Fresno State Athletics
Men's Basketball Signs Highly-Touted Hiram Fuller
11/15/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 15, 2000
FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State bolstered its inside game for next season with the signing of one of the nation's top junior college power forwards.
Hiram Fuller, a 6-9, 235-pound sophomore from Wabash Valley College in Mt. Carmel, Ill., signed today with the Bulldogs according to head coach Jerry Tarkanian. Fuller signed during the early signing period, which began Nov. 8. Fuller is a native of Tacoma, Wash., where he starred at Stadium High School.
Fuller played last season at Modesto Junior College, where he averaged 14 points and 12 rebounds per game. He was selected a third-team preseason All-American by Street and Smith's for Wabash Valley, ranked No. 14 in the national polls. He is rated the No. 2 power forward in junior college basketball by Rick Ball of Ballplayers JC Report. Fuller's junior college coach is Jay Spoonhour, son of former Saint Louis coach Charlie Spoonhour.
"Hiram is a great player," said head coach Jerry Tarkanian. "He's a player we have liked for a long time and that (assistant coach) Danny (Tarkanian) has been recruiting for three years. He committed to us out of high school. He's one of the best junior college players in the country and I don't think we could have gotten a better player. He is going to have an immediate impact and he has NBA potential. He's that good a player. He's a big and physical player and he can really shoot the basketball. He shoots a lot of threes. The thing I really like about him is that he is such a great person."
Fuller, who also considered Cincinnati and Oregon, will be the only signing for Fresno State during the early signing period.
Fresno State tips off the season by hosting the Hispanic College Fund Classis Nov. 17 and 19 at Selland Arena. Tournament tickets packages are available for $35 at the Bulldog Ticket Office or online at www.gobulldogs.com.
