November 29, 2007 - With the 2007-08 season having just started, Hillsdale College men's basketball coach John Tharp announces the signing of four players as part of the freshman class of 2008-09.

Five of the six new players will come to Hillsdale from outside the state of Michigan. Leading the group is 5-10 point guard Tyler Gerber, from Sugarcreek Garaway High School in Ohio. Gerber has been named Division III All-Ohio twice, and has 935 points scored in his prep career so far. He already holds the school record for steals in a season and a career, and has the record for most 3-point field goals made in a season. He stands ninth on the school's all-time scoring list, and averaged 18 points and five assists per game in 2006-07.

Prep spotlight magazine has Gerber pegged as the 14th-ranked point guard in the state of Ohio.

Coming to Hillsdale from Lincoln, Neb. is 6-7 forward Matthew Justus. A standout at Lincoln Lutheran High School, Justus was a two-time honorable mention All-State selection, and broke his high school's record for blocked shots in a season. He holds the school record for rebounds in a season, and averaged 12.3 points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots per game in 2007-08.

Justus was also an Academic All-State pick in both basketball and track. He led his team to its first-ever district championship this season.

One player is from Tharp's former hometown of Appleton, Wisc., 6-5 forward Matt Clarke . Clarke is ranked as the No. 8 overall prospect in the state of Wisconsin, according to wisconsinhoops.com. A lefthander, Clarke has a strong all-around game, with an ability to score from multiple places on the court.

John Bagge is a 6-6 power forward from North High School in Wheaton, Ill. He's a hard worker, a smart player and has good back-to-the-basket skills. Several scouting services have him ranked among the top 75 oiverall players in the state of Illinois.


A 6-foot-6 wing player from St. Joseph, Michigan, Brad Guinane joins four other players in making up the freshman class of 2008-09 for the Charger men's basketball team.

Guinane averaged more than 21 points and nine rebounds per game for St. Joseph High School last year, and was one of the more highly recruited two-sport stars in the western part of Michigan. Guinane was also a football standout in high school.

He was named First-Team All-State by the Detroit Free Press, and ranks third in school history with 1,002 points in his career. He was elected to play in the A-B East-West High School All-Star Game, and was named All-Division three times and was his team's most valuable player.

In football, Guinane was named First-Team All-State as a wide receiver and was named his team's Offensive Most Valuable Player. His prep football team enjoyed an undefeated regular season in 2007, and captured district, regional and conference championships. He was named the student-athlete of the week by WSJM-TV.


The final signee of this group is Ryan Choiniere , a 6-6 wing player from Penn High School in Mishawaka, Ind. Hillsdale College has brought in several athletes from that school, and Choiniere is the latest. He has long arms and a slashing style of play on the court.