Courtesy: SLU Athletics
ST. LOUIS – Saint Louis University head men's basketball coach Rick Majerus today announced the addition of Central Michigan transfer Austin McBroom to the Billiken roster. McBroom will sit out the 2012-13 campaign per NCAA regulations, then will have three years of eligibility beginning in 2013-14.
McBroom, a 6-0 guard from North Hollywood, Calif., earned Mid-American Conference All-Freshman honors in 2011-12 after averaging 10.9 ppg and a team-best 2.7 assists per game. He started 30 of 31 games for the Chippewas and was one of the squad's top 3-point shooters, nailing 56 treys while shooting 42 percent from the arc.
"Austin McBroom is, first and foremost, a superb student-athlete," Majerus said. "Having attended an elite prep school and scoring high grades at Central Michigan, his academic acumen, as well as his personality, will blend right in with our team. Austin is a very nice and exceptionally engaging young man.
"Between coach Whitesell, myself and the rest of our staff, we have reviewed well over 60 hours of 30 different game films, and Austin may be the best perimeter shooter with range on our team," Majerus said. "He can really open up the floor with his shooting ability, having shot 39 percent from 3-point range and 86 percent from the line in league play. Austin also made the All-Freshman team in the MAC, which is quite an honor.
"Austin's personality, emphasis on education, and being a devoted, die-hard gym rat, not to mention his skill set, make him a valuable addition to our team because he can play any guard position."
McBroom led CMU in scoring on five occasions and scored in double figures 19 times last season, including a career-high 20 points against Bowling Green in the MAC Tournament. In the final conference statistics, he ranked fifth in free-throw percentage (.816) and 3-point field goal percentage (.421), 11th in 3-pointers made (1.8 per game) and 23rd in scoring. He was second in the league in scoring among freshmen. McBroom's free-throw mark of 86 percent in league games ranked second in the MAC.
A heralded three-sport athlete at Campbell Hall School in California, McBroom also played football and baseball. On the basketball court, he averaged 25.1 ppg his senior season en route to being named first-team All-CIF Division 3AA. As a freshman, McBroom played on a state championship team that also featured former UCLA guard and current Philadelphia 76er Jrue Holiday. He was a running back on the football team and played shortstop on the baseball squad.
