ROCK HILL, SC--Winthrop head men's basketball coach
Pat Kelsey announced today that Brandon Vega, a 5-10 point guard out of Snow College in Ephraim, Utah has inked a national letter of intent to play for the Eagles and becomes his first signee. Vega will have two years of eligibility remaining at Winthrop.
Vega, who is a resident of Miami, FL and graduated in 2010 from North Miami Beach High School, was a two-year starter for the Snow College Badgers, a member of the Scenic West Athletic Conference. He capped his junior college career by being named to the 2011-12 All-SWAC Second Team and to the All-Region squad while playing for head coach Michael Ostlund.
"From free throw line to free throw line there will not be five faster guards in America than Brandon Vega," says Kelsey, who was named the sixth head men's coach in Winthrop history on March 29. "Brandon is from the Ish Smith school of 'down hil'l point guards. He is a terrific decision maker as evidenced by his 3 to 1 assist/turnover ratio. He was among the national leaders in assists this season. Most importantly, I am excited about the intangibles he brings to the table in terms of toughness and leadership. He plays with a chip on his shoulder which I love. He is a fantastic young man and teammate."
This past season, Vega helped lead the Badgers to a 23-9 record as they advanced to the SWAC championship tournament semi-finals before losing to the nationally fourth-ranked College of Southern Idaho by three points. Vega averaged 11.3 points and 3.1 rebounds per game and led the SWAC in assists with a 6.4 average. He shot 69 percent from the free throw line and 44 percent from the floor. His 1.5 steals per game ranked him fourth in the conference. As a freshman, Vega averaged 9.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game.
"Brandon really stepped up his game all year," said Ostlund. "His ability to break down defenses off the dribble was a key. He became the best point guard in the SWAC by season's end."
