TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State has officially signed its first three recruits for the 2024-25 season. Head Coach Josh Schertz announced Merritt Alderink, Robert "Sean" Birmingham, and Christian Nitu as his first signees.
 
The National Signing Day is when prospective college athletes sign their National Letter of Intent (NLI) to play a sport in college. This year's Signing Day was on November 8.
 
Merritt Alderink | 6-7 | Forward | Zeeland, Mich. | Zeeland West
 
Alderink was the 2023 Holland Sentinel Basketball Player of the Year and named as one of the 2023 Division 1 Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan's Best. In the 2023 season, Alderink averaged 19.3 PPG and 7.1 RPG. The forward is in his high school record books, holding the single-game points record with 42.
 
Coach Schertz spoke about Alderink:
 
"Merritt is a perfect fit for us both systematically and culturally. He has great size, toughness, physicality, and an extremely high motor that all great competitors possess. He can score the ball in a variety of ways in the halfcourt and brings a toughness and maturity far beyond his years to our program. He's an exceptional student and young man that our fans will love to watch compete."
 
Robert "Sean" Birmingham | 6-8 | Forward | Njardvik, Iceland | Concord Academy
 
Birmingham, originally from Iceland, attends Concord Academy out of North Carolina. In 2023 he became a member of the AAU team, Team Curry. In his junior year at Cannon School, the second-ranked prIvate school in the state, Birmingham averaged 14 PPG, 7 RPG, and 2.5 blocks-per-game. He also was named to the CISAA All Conference Team. From 2020-2022, Birmingham was a member of the prestigious basketball academy in Vitoria, Spain – Baskonia.
 
Coach Schertz spoke about Birmingham:
 
"Sean is an elite shooter with great size but he's much more than just a shooter. Sean has great feel which allows him to be a playmaker for others, coupled with a high basketball IQ that drives self-awareness allowing him to do what he does best all the time while bringing out the very best in his teammates. Sean is also a fantastic student and as high character and mature a young man as I have recruited. We are thrilled he's a Sycamore!"
 
 
Christian Nitu | 6-11 | Forward | Uplay, Canada | Fort Erie International Academy
 
Nitu comes from our neighbors to the north. Nitu participated in the NBA's Basketball Without Borders Global Camp; the camp has featured current NBA-standouts like
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Joel Embiid. Nitu also competed for Team Canada in the u17 World Cup and was on the Biosteel All-Canadian Team.
 
Coach Schertz spoke about Nitu:
 
"Christian is one of the most unique players I have ever seen, his combination of size, skill and mobility is incredibly rare. On top of that he's a ferocious competitor who is obsessed with the game of basketball, so he's a perfect for our Indiana State basketball culture. Christian has a level of versatility on both ends of the floor that will provide us with incredible flexibility as we see him as someone who can play with another big or operate as a standalone big himself. He's a special talent with huge ambitions and a work ethic to match, and I can't wait to partner with him to help him reach his ceiling."