Saluki Men’s Basketball signs Daytona State transfer Harwin Francois

CARBONDALE, Ill. — The Southern Illinois men’s basketball program picked up its third signee of the Spring recruiting season on Saturday when it signed 6-foot-5 guard Harwin Francois, a transfer from Daytona State.

As a freshman last season, Francois (pronounced Fran-swah) ranked No. 17 in the nation in 3-point shooting in NJCAA Division I at 47.8 percent. He earned First-Team Mid-Florida All-Conference honors, while averaging 9.8 points and 4.3 rebounds. Francois will have three years of eligibility at SIU.

“Harwin is all about winning and working hard, and he brings a level of toughness and competitiveness to our program,” said SIU head coach Bryan Mullins. “He’s an extremely talented shooter and someone who can impact the game on both ends of the floor.”

Daytona State finished 25-7 and advanced to the NJCAA Region VIII State Tournament in 2019. Francois was one of three First-Team All-Conference players for the school.

“Playing my freshman year at Daytona State was a good experience for me, because every day in practice I was battling against high-major, mid-major guys,” Francois said. “It showed me what competing is really about.”

As a senior at Cape Coral High School in 2018, Francois averaged 18.0 points and led his team to the Class 7A Final Four. After the team started the season 11-6, Francois was moved to point guard and sparked the Seahawks to win 13 of their last 14 games.

“I give credit to my high school coach, Coach (Brandon) Sensor,” Francois said. “He showed me what could happen if I get everybody else involved and we play team basketball. I feel like I’m an all-around basketball player and whatever needs to be done I can do it.

Francois joins incoming freshman Trent Brown of Pinnacle High School (AZ) and Northwestern transfer Barret Benson, who both signed with SIU during the Spring signing period.

“I was looking for a school with a good coach-player relationship, a school that will help me develop and bring my game to the next level, and a good community where I can just be myself,” Francois said.