DEARBORN, Mich. - The University of Michigan-Dearborn has announced the signing of 6'5 wing Eric Murphy of Southfield Bradford Academy. Murphy is considered by many to be a steal for second year coach John Mackson's latest recruiting class. Murphy entered the season ranked the No.5 Wing/Forward by Prep Spotlight in the state of Michigan, and was ranked No. 24 in the FAB 50. He averaged 21 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals per game during his senior campaign. This earned him Class C 1^st Team All-State honors from Bankhoops.com and 4^th team All-State honors from the Detroit Free Press. Eric was a 1^st Team Selection for All-Conference in the Charter School League during both his junior and senior seasons.

Murphy is sure to ease the Wolves concerns on the glass. Last year the Wolves finished last in the WHAC in rebounding differential, a statistic that Murphy is sure to impact with his size and athleticism. Murphy is the 4^th high school senior to join U of M Dearborn's basketball team. He is expected to make an impact in the Wolves line up right away. The signing of Eric to a letter of intent serves notice to the rest of the league that the Wolves coaches are out working hard on the recruiting trail. Eric is excited about the potential he has to help this struggling program. "I want to be part of helping the coaches and these players turn things around and start to build a legacy at U of M Dearborn," Murphy stated.

Murphy played AAU basketball for the Motor City Magic. Eric is the son of Eric and Akeya Murphy of Southfield.

MACKSON ON MURPHY: "Eric has the potential to be a great player at this level. He has the ability to be a difference maker. The sky is the limit for him. If he comes in focused and ready to devote his time and energy to the game of basketball there is no telling where it can take him. He is definitely the most athletic person on our roster right now. When he gets the strength to go with the athleticism he will be one of the best 2 or 3 athletes in our league. Having Eric on board is important because it shows us that others outside of the program recognize that U of M Dearborn is a great place to go to school, and that it can be a great place to play basketball as well."