of-intent to play college basketball at Texas A&M, Aggies head coach Melvin Watkins said Wednesday.
Gardener, a 5-foot-10, 165-pound point guard, averaged 13.4 points and 7.7 assists last season as a redshirt freshman, leading Garden City CC to a 25-6 record. He earned second-team All-Jayhawk West Conference honors and was runner-up in voting for the league's freshman of the year. He also was one of the few freshman named all-region, earning third-team honors. A "Three-Star"-rated recruit by Bob Gibbons' All-Star Report, Gardener will have three years of eligibility remaining at A&M. He also was recruited by Iowa State, Houston, TCU, South Alabama, New Mexico State and Fordham.
"We are very excited that Michael decided to join the Aggie basketball program," Watkins said. "He brings a level of commitment and excitement that our fans will surely enjoy. He fills a definite need we had at the point guard position."
A native of Detroit, Mich., Gardener earned all-state, all-metro and all-city honors as a senior at Cooley High School in 1999 after averaging 18.1 points and 10.2 assists per game. He also was named to the all-tournament team at the Adidas Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas.
"Gardener is a lightning quick and electric point guard," said Russ Blake of JUCO Junction. "(He has) displayed exceptional speed and penetration ability."
2000-01 TEXAS A&M BASKETBALL SIGNEES
Name, Pos., Ht., Wt., Cl-Ex, Hometown (High School/JUCO)
Michael Gardener, G, 5-10, 165, So-JC, Detroit, Mich. (Cooley HS/Garden City {Kan.} CC)
*Daryl Mason, G, 6-6, 190, Fr-Hs, Bryan, Texas (Bryan HS)
*signed in November early signing period
