CANYON, Texas – West Texas A&M head men's basketball coach Tom Brown has announced the addition of Rowlett High School guard Joel Murray for the 2018-19 campaign. Murray joins Brandon Hall, Marshal Johnson, Derrick Geddis, Brant West and Mar'Qualen Grant as newcomers for the Buffs.
 
"Joel is a student-athlete that will come in and compete right away for us as a freshman. He can score at all three levels and finishes strong with either hand, his best offensive skill right now is getting the ball to others in the right place and at the right time" said Brown "Joel plays fast and that fits right into our philosophy as we led Division II in made threes last season while leading the LSC in scoring and scoring margin. Joel is a true team player as he plays both ends of the court and is a very good on-ball defender. He is a player that we are very happy to have come and play for us the next four years."
 
Murray, a 5'11 guard, joins the Buffs following a standout prep career at Rowlett High School. He saw time in 88 career games for the Eagles during three varsity seasons, averaging 10.5 points per contest while dishing out 1.2 assists per game. Murray was a three-time All-District performer for the Eagles with a pair of First Team selections during his junior and senior campaigns.
 
As a senior, Murray averaged 13.9 points per game as RHS made their third straight playoff appearances, finishing his three-year varsity career with an overall record of 65-24. He was also named an All-Region honoree and the Highland Tournament MVP while picking up All-Tournament Team accolades at the Allen Tournament.