Sherman Blanford just signed up for his lifelong dream.
The Marshalltown Community College sophomore signed with the Eastern Illinois University men's basketball program to make himself a Division I player.
"When I came to MCC, it seemed like I was getting closer and closer to my goal because I knew what I had to do when I got there to be a Division I basketball player," said Blanford.
Blanford averaged 10.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game last season for the Tigers.
He was a two-year starter for MCC after arriving from Philadelphia.
Eastern Illinois finished 12-17 overall and 5-11 in the Ohio Valley Conference, where it finished 10th, a year ago under head coach Mike Miller, who did not have his contract renewed by the school following the season.
Jay Spoonhour has taken over the program after three seasons at Moberly Area Community College.
He is the son of Charlie Spoonhour, who coached at Missouri State, Saint Louis and UNLV.
Blanford scored 12 points in an MCC win over Moberly during the 2010-11 season.
"So he knows what I can do," Blanford said. "He expects me to do what I know how to do to the best of my abilities."
"By going there," he said, "I can be a big impact ton the team, help the team win a couple more games."
A voice message left with the EIU athletic department was not returned Saturday.
A pair of other Tigers decided their fate Saturday as Derrick Stewart and Nilson Santana signed with Montana State-Northern.
Stewart was a stalwart in the MCC lineup in his only year in Marshalltown. He played even despite a significant wrist injury late in the season.
The Detroit native averaged 7.2 points and shot 36 percent from the 3-point line
Santana averaged 10.5 points per game during his sophomore season and was one of the Tigers' steadiest players, displaying skill to go along with his 6-foot-7 frame.
He was also second on the team with 7.1 rebounds per contest.
MSU-N won both the regular season and postseason tournament in the Frontier Conference.
The Lights finished the season 27-6 and made the NAIA national tournament, were they los to nationally-ranked Columbia College in the first round.