Two-time all-state guard Nick Yocum has signed to play college basketball with Southwest Baptist University. Yocum joins a Bearcats squad that was 18-12 last season.
“They have my field of study that I want to go into — physical therapy,” says Yocum. “And Coach Guiot said he didn’t care about my size, and I’m not the biggest guy in the world, so that meant a lot to me.”
Yocum earned all-state honors during his junior and senior seasons, earning a spot among Republic’s best players in history. He contributed to Republic’s Final Four trip as a sophomore. And he led Republic to a Blue and Gold Tournament championship last season.
But it was Yocum’s willingness to put in long hours in the gym that set him apart from most other players.
“Nick is one of those young men, you would have predicted would end up in this position,” says coach Gary Stanfield. “His work ethic was beyond expectation. He was one of those who did it as well as any I’ve ever had the pleasure of coaching.”