STEPHENVILLE – The Tarleton Texan men's basketball program has added another player to its roster with the addition of Coleman Furst who signed a national letter-of-intent.
Furst, a 6-1, 170-pound guard, starred at Denison High School where he was a four-year starter for the varsity basketball team.
“Coleman is a very tough, blue-collar guard that will not back down from anyone,” said Tarleton head coach Lonn Reisman. “He attacks the basket well, finishing with either hand. He can break pressure from the defense, and he shoots the ball very well out to three-point line. I think people at this level will be surprised by his athleticism. I'm looking forward to working with Coleman for the next four years.”
Furst was a McDonald's All-American nominee and was ranked as the No. 44 player in the state in the preseason rankings done by TexasHoops.com prior to his senior season. He finished his 2009-10 campaign as the No. 65 player in the state, according to hoopscooponline.com, and he was given a grade of 82 by the ESPN.com College Basketball Recruiting Service.
Furst was named the District 9-4A Defensive Most Valuable Player as a senior and was selected to first team all-district as both a junior and senior. He was a First Team All-Texoma honoree in his last two years in high school as well.
The newest Texan averaged 11.5 points, 3.3 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game as a senior after tallying 14.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game as a junior at Denison. He led his team to an 11-3 district record and a second round playoff appearance his senior season, claiming the squad's second straight bi-district championship. As a junior, he helped the team to a 21-11 overall record and a second round playoff appearance.
Furst, the son of Paige and Ed Furst, chose Tarleton over Citadel, West Texas A&M and Texas A&M-Commerce.
“[Tarleton] was the perfect distance for me,” the new Texan said. “It is just far enough to get away but close enough that my parents can see me play a big game. Or if I need to, I can drive back here. I had heard about Tarleton's winning reputation. Their goal is to win a national championship, and I think they can really do that this year.”
