Racers Add McCrear & Rice To 2023 Class

Murray State men's basketball coach Steve Prohm announced the signing of forward John McCrear and guard Lawrent Rice who will be freshmen with the Racers in the 2023-24 season.

McCrear (6-9) is playing his senior season at Woodford County High School in Lexington, Kentucky, while Rice (6-3) is a senior at Wayne High School in Huber Heights, Ohio.

"We are really excited to announce the signings of John and Lawrent," Prohm said. "My staff did a great job when we arrived on campus in the spring in identifying these two talented student-athletes. John and Lawrent are great fits for this program, not only as basketball players, but as individuals that will impact this community in a positive way. We are excited to watch these guys finish out their senior seasons before arriving in Murray in June."

John McCrear – F – 6-9 – Woodford County HS – Detroit, Mich.
Out of Woodford County High School in Lexington, Ky., John McCrear is playing for Coach Jaron Brown.

As a junior in the 2021-22 season, McCrear led Woodford County to 21 wins and a district championship.

He scored 12 points per game, grabbed 7.0 rebounds per game and led his team in blocked shots.

"John is a great kid who loves to learn and wants to improve," said Coach Brown. "Coach Prohm and the Murray State staff did a great job in recruiting John, because they developed a relationship with John and his family and also stayed in contact with myself. John has great potential and he's a hard worker. I am looking forward to seeing his career continue with the Racers."

"John is just touching the surface on his potential," Prohm said. "He has a great ability to defend the rim with his length and he has shot blocking ability. John also has a great offensive skill package that we are excited to develop."

Lawrent Rice – G – 6-3 – Wayne HS – Huber Heights, Ohio
Out of Huber Heights, Ohio, Lawrent Rice is playing for Coach Nate Martindale at Wayne High School.

Rice goes into his senior season at Wayne as a 1,000-point scorer after he averaged 20.8 points per game in his junior season in 2021-22. He led the Greater Western Ohio Conference in scoring and was second in assists per game. Rice was named Ohio Second Team All-State.

"Lawrent has been our most consistent and dominant player," said Martindale. "He is everything you want in a basketball player and he's an even better young man. Lawrent makes everyone around him better, he's incredibly unselfish and humble and he plays the game the right way. We would not have had the success that we've had without him."

"Lawrent is a skilled guard that has great size for his position," Prohm said. "He plays at different speeds which is a must for a ball guard. With his size and length, I'm excited to see his growth on the floor and in the weight room. Lawrent should be able to provide a great defensive presence for us as well."

Murray State University Athletics

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