Berkshire, England----Former Wingate University men's basketball standout Deion Turman (Pittsburgh, Pa.) has signed a pro contract to play basketball for the Reading Rockets of the English Basketball League. Turman was a three-year starter for the Bulldogs from 2011-2014, helping Wingate win a pair of SAC Tournament championships.

The Reading Rockets have won the EBL regular season title each of the past two seasons. They won the National Cup and National Trophy in the 2013-14 season after going 22-4 during the regular season. It was the first National Cup for Reading since the 2009 season. The Rockets have compiled a 44-8 record over the past two seasons.

"I would like to thank coach Good for giving me the opportunity to become a Bulldog," Turman says. "Without this opportunity I would not be where I am today.  I would also like to thank coach Kirkland for helping me to develop my skills and my confidence to where they are today. My experience at Wingate was amazing and I have grown not only as a basketball player but a Man. I just want to say thank you to the whole Bulldog Family and I pray that I will make them all proud!"

Turman earned second team All-SAC honors during his senior season at Wingate. He was second on the team and 23rd in the SAC with 13.6 points per game, ranking second in the league with 9.7 rebounds per contest. He ranked 18th nationally with 13 double-doubles, while ranking 19th in the nation in rebounding. Turman shot 49 percent from the field, while ranking 13th in the league in free throw shooting (78 percent).

Turman scored in double figures 18 times during the 2013-14 season. He had 18 points and 11 rebounds in the Catawba win, while piling up 14 points and a career-high 19 boards in the Barton victory. That was followed by an 18-point, 13 rebound effort at Anderson. Turman scored a career-high 29 points in the overtime win at Johnson C. Smith, adding 16 boards while going 13-of-14 at the free throw line. He followed an 18-point, 14 rebound effort at Lenoir-Rhyne with 18 points and 12 boards at LMU. Turman had 15 points and 13 rebounds in the Anderson win, while compiling 18 points and 13 boards at Coker. He had 21 points and 11 rebounds against LMU, going nine-for-nine at the free throw line.

Turman averaged 9.1 and 7.4 rebounds per game during his junior season, helping to lead Wingate to its second consecutive SAC Tournament title and second straight NCAA Tournament bid. He also registered 1.3 blocks per game. He finished third in the SAC in rebounding, fourth in field goal percentage and fifth in blocks. In his first season at Wingate, Turman contributed 5.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per contest, ranking second on the team in total rebounding and blocked shots.

The Reading Rockets begin the 2014-15 season Sunday, Sept. 7 against the Worchester Wolves.

WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
Wingate University, ranked as the 8th "best value" in the South by U.S. News & World Report, serves more than 3,000 students on three campuses in Wingate, Charlotte and Hendersonville, N.C. Founded in 1896, the University offers 35 undergraduate majors, 37 minors and career concentrations, numerous pre-professional programs, graduate degrees in business, accounting, education, physician assistant studies and sport administration, and doctorates in pharmacy, physical therapy and education.
 
With a 14 to 1 student/teacher ratio, Wingate students gain the tools and support needed to excel in academics and apply that learning toward an extraordinary career and life. To view current news, video and story ideas, visitwww.youtube.com/wingateuniversity. 
 
In addition to a robust intramural athletics program, Wingate student athletes compete in 22 NCAA Division II sports. The University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past eight years. For more information, go to www.wingate.edu.
 
Wingate is first among NCAA Division II Academic All-America®-producing colleges in the 2000's with 67 selections. Among North Carolina's colleges and universities, Wingate's 67 Academic All-America® honorees are number one during this millennium. Wingate's 76 lifetime Academic All-America® picks are tops among all SAC schools. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com.