The Marquette University men's basketball team has announced the addition of guard Jose Perez (Bronx, N.Y./Putnam Science Academy/Gardner-Webb) to the program, head coach Steve Wojciechowski announced Friday morning.
Perez, a 6-5, 200-pound guard, spent this 2019-20 campaign at Gardner-Webb and will arrive on campus this fall and have two seasons of eligibility with the Golden Eagles after redshirting in 2020-21 per NCAA transfer rules.
"We are excited to welcome Jose to the Marquette family," Wojciechowski said. "His experience, toughness and desire to get better will make our program better. We can't wait for him to get to campus."
As a sophomore with the Runnin' Bulldogs in 2019-20, Perez started in 20-of-21 appearances and chipped in 15.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game.
In 2018-19, Perez was named to the Big South All-Freshman Team and finished as runner-up for the league's newcomer of the year award. He concluded the campaign second on the team in scoring (15.1 ppg.) and led the roster in rebounding (5.7 rpg.) and assists (3.0 apg.). He set the program's single-season scoring mark with 526 points and his season was highlighted by a triple-double (17 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists vs. Savannah State).
"I developed a great bond with Coach Wojo and Coach Killings from the beginning," Perez said. "They reached out every day and were very honest with me during the entire process. I'm excited to see what the Marquette community is all about and meeting everyone associated with the program."
Perez helped Putnam Science (Conn.) Academy to the program's first National Prep Championship in 2017-18. The Mustangs finished the season 38-4 overall and were the top-ranked team in the country. He was a First Team All-New England selection and topped the roster in scoring at 18.8 points per game.
A three-time All-Bronx selection and two-time All-New York City honoree, Perez played at Wings Academy and averaged 23.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per contest in his final campaign. He was named to the all-state roster and helped program to borough and division titles during his career, as well as a top-15 national ranking.
An experienced player at the international level, Perez played on the U17 Dominican Republic Junior National Team in 2015 and on the U18 Dominican Republic Junior National Team in 2016.
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