AUSTRALIAN STANDOUT IS NEWEST RAM
June 18, 2007

FORT WORTH, TX:  Texas Wesleyan University head men’s basketball coach Terry Waldrop announced today the signing of Ryan Barnes, one of the top-rated prep players in Australia.

Barnes had a terrific prep career in Melbourne, Australia averaging 31 points, 14 rebounds, six assists, and five steals per game in four years at Sunbury Secondary College.  The 6’6” guard led coach Kevin Goorjian’s SSC team to the Western Zone finals as a sophomore, a Western Zone Championship as a junior, and a Victorian State Schools Championship in his senior year.

Barnes also played for coach Nick Abdicivic’s Melbourne Tigers.  He averaged 24 points, nine rebounds, and four assists per game in the Victorian Junior Basketball League.

Coach Waldrop was excited about the addition of Barnes to the Rams’ roster.  “We expect Ryan to be an instant impact player,” he said, “and to get someone of his quality and caliber from the high school ranks is very exciting.  He can play multiple positions and we are looking forward to having him for four years.”

Coach Waldrop and Rams fans are certainly familiar with Australian talent on the basketball court.  Ben Hunt (Bendigo, Victoria, Australia) played in two seasons for the Rams, scoring over 1,000 career points and leading the team to its first national championship in 2006.  Hunt is currently playing with the Perth Wildcats in Australia’s National Basketball League.

After winning the 2006 NAIA Division I National Championship, Texas Wesleyan posted a 19-10 record and was ranked 33rd nationally at the end of the 2006-07 season.