Head coach Kyle Gerdeman and the Lindenwood men’s basketball team went 11-21 in its first season as an NCAA Division I program last year. (Photo: Thomas Grove)

DeMarcus Dixon
Staff Writer

ST. CHARLES, MO — The Lindenwood University athletics department announced on Friday that it had added several new players to its men’s basketball program.

The Lions, who went 11-21 in their first season as NCAA Division I members last year, added four new players this week, including three D1 transfers and junior college transfer.

The four new players are Keith Haymon, a 6-foot-7 small forward from Northern Arizona; Nathan Johnson, a 6-7 small forward from Samford; Jordan Wildy, a 6-9 power forward from Iona; and Jeremiah Talton, a 6’6 swingman from John Wood Community College.

Haymon played four seasons at Northern Arizona before signing with Lindenwood. He averaged 5.6 points and 1.8 rebounds a game, while also shooting 35 percent from three-point range.

Wildy played in 13 games at Iona in 2021-22, before seeing his season end with an injury. His best collegiate season came the year before, when he averaged 14.1 points and 8.3 rebounds a game at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas.

Johnson played three seasons at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, and was on the UMBC team that was the first No. 16 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Last year, he started 16 games and played in all 32 for Samford, while putting up averages of 4.8 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.

The gem of the group may be Talton, who starred at John Wood Community College last year.

The standout small forward from nearby Quincy, Ill., was one of the top scorers in all of juco basketball last year, after scoring 21.8 points and averaging 5.4 rebounds, while also shooting 41 percent from three.

Talton had offers from 15 different schools, but chose Lindenwood because it was close to home and provided an almost sure opportunity to start right away.

The Lions lost 11 players from last year’s roster and will be likely looking to add more players to this year’s team.