June 12, 2008

CANYON, Texas - West Texas A&M University men's basketball coach Rick Cooper has announced the signing of five student-athletes to national letters-of-intent to attend WTAMU and play for the Buffs during the 2008-09 season.

The quintet, comprised of three inside players and a pair of guards, includes Nick Burns, Bijan Dotson, Justin Johnson, Neko Stylianou and Mason White.

Nick Burns, 6-1, 185, guard, spent the past two years as the starting point guard at Seward County (Kan.) Community College. Over 38 games, he averaged 32.2 minutes, 12.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game while leading the Saints to a berth in the 2007-08 NJCAA Final Four. A native of Portland, Ore., Burns attended Portland's Benson High School.

Bijan Dotson, 6-6, 210, post from South Mountain Community College in Phoenix, Ariz., helped lead the Cougars to the 2007-08 NJCAA Division II Region I tournament championship and a berth in the NJCAA national tournament. For the season, the Oakland, Calif. (Hamilton HS) native averaged 8.8 points and 6.1 rebounds over 33 games.

Justin Johnson, 6-4, 200, guard, transfers to WTAMU after spending his freshman season at the University of Arkansas-Monticello. He saw action in 23 contests with the Boll Weevils and made eight starting appearances. During 2007-08, he averaged 16.0 minutes, 4.4 points and 2.0 rebounds per contest. His benchmark came against Texas when he tallied 18 points to go with six rebounds. Johnson is a native of Amarillo, Texas, and played prep ball at Palo Duro High School.

Neko Stylianou, 6-5, 240, forward from Larnaca, Cyprus, transfers from Navarro College where he saw action in 27 contests during 2007-08. During that time, he averaged 8.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and had a field goal percentage of 40.6 pct. The Cougars participated in the NJCAA Region tournament during each of Stylianou's two seasons at Navarro.

Mason White, 6-3, 200, forward, from Amarillo, Texas, was a key member of the fifth-ranked Randall High program. He saw action in 22 contest during 2007-08, averaging 16.5 points and 5.4 rebounds, 1.7 blocks per contest and earning all-District honors.

"We are very happy to have these student-athletes join our program," said coach Cooper. "They should blend well with the players we have returning from last season and I look forward to watching them develop next year."

The Buffs registered a record of 21-8 in 2007-08, winning the Lone Star Conference South Division championship and advancing to the South Central Regional quarterfinals.