Ace Hunt
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Indiana State Basketball head coach Greg Lansing announced today (April 13) the signings of junior college transfers Demonte Ojinnaka and Donovan Franklin.
"It's been a great recruiting year for us," coach Lansing commented. "I think our staff is as good as any in the country in targeting guys that fit our program. With Donovan and Demonte today joining Jordan Barnes, all the signatures are in and we are very excited about them joining our family."
Ojinnaka, a 6-5, 215 guard hails from Silver Spring, Md., where he attended Blake High School. He comes to Indiana State from Cloud County Community College, coached by Chad Eshbaugh, where he averaged 11.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game over a 32-game schedule. He tallied a career-best 28 points in a 78-73 road win over Butler Community College on Jan. 2, 2016. Ojinnaka connected on nearly 37 percent of his 3-point attempts and posted a season-best five triples at Butler CC. He reached double figures scoring 19 times during the season.
"When you are replacing a Devonte Brown and a Khristian Smith who did a lot for us, we really needed a bigger wing player," Lansing said. "That is what Demonte adds for us. He has a high skill level at ball handling as he was a point guard earlier in his career. Demonte is a bigger perimeter player who can make shots and can defend the opponent's bigger wing."
In 2014-15, Ojinnaka was a top freshman contributor for the Thunderbirds. He played in 32 games and earned 30 starts as he averaged nine points and 4.7 rebounds per game. He posted a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds against Brown Mackie on Nov. 21, 2014. Ojinnaka also hit a game winning buzzer beater against Barton County.
At Blake High School, Ojinnaka averaged 18 points, eight rebounds and 3.2 assists per game for head coach Marcus Wiggins. He earned First Team All-Gazette honors and was an honorable mention selection by The Washington Post. He was named first team all-conference and was selected to play in the Montgomery County All-Star game following his senior season. He was presented the Distinguished Athlete Award by the US Marine Corps.
Donovan Franklin is a 6-5, 175 guard who hails from the St. Louis metro area and attended O'Fallon High School in Illinois. He is transferring to the Sycamores from Gulf Coast State College in Panama City, Fla., where he was coached by Jay Powell. Carl Nicks, a member of the Indiana State Athletics Hall of Fame and a member of the 1978-79 team which reached the NCAA Final Four also transferred to the Sycamore program from Gulf Coast State College after beginning his collegiate career in Terre Haute.
In Franklin's one season with Gulf Coast State, Franklin paced the team with a 14.9 ppg and converted 45.5 percent of his field goal attempts and averaged 4.3 rebounds per game. He was a double figure scorer in 17 consecutive games and averaged 28.2 points per game over a four-game stretch near the end of the season, including 40 points at Northwest Florida State on Feb. 13, 2016.
"One thing we lacked last year was a bit of ball handling, passing, being able to make a shot and scoring ability," Lansing commented. "Donovan can do all of that. He did all that at a high level in high school and at his junior college. He has to learn some things about this level, but he can make college baskets."
Franklin averaged 21.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per game during his senior season at O'Fallon High School. He added 35 3-pointers and shot nearly 80 percent from the free throw line and was a first team pick on the Belleville News-Democrat's large school all-area team. Franklin finished his career at O'Fallon High School with 1,616 points, which surpassed the former record by 84 points. He was coached at O'Fallon by Rick Gibson.
He played against current Sycamore Emondre Rickman in high school and was a teammate of fall signee Jordan Barnes (St. Louis, Mo./Christian Brothers HS) on the St. Louis Eagles AAU team. Ojinnaka and Franklin will join the Sycamores along with Barnes in time for the 2016-17 campaign.
