Williamsburg - William and Mary head men's basketball coach Tony Shaver announced the addition of John Sexton (Myrtle, Miss./West Union) to the Tribe program. Sexton signed a National Letter of Intent during the Spring signing period and joins forward Marcus Kitts (Holly Springs, N.C./Middle Creek) and guard Valeriu ?Vali' Lazarescu (Brossard, Quebec/Champlain St. Lambert) as part of the Tribe's incoming freshman class.

"John is a great addition to the College, and we are excited to have him join the program," Shaver said. "He possesses a unique passion for the game that is rare and hard to find these days. Assistant Coach Antwon Jackson identified John and did a great job establishing a relationship with him and his high school coach. Coach David Baldwin is a well-respected coach in Mississippi and happens to be John's stepfather as well. We would also like to thank Stan Jones, who is an assistant coach at Florida State, for providing a helping hand. Stan is a close friend of the family and helped guide them through the recruiting process."

Sexton was considered one of the top guards in the state of Mississippi and is known for his prolific scoring. During his high school career, the 6-3, 180-pounder scored 2,969 points at both West Union and Munford in Memphis, Tenn. Sexton spent his freshman and sophomore seasons at Munford before moving to Mississippi and attending West Union. During his time at Munford, Sexton earned Best of the West honors in Tennessee as well as all-metro distinction in Memphis and district MVP honors.

"We expect John to step in an make an impact in our program," Shaver said. "He is physically mature and has a very good ability to shoot and handle the basketball. Adding John to Marcus and Vali as incoming freshman along with our current roster provides our program with a bright future."

As a senior, Sexton earned second-team all-state honors in Mississippi. He averaged a triple-double in 2007 with 31.3 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists per game to go along with four steals per contest. In his two seasons at West Union, Sexton tallied more than 40 points in a game on nine occasions, including a career-high 50-point outburst against South Pontotoc on Dec. 15, 2006.

"I am excited to get to William and Mary and get started," Sexton said. "I am really looking forward to it. The program is up and coming. It should be interesting and fun."

Sexton was also named to the preseason Mississippi Dandy Dozen performer list prior to his senior campaign. He also garnered North Mississippi Player of the Year honors from the Daily Journal along with division and region MVP accolades. During his senior campaign, Sexton guided West Union to a 27-10 record and to the North Mississippi quarterfinals. He played his high school career under the direction of his stepfather, David Baldwin.

Sexton excelled in the classroom as well as on the court, carrying a near-perfect grade-point average during his high school career. Sexton is a member of the Beta and Press Clubs as West Union. He was born on May 10, 1988 in Memphis Tenn., the son of John F. Sexton and Lisa Rowe.

After posting only its second 15-win season in 20 years under CollegeInsider.com CAA Coach of the Year Tony Shaver, the Tribe returns an experienced and deep squad that includes four starters to go along with its talented freshman class. W&M also returns 75 percent of its scoring, 82.3 percent of its rebounding and 77 percent of its assists from this past season. The College will welcome back six of its top seven scorers and five of its top six rebounders. Of the returning Tribe players, 10 will have 20-plus games of experience, including five with 50 or more games. Ten returnees have also started at least one game during their Tribe careers.