Illinois State mens basketball coach Tom Richardson continued to solidify the future of the program with the addition of Najeeb
Echols, a 6-7, 230-pound transfer from Missouri, to the Redbirds, Wednesday.
Echols, a native of Chicago, will have to sit out a year to meet NCAA
transfer rules and will be eligible to play for the Redbirds on December 13, 2003. He will begin practicing with the team on Thursday.
Obviously we are elated to add a player of Najeebs ability and talent, Richardson said. He is a physical, athletic player and will help us become a more physical team. He is extremely versatile and can play any position on the floor.
Echols played in 10 games for the Tigers this season and averaged 3.1 points and 2.8 rebounds per contest. Last year as a freshman, he averaged 2.5 points and 2.6 boards in 32 games.
As a prep, Echols finished his career at Morgan Park High School, but never played in a game. As a teammate of current Redbird Marcus Arnold, Echols missed his entire senior season with a knee injury. Prior to his senior campaign, Echols was ranked by most recruiting services among the nations top 30 seniors.
Echols played his first three years of high school at Chicago Whitney Young. As a junior, Echols averaged 25 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists per game. He was also instrumental in Whitney Young winning the Class A state championship during his freshman season. He was also a regular feature on the Fox Sports television show Preps, which focused on the lives of several Chicago basketball standouts.
Echols, who was initially recruited by Michigan State, Illinois, UCLA,
Kansas, Iowa and DePaul, wont be the only transfer on the Redbirds next year. Neil Plank, who transferred from Wisconsin, is currently sitting out this season and practicing with the squad.
