UTRGV men’s basketball head coach Matt Figger kicked off the spring signing period with the addition of three Division I transfers.
The Vaqueros announced the signings of Sherman Brashear, C.J. Jackson and Dima Zdor for the 2022-23 season in a news release Wednesday.
“I’m excited about adding three guys that have all played Division I basketball,” Figger said. “They know what it’s like and their experience will be invaluable for our team.”
Brashear, a Western Kentucky transfer, comes to UTRGV with three seasons of eligibility remaining after averaging 3.7 points on 39.4% shooting and 1.5 rebounds in 23 games. The 6-foot-5 guard reached double figures in scoring three times, including a career-high 20 points with six rebounds, two assists and one steals against Rhodes on Nov. 30.
“Sherman (Brashear) is a fierce competitor and a very good perimeter shooter,” Figger said. “He’s a competitor who has significant experience in both Conference USA and junior college. We’re looking for him to improve our perimeter shooting and our toughness on the perimeter.”
Jackson comes to UTRGV from Georgia Highlands College with two seasons of eligibility remaining. This past season, Jackson averaged 13.6 points, 4.3 rebound and 1.3 steals while shooting 50% from the field and 33.6% from behind the arc in 32 games.
Jackson played the 2020-21 season at Florida Southwestern Junior College, averaging 5.3 points and 1.9 while shooting 45.2% from the field in 22 games. As a freshman in 2019-20, Jackson saw action in 15 games for UMass.
“He’s kind of a utility player on the perimeter,” Figger said. “He’s a long, athletic guy who can play multiple positions. C.J. should help us with experience and perimeter depth and be able to guard multiple guys on the floor. Between him and Sherman, we’re adding a lot of length on the perimeter.”
Zdor comes to UTRGV for his final season after playing his last two seasons at Western Athletic Conference opponent Grand Canyon and the previous two at Weber State.
This past season, Zdor averaged 2.4 points and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 55.6% from the floor in 28 games. He scored a season-high 10 points against Chicago State in the WAC opener and grabbed 11 rebounds during an early season game against Life Pacific.
“Dima (Zdor) has played in winning programs at Weber State and Grand Canyon. He and Sherman have both been a part of winning programs, so they understand what winning looks like,” Figger said. “Dima is an ultimate competitor. I recruited him to Austin Peay out of high school. With our style of play, he’ll be able to run the floor. He’s got a quick first step. He’ll be able to score baskets in transition and score on the perimeter.”
Brashear, Jackson and Zdor join 6-foot guard Adante Holiman and 6-foot-7 forward Isaiah Barganier as part of the 2022-23 recruiting class.
