CONTRIBUTED BY ETSU ATHLETICS

JOHNSON CITY — The ETSU men’s basketball team continued to add depth and experience to its roster for the upcoming 2020-21 season.

After announcing the addition of Jalen Johnson (Durham, N.C.) earlier on Thursday, ETSU head coach Steve Forbes and his staff announced the addition of graduate transfer Silas (sigh-liss) Adheke (uh-deck-ee). Adheke is a 6-foot-8, 245-pound forward from Lagos, Nigeria.

“Silas is a physical specimen and a proven winner,”  said Forbes. “He runs the floor like a runaway freight train, and he can guard multiple positions on the defensive end of the court.

“Silas believes in all of the things it takes to be a winner, on and off the court. His playing experience, leadership, and desire to improve make him a tremendous addition to our program.”

Adheke has spent the past two seasons at Northern Kentucky where he helped guide the Norse to back-to-back Horizon League Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances.

At NKU, Adheke played in 52 career games (28 starts), averaging 3.0 points and 3.6 rebounds, while shooting 60 percent from the field. This past year, Adheke played in all 32 games, making 28 starts, while posting 3.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per contest.

Adheke grabbed at least five rebounds in 15 games this year, including career-high 12-rebound efforts twice, while scoring in double figures at Missouri where he registered 10 points (5-of-6 shooting) and three rebounds.

“I am thankful to God for this opportunity – not only to continue being a part of a winning culture in a great city, led by arguably one of the best coaching staffs in the country – but also to propel me to the next level as a professional athlete,” said Adheke.

Adheke spent the 2017-18 season at Eastern Florida State where he led the Titans to a 30-5 record, a third-place finish in the NJCAA National Championship and a No. 6 ranking in the national poll.

While at EFSU, Adheke started in 18 games and earned first-team all-conference honors after posting 7.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, along with shooting 55 percent from the field (100-of-183).

Adheke also made 23 three-pointers and shot over 44 percent from long distance. Prior to ETSU, Adheke redshirted the 2016-17 season at Evansville.

Adheke has ties to Tennessee as he played high school basketball at Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga. Adheke averaged 8.0 points and 6.2 rebounds while guiding the Hawks to a No. 19 national ranking by MaxPreps.

Adheke will be available immediately after graduating with a degree in Mathematics from NKU.