MARSHALL, Minn. - Southwest Minnesota State University men's basketball head coach Brad Bigler announced on Wednesday that Vinard Birch from Eagan, Minn., and Nick Smith from Johnston, Iowa, have signed letters of intent to continue their academic and basketball careers at SMSU.  Today is the first day of the early signing period for NCAA college men's basketball programs.

“We are excited about the addition of two great men to the program,” said Bigler.  “Both Vinard and Nick fill big needs in this recruiting class.  They were guys we targeted early in the recruiting process and are fortunate that all our hard work paid off.  Having assistant coach Nate Kaeding back on staff played a big impact in the signing of Vinard.  I would like to thank Nate and assistant coaches Rick Karius and Jon Millea for all their effort during this recruiting process.”

Birch, 5-foot-11, 180-pound point guard is currently a senior at Eastview High School in Apple Valley and is a three-year letterwinner for the Lightning.  During his junior season, Birch was named all-conference, while setting a school record with 158 assists, including dishing out 14 in one game, the second highest in a single-game in school history.  Birch finished the season averaging a team-high 14.7 points per game, while leading the team with 62 steals.  He also shot 48.2 percent from the field and 78.3 percent from the free throw line.  Eastview finished with 17 victories last season and advanced to the section championship game.

“Vinard is a talented point guard who fits our system,” Bigler said.  “We are excited about Vinard because he has the ability to make others around him better.  One of his biggest strengths is his ability to defend on the ball.  Vinard comes from a great program in Eastview coached by Mark Gerber. The competition he faced over the summer and on a nightly basis during the year will help prepare him for the NSIC.  During the summer Vinard played with the 43 Hoops AAU program, which gave him an opportunity to play against some of the best in the country.  He proved time and time again that he can play at a high level and we expect him to come in and play as a true freshman. His toughness and competitiveness will make a good player at our level.” 

Smith, a 6-foot-9, 245-pound center, is currently a senior at Johnston High School.  Last season, he averaged 10.9 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, while racking up Class 4A state-high 102 blocked shots.  Smith also shot 51.6 percent from the field, 75.4 percent from the free throw and also connected on 12 three-pointers.  For his efforts, Smith was named all-conference, all-district and Class 4A fifth team all-state by IowaPreps.com.

“Nick is a skilled center who has great hands and the ability to step out and shoot the three,” Bigler said.  “With his size and skill level he can be an impact player at our level.  He led the biggest class of Iowa in blocked shots last year and we are very excited about the future of our center position. The combination of Nick and Deryck Ludwig provide us with two centers that can play at a high level.  Nick comes from a great program in Johnston coached by Bobby Sandquist and during the summer he played for the highly talented Martin Brothers AAU program.  Both of these experiences will make his adjustment to our level go smoother.  Nick is an intelligent kid who has a great work ethic.”

Southwest Minnesota State, located in Marshall, Minn., is a member of NCAA Division II and competes in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.  SMSU finished 28-7 last season and won both the NSIC and NCAA region championships to advance to the NCAA Elite Eight.  SMSU, ranked preseason No. 22, opens the 2009-10 season on Tuesday, Nov. 17, hosting Dordt College (Iowa).