STEPHENVILLE – Tarleton head coach Billy Gillispie announced the signing of Ranger College guard Monte “Tre” Gipson to a National Letter of Intent to join Tarleton Men’s Basketball next season.
Gipson, a 6-foot guard from Waxahachie High School, will join the Texans after spending one season at Ranger Junior College under Gillispie where he earned NTJCAC second team all-conference honors as a sophomore. Gipson led the nationally-ranked Rangers to a 28-3 record and a trip to the NJCAA Tournament. Gipson becomes Gillispie’s first recruit to sign as head coach at Tarleton as the Texans transition to NCAA Division I and the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) next season.
“I can’t wait to play at Tarleton and reunite with Coach Gillispie,” said Gipson. “I get to play close to home and play Division I basketball. It’s been something I have always wanted to do since middle school and those dreams are coming true.”
Gipson played in 31 games and started 28 for the Rangers as a sophomore, where he averaged 9.6 points on 52 percent shooting. Gipson also posted 5.3 rebounds and dished out 2.8 assists per game. He posted 17 double-digit scoring games last season, including a pair of 20-point efforts with his 21 points against Southwestern Christian College resulting in a season high. Gipson recorded five point-rebound double-doubles, including a triple-double of 18 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists in a road win at Panola.
“Tre was one of the best guards in junior college basketball this season,” said Gillispie. “He totally sacrificed for the team and placed winning over individual achievement. He helped Waxahachie return to glory at a tradition-rich high school and was a main reason Ranger College qualified for the national tournament this past season. He will be fun to coach again, fun for his teammates to compete with, and fun for the Tarleton faithful to watch!”
Prior to Ranger, Gipson spent his freshman season at Midland College where he averaged 18 points per game in 27 games, including 43.7 percent on 3-pointers, along with 3.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists while being selected to the All-Western Junior College Athletic Conference Basketball first-team. Gipson scored 20 or more points in 11 games at Midland, including a career-high 36-point effort against Phoenix College in 2018.
While at nearby Waxahachie High School, Gipson led the Indians to a No. 1 ranking in Class 5A and a USA Today Super 25 top-15 national ranking. Waxahachie advanced to the 5A regional finals in 2017 and posted back-to-back undefeated District 10-5A championships. Gipson was named a TABC All-Star in 2018.
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