NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State head coach Ryan Pedon has announced that Deng Garang has signed on to be a member of the Redbird basketball team for the 2026-27 season.
"The addition of Deng Garang was a great fit for what we coveted," said Pedon. "Deng is a high character young man that will bring tremendous length, versatility and athleticism to our wing position. He has grown and developed as a player in each of his college years, and we feel that his best years are squarely ahead of him. Deng's motor really stood out to us, as well as his ability to impact a game on both sides of the ball. His ability to stretch the defense is evident by his 60 three-point makes at a 37 percent clip over his time at Le Moyne. We could not be more excited about welcoming Deng to our Redbird Basketball family."
A native of Syracuse, New York, he played for LeMoyne College over the last two seasons. Last season as a sophomore he played in 32 games – starting each – and he averaged 10.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, making 46 percent of his field goal tries (126-of-277) and 34 percent (43-of-127) from long range. He scored double figures 20 times, with three games of 20+ points, including a season-high 21 against Chicago State on Valentine's Day.
He pulled down double-digit rebounds twice, including a season-high 13 against Fairleigh Dickinson. The 6-6 guard made multiple three-pointers in 13 games, as he had 35 steals and 18 blocks from his guard position.
In his freshman season he played 13 games with six starts, scoring in double-figures three times. He scored a season-high 20 against Saint Francis on February 20, making 8-of-12 shots from the field and 4-of-8 from long range. He pulled down 22 rebounds, while grabbing a dozen steals with two blocked shots. He made 51 percent of his shots (34-of-67) and made 17-of-35 (49 percent) from long range, while making 13-of-14 free throws.
A graduate of Bishop Grimes High School in Syracuse, he scored 506 points during his senior season and was chosen as a finalist for the 202-23 All-CNY Boys Basketball Large School Player of the Year. He appeared in 22 games and scored in double-figures 21 times and scoring 20+ 16 times and 30+ five times. He had a 30-point, 10-rebound double-double against Christian Brothers Academy on January 13, and had a balanced stat line of 32 points, nine rebounds, three assists, five steals, and a block against Seton Catholic.
The Redbirds are coming off a 23-13 season in 2025-26, advancing to the semifinals of the National Invitation Tournament with wins over Kent State, Wake Forest, and Dayton. The Redbirds return their top two scorers – Chase Walker and Johnny Kinziger – as well as 17-game starter Mason Klabo. Garang joins a group of newcomers that include transfers Noah Cleveland, Demarion Burch, Zaxton King, and Louie Semona, and incoming freshmen Jordan Williams, Matthew Szafoni, and Leyton Wolf.
