DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The 2017-18 season just started for the Embry-Riddle men's basketball team, but Head Coach Steve Ridder is already bolstering the 2018-19 roster with the addition of Florida natives Nick Heard and Chris Murray. Heard and Murray inked their National Letters of Intent this past weekend and will join the Blue and Gold next season.

"We are extremely excited about our two newest commitments for 2018-19," Ridder said. "We're very much looking forward to having Nick and Chris join the Eagle family."
 
Heard, a 6-4, 165 lb. guard from nearby New Smyrna Beach High School, averaged 20.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game for the Barracudas as a junior. Heard plays for Head Coach Steve Gawriluk, a former Embry-Riddle men's basketball assistant coach under Ridder and was an Orlando Sentinel All-Area honorable mention selection last season. The son of Susan and Mick Heard earned News-Journal All-Area first team accolades as a junior.

"Nick is one of the very best players in this area and has been since his freshman year," Ridder said. "He plays great basketball on both ends of the floor with great shot selection and discipline in everything he does. Simply put, he is a winner. Coach Gawriluk, who has a tremendous program at New Smyrna Beach, is as excited as we are about Nick coming to Embry-Riddle. He is a great fit for our University, he'll be an impact player and he'll have an outstanding career as a student-athlete at ERAU."

"After taking my official visit to Embry-Riddle, I knew I wanted to attend ERAU," Heard said. "It felt like home to me, it has a family atmosphere and the coaching staff is great and accommodating. They are going to push you to reach your highest potential and I am excited to get to school and start playing for these coaches for the next four years."
 

Murray is a 6-6 forward from Miami and Southwest Miami High School where he plays for Head Coach Roberto Fatjo. Murray averaged 12.0 points, 8.0 boards and 1.5 blocks per game as a junior, shooting at a 54 percent clip from the field. The son of Maria and Wardell Leake and Kenneth Murray is ranked as the fifth-best recruit in Miami-Dade County and the third-best senior in Miami.

"Chris is a very versatile player," Ridder said. "He plays his tail end off both offensively and defensively. He comes from an outstanding high school program at Southwest Miami, a team that has been coming to our team camp for over 20 years. We've always dreamt about getting a player from Southwest Miami because their team is head and shoulders above in their enthusiasm, intensity and in how hard they play the game. Chris is going to really help us on the court, he has a great future and his dedication makes his ceiling extremely high."

"I am extremely excited and honored to join the Eagles' basketball program," Murray said. "I feel like the program is a great fit for me and will help me to become a better student, person and basketball player."