April 14, 2011

Make it two; Tech basketball signs a second for 2011-12 season

A second commitment comes to Tech basketball program in the form of Ryon Riggins, who is the second signee to be added to the Golden Eagle roster for the 2011-12 basketball season.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A second commitment comes to the Tech basketball program in the form of Ryon Riggins, who is the second signee to be added to the Golden Eagle roster for the 2011-12 basketball season.

Riggins, a native of Suwanee, Ga., is a power forward standing at 6'9" from North Gwinnett High School, averaging 11 points and 12 rebounds per game. A player under Zach Smith, Riggins is an up-tempo forward who moves up and down the floor well, with an intuition that allows him to find the ball in transition.

"We're very excited about Ryon's opportunity to play at Tennessee Tech," Smith said. "I think that he is a tremendous fit for the program and I know that he's very happy with his signing decision."

In addition to being the biggest player on his high school team his senior season, Riggins was also tagged the most coach-able by Smith. A good listener and a quick learner, Smith says that Riggins displays a willingness to work every day.

"Riggins is a successful player and will fit in well with the winning mentality that Tech has," Smith finished.

Born on October 31, 1992, Riggins earned two varsity letters from North Gwinnett High, was named co-captain of his team for his senior season and was a candidate for the prestigious McDonald's All-American award. He intends to major in business at Tech.

"Obviously we're very excited about getting another player from the Atlanta-metro area," said Tech's newest head coach Steve Payne. "It's an area that's been very good to TTU in the past and we hope to continue to recruit that area for a long time coming.

"Ryon is a player that has what we call a high ceiling," Payne continued. "He has quick feet and, like most big men, will continue to grow and mature as a player at a different pace."

Both Riggins and Tech's other signee, Lanerryl Esters-Johnson, display the traits that Tech looks for in recruits in high character, high ability and high intelligence on and off the court. The two will undoubtedly prove to be helpful in a team capacity both immediately and as the basketball program at Tennessee Tech moves forward.