By BRAD KEITH
TheFlashToday.com
STEPHENVILLE (April 14, 2016) — For the first time in 28 years as head coach at Tarleton State University, Lonn Reisman has reached outside Texas to sign a high school prospect.
Many transfers, by way of junior colleges or Division I, have come from outside the Lone Star State, but Brandon Willis of Baltimore, Maryland became the first high school prospect from another state to sign with the Texans Thursday afternoon.
The 5-10 point guard averaged 20.5 points, 4.5 assists, 4 rebounds and 2.7 steals while leading Hammond to a regional final.
“The Tarleton campus is lovely – big, nice, clean. They take care of everything very well. I really like the gym and the guys on the team made me feel like I was home and that was huge for me,” said Willis of his visit. “I also felt a connection with the coaches and that was huge, too.”
Tarleton associate head coach Chris Reisman received a tip on Willis from a familiar coach, the same who recommended Corin Henry to Tarleton. Henry was a two-year star point guard for the Texans and is currently a successful professional player overseas.
“The coaches at Tarleton know a lot of the coaches aI know and one of my coaches sent film down to Coach Reisman, and he reached out to me and said he was very interested and wanted to get me on a visit,” says Willis, who left Stephenville verbally committed and with a slew of Tarleton gear purchased at a campus bookstore.
“When my visit was over, I knew that’s where I wanted to go, and it felt good just to have the recruiting process done and to be happy with my decision,” Willis said. “The Tarleton program is family oriented, and it fits what I want for my education because they have a good kinesiology program and I’m excited about that.
“There was no doubt at the end of my trip I knew that it was the school I wanted to go to and the one I want to graduate from.”
Chris Reisman says he was impressed with Willis from the start of the recruiting process.
“I got a tip from a coach who coached Corin Henry, and I know him and trust his evaluation of the kid, so I took a look at his film and what I was impressed with right away was the way he carried himself on the court. He’s a really good shooter and has a good feel for the basketball. He’s a good scorer but he’s also very good about facilitating and creating opportunities for his teammates.
“When I saw him in person he was even better than he looked on film. He’s a tough kid with a serious demeanor that really fits our program well,” Reisman added. “I think he’ll have a great four years here and that he’ll be a great student-athlete and ambassador for our men’s basketball program.”
Willis previously averaged 15.9 points and 2.7 assists while leading his county with 2.8 steals per game as a junior at Atholton High School, according to a February, 2015 article published online by The Baltimore Sun. He transferred to Hammond for his senior season.
Other Division II schools and even a handful of Division I mid-majors were also in the running to sign Willis.
“I looked at Coppin State (in Baltimore), St. Thomas Aquinas (NY) and Alderson-Bradus (Division II in North Carolina) and I also visited The Citadel (SC) last summer because they had been on me for a while,” Willis said. “But when I went to Tarleton it was just different. I felt like I was home.”
In an article published online February 1 by The Washington Post, Hammond High School coach Mike Salpata said of Willis, “He’s as gifted an offensive guard, I’m talking just scoring the ball, that I’ve been around in the 17 years that I’ve been a coach.”
Willis agrees it’s on the offensive end where he is strongest.
“My strengths are shooting the ball, handling the ball and creating for my teammates,” he said.
Willis also admitted he must improve defensively.
“Some of my weaknesses are probably off the ball defending, which I’ve been working on,” Willis said. “The defensive end is where I know i have to get better.”
Willis is shown in Hudl highlight videos here.
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