Men's Basketball signs Harcum College guard Leo Vincent

May 19, 2015

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois men's basketball coach Barry Hinson announced that the program has signed juco guard Leo Vincent of Harcum College (Pa.).

As a sophomore at Harcum last year, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound point guard helped his team to a 28-4 record and No. 9 national ranking. Vincent started 31 games, was his team's second-leading scorer (15.5 points) and earned National Junior College Athletic Association honorable mention All-America honors. He will have two years of eligibility at SIU.

Vincent also led Harcum in 3-pointers (86-of-216, .398), assists (4.2) and steals (2.4). Sixty-two percent of his field-goal attempts came from behind the arc. In a game against Burlington College, he made eight 3-pointers and scored a career-high 31 points.

"One of our priorities for spring recruiting was to get guards who could fit our system -- guys who can pass, dribble and shoot," said Hinson. "I think he certainly fits all of those requirements. He can play point guard or combo guard and is very comfortable with the ball in his hands."

Vincent played his freshman year at Sacred Heart College of the Division I Northeast Conference. He averaged 6.4 points in seven games and transferred to Harcum after the season. He graduated from Bensalem High School (Pa.) in 2013, where he averaged 17 points per game as a senior.

"He has already played Division I basketball, plus he has experience in a very successful junior college program," Hinson said. "We're excited about what his future holds."

The Salukis lost five players off last year's team that finished 12-21 and 4-14 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Vincent is the third player to sign with SIU this spring, joining juco guard Mike Rodriguez (Marshalltown Community College) and freshman forward Rudy Stradnieks (Lee Academy, Maine). After fielding one of the nation's youngest rosters a year ago, SIU's roster in 2015-16 will feature eight upperclassmen -- three seniors and five juniors.