Redbirds add Gassman to men’s basketball roster

Isaac Gassman
(Photo courtesy goredbirds.com)

By ISU Sports Information

NORMAL – Illinois State head men’s basketball coach Dan Muller announced Tuesday the addition of Isaac Gassman, a 6-foot-5, 180-pound incoming freshman guard from Ottawa (Illinois) Township High School, to the 2016-17 Redbird basketball roster as a preferred walk-on.

“We are really excited to have Isaac join our program,” Muller said. “He’s a hard-working student-athlete who will be a valuable part of our team. We look forward to coaching Isaac and helping him develop.”

A native of Utica, Illinois, Gassman earned the 2016 Northern Illinois Big 12 Conference West Most Valuable Player award by averaging 17.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game as a senior at Ottawa Township. The Pirates finished with an 18-10 overall record, falling in the Ottawa Class 4A Regional championship game.

Along with his MVP honor, Gassman was named to the 2016 Associated Press Class 4A All-State Honorable Mention Team, and he earned a spot on the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) 3A/4A All-State Fourth Team.

Gassman helped Ottawa Township win a share of the 2016 NIB 12 West Championship. He also advanced, as an individual, to the IHSA 3A/4A championship of the Country Financial Three-Point Showdown. Additionally, Gassman competed on the AAU circuit for the Quad City Elite.

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