SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Drury men's basketball head coach Chris Foster has announced six signees for the 2022-23 season. The first batch of signees includes Ashton Hermann (G, 6-3, 175, Huxley, Iowa), Elijah Whitley (G, 6-2, 192, Springfield-Parkview), Andrew Dalton (G, 6-2, 195, Ava, Mo.), Logan Applegate (G, 6-2, 175, Nevada, Mo.), Grant Givens (F, 6-6, 200, Springfield-Glendale), and Trey Lewis (G, 5-10, 160, Johnston, Iowa).  
 
Ashton Hermann
Hermann averaged 27.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.1 steals for Ballard High School in Huxley, Iowa, as a senior last season. The 6-3, 175-pound guard was a First Team All-State selection in addition to being named First Team All-Substate, and First Team All-Conference. The Des Moines Register rated him as the fourth-best boys' basketball player in the state last year. Hermann intends to major in Business at Drury.
 
"Ashton is a big-time scorer," said Foster. "He is versatile and has the ability to create his own shot as well as play off the ball. He plays the game with a toughness and determination that I know our fans will love."
 
Elijah Whitley
Whitley was one of the area's top players last year and was a Class 5 All-State selection in addition to being named First Team All-Ozark Conference, First Team All-District, and he was the Most Valuable Player at the Arvest Bank Tournament. Whitley averaged 16 points, 5.3 rebounds, and two assists last year for Parkview while helping the Vikings to a 19-9 record, an 8-2 mark in the conference, and a district runner-up finish.
 
"Elijah is a big-time athlete with a great skill-set," Foster said. "His ability to impact the game on both sides of the ball will have a huge impact on our program."
 
Andrew Dalton
Andrew Dalton put up 25.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game at Ava last season. He was the Player of the Year in the South Central Association and a Class 4 All-State selection.
 
"Andrew is a winner," stated Foster. "He impacts the game in so many ways, both offensively and defensively. He has a great feel for the game and can score the ball from the perimeter as well as in the paint. His versatility makes him a great fit for Drury."
 
Dalton led Ava to a 23-4 record last year and the Bears went 70-16 with two district titles in his three years on the varsity roster. He intends to be a Pre-Engineering major at Drury.
 
Logan Applegate
Applegate averaged 25 points, five assists and five rebounds for Nevada High School and spent the 2021-22 season with We Are United Prep in Nixa. At Nevada, he was a First Team All-State selection in Class 5 and was named Area Player of the Year by the Joplin Globe in 2021.
 
"Logan is a very skilled combo guard who can really shoot the ball," said Foster. "He has had success everywhere he has been and we look forward to bringing that winning mentality to Drury."
 
Grant Givens
Givens was a First Team All-Ozarks Conference selection in addition to being named All-District as a senior for Glendale. He averaged 17.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists for the Falcons.
 
"Grant is a very skilled forward," noted Foster. "He is a versatile offensive threat, has a great motor on the defensive end and on the glass with his rebounding. He has a great work ethic and his best days are ahead of him."
 
Trey Lewis
Trey Lewis averaged 21.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and five assists per game at Johnston High School in Iowa. He was named First Team All-State, selected to the All-State Tournament Team, and was a First Team All-Conference selection. Ranked as the eighth-best high school player in Iowa by the Des Moines Register, Lewis teamed up with fellow Panthers signee Ashton Hermann in the Iowa Basketball Coaches Association All-Star Game in late March.
 
"Trey is a true point guard that impacts every area of the game," said Foster. "He can create for himself and his teammates. He has a great feel for the game and makes everyone around him better. His playmaking will positively impact everyone in our program."
 
The Panthers will announce additional signings for 2022-23 in the next several days.
 
Drury head coach Chris Foster will enter his second season as the program's head coach in 2022-23. Foster previously guided McKendree for three seasons leading the Bearcats to their best finish ever in the GLVC in 2020-21, and Truman State for four years, where he took that program to its first NCAA-II Tournament appearance in 11 years. He returns to Drury with this staff Chris Carr, Ben Fisher and Sam Briscoe.   
 
 
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