B.J. Banks Signs To Play For 'Jacks
5/8/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
May 8, 2002
NACOGDOCHES, Texas -- Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack basketball coach Danny Kaspar has announced the signing of B.J. Banks to a letter of intent to continue his education and play basketball at SFA next fall. Banks is a 6-2 guard from Lon Morris College in Jacksonville.
"B.J. Banks will be a great addition to our program. He is a very well rounded player that will provide leadership skills, as well as a good defender at both guard spots. The coaches at Lon Morris have maintained that without B.J. on their team the past two years they would not have enjoyed the level of success they have. We expect him to make an immediate impact on our team," said Kaspar.
Banks played the past two seasons for coach Dale Dotson at Lon Morris, helping the team to a 29-6 record and a second place finish in the Texas Eastern Conference this past season. The Bearcats won the Region 14 tournament and advanced to the national tournament, losing in the quarterfinals. Banks was selected the MVP of the Region 14 Tournament and also won the Donya Witcher Award at Lon Morris as the team's most valuable player.
The Gainesville, Texas product averaged 11.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.2 steals per game this past season. The 3.2 steals per night placed him among the top ten in the nation in the category. A 36 percent three point shooter, Banks also shot just over 47 percent from the field and connected on 72 percent of his free throws this past season.
Banks averaged just over 16 points and six rebounds per game at Gainesville High School, earning First Team All-District, All-Region and All-State honors along the way. As a senior, Banks helped lead his team to a 29-8 record and a berth in the Class 3A state title game.
