Guard Joe Rexroat, who transformed from an offense-minded shooter to an all-around threat during his time at Republic, will take his game to Evangel University next season. Rexroat signed to play for the Crusaders Friday.
Rexroat averaged 12.5 points per game last season, second on the team. He led the team with five rebounds per game. He was an all-Central Ozark Conference and all-district selection.
“I’m just ready for a different atmosphere and meeting a whole lot of new people,” Rexroat said. “I went back and watched games of them playing, and they’ve got some really talented players. So I’m really excited about that.”
Rexroat said Evangel’s style of play was an attraction for him as he looked at his college options.
“They play really freely and they do a lot of stuff Republic does offensively,” he said.
Coach Tim Brown said Rexroat’s growth on and off the court has been evident for the past two seasons.
“He’s a high-character kid. We talk about the culture of our program, and he’s a guy that’s carried the torch as far as being a good person, being a good teammate and being bought in and doing those sort of things,” Brown said. “And as a player, we’ve seen him grow so much. He’s always been a guy offensively that’s been able to (put) the ball in the basket, and we’ve just seen him grow and use his size and his athleticism to affect all aspects of the game. He…became a guy that we used in some of our defensive specialties, guarding guys that were really good players.”
Rexroat said his four years on the court in Republic taught him lessons he’ll carry with him to Evangel.
“I came in as a freshman and sophomore and I thought I was more talented than everyone. And Coach Fisher instantly installed in my head that I’ve got to work,” Rexroat said. “When Coach Brown came in, he taught me a lot of different ways to score, because I was a guy that liked to camp outside the three-point line or just take open shots like that. And he taught me how to move without the basketball and…really expanded my game.”
