The Missouri S&T men's basketball team has announced its first signing for the 2008-09 season as Aaron Redeker, a 6-11, 220-pound center-forward from Jackson, Mo., has signed a National Letter of Intent to play at S&T.

Redeker has spent the last two seasons at Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Mo., where he played for legendary coach Gene Bess, and averaged 7.1 points and 5.5 rebounds per game a year ago to help the Raiders finish with a record of 29-8. He also shot 50.5 percent from the field and 73.2 percent at the line while finishing as his team's third-leading rebounder.

Redeker was also a force on the defensive end, averaging over two blocked shots per game a year ago and accumulating 128 blocked shots in 74 games at Three Rivers.

"Aaron is a player who will add a lot to our team, particularly on the defensive end and in terms of competitiveness," Martin said. "He really likes to compete and I believe that can help us raise the level of our play on the floor.

"On the floor, he's a strong rebounder who really makes good decisions with the ball and will also be able to do some things for us offensively as he has been a good shooter on an outstanding junior college team at Three Rivers."

Redeker played his high school basketball at Jackson High School, where he was the team's top rebounder in his senior year. He plans to major in civil engineering at Missouri S&T.