SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State men's basketball head coach Terrence Johnson announced the addition of five student-athletes to complete the roster for the 2024-25 season. Two of the newcomers are Division I transfers, two come from the junior college ranks and one is a Division II transfer.
 
Joining the Bobcats are Franck Emmou, Austin Green, Jaylen Jones, Tylan Pope and Bessanty Saragba. They join Nate Deer and Mark Drone, who both signed back in November.
 
Franck Emmou
G | 6-5 | 190
Arlington, Texas | UMBC | Mansfield Summit HS
Emmou arrives in San Marcos after playing last season at UMBC and will have three years of eligibility remaining. The Arlington, Texas native averaged 7.1 points per game while making 69-of-150 (46.0%) shots in 30 games coming off the bench. He also knocked down 31-of-68 (45.6%) of his three-point attempts and converted 44-of-50 (88.0%) free throw tries.
 
Nine times he netted double-digit points in a contest with a season-high 24 coming at Albany. Emmou had 10 games in which he made two or more shots from beyond the arc. The guard also grabbed 44 rebounds and dished out 37 assists in his first collegiate campaign.
 
Emmou prepped at Mansfield Summit High School where he was a first team all-district selection as a senior and earned second team accolades in 2022.
 
Johnson on Emmou: "We're truly fortunate to bring Franck back home to Texas. He is an amazing young man with a wealth of potential. His length, skill set and feel for the game will translate well into our system. Franck's work ethic and his ability to make others around him better makes him a perfect fit for our program. Together, we will work towards achieving our goals and building a championship-caliber team."
 
Austin Green
F | 6-8 | 215
Sicklerville, N.J. | Pearl River CC | Odessa College | Timber Creek Regional HS
Green played this past season at Pearl River Community College where he was second on the team in scoring at 18.7 ppg while making 61.2% of his field goal attempts. He scored double-digit points in 25 of the 26 games he played in with eight 20-point contests and twice surpassing 30 points. Green was also second on the squad with 7.3 rebounds a contest while also totaling 32 assists, 19 blocks and 15 steals.
 
In 2022-23, he played at Odessa College where he averaged 3.8 ppg and 2.3 rpg in 31 contests.
 
Green graduated from Timber Creek Regional High School where he was an All-New Jersey First Team selection in 2021.
 
Johnson on Green: "Austin is a versatile player that brings an infectious energy to the floor every night. He has the ability to stretch the floor and play downhill in the open court. His ability to defend multiple positions and rebound out of his area gives us a chance to be extremely competitive on both ends. We look forward to seeing Austin in a Bobcat uniform."
 
Tylan Pope
F | 6-6 | 240
Franklinton, La. | Nevada | Tulane | Franklinton HS
Pope joins the Bobcats after playing last year at Nevada. In his lone season with the Wolfpack, he averaged 3.6 ppg and 2.2 rpg while making 46.9% of his shots and going 13-for-18 (72.2%) from the charity stripe.
 
The Pelican State native played his first three collegiate seasons at Tulane where he played in 80 games with 21 starts while averaging 5.4 ppg and 3.8 rpg. Pope knocked down 49.7% of his shot attempts in a Green Wave uniform with 25 of his made buckets coming from beyond the arc. He wrapped up his time in New Orleans with 56 blocks and 56 steals.
 
Pope graduated from Franklinton High School where he was rated a three-star recruit. Three times he was named a District 8-5A First Team selections (2017-19) and twice chosen as the MVP by the New Orleans Advocate. As a senior, Pope averaged 25 points and 10 rebounds a contest.
 
Johnson on Pope: "From afar, I've watched Tylan grow into himself as a person and a player. He impacts winning in a multitude of ways with his strength and athleticism while his skill set makes him a mismatch in our league. Tylan brings experience and leadership to our locker room as we expect him to make an immediate impact to our program on and off the court."
 
Bessanty Saragba
F | 6-10 | 216
Marseille, France | Ellsworth CC | UIC | Trinity Collegiate School (S.C.)
Saragba played last season at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls, Iowa where he averaged 6.2 ppg and 7.3 rpg. He had six double-digit scoring games and eight contests with 10 or more rebounds. The big man also finished the year with 41 blocks that included a season-high four rejections three times.
 
The 2022-23 season for Saragba was spent in the Windy City at UIC. Appearing in 14 games off the bench, he totaled 18 points and 13 rebounds while going 7-for-11 (63.6%) from the field.
 
A native of Marseille, France, Saragba graduated from Trinity Collegiate School in Darlington, South Carolina. He earned all-state and all-region honors for three consecutive years with the Titans. In 2021, Saragba helped the team win the South Carolina Class AAA Championship after finishing as runners-up in 2020.
 
Johnson on Saragba: "Bessanty brings well needed depth to our front court. His size, skill and IQ could make him a key contributor from day one. Bessanty's length and impeccable timing gives us a rim protector and defensive anchor that we desperately need. We look forward to him growing and developing in our system as we work together to build a championship level team."
 
Jaylen Jones
G | 5-11 | 170
Charlotte, N.C. | Belmont Abbey | Charlotte Latin School
Jones played two seasons at Belmont Abbey College, a Division II program that is a member of the Conference Carolinas. He averaged 2.6 ppg, 1.9 rpg and 1.7 apg in 36 contests including 12 starts. He made 32 shots with five coming from beyond the arc while also totaling 31 steals.
 
The guard native prepped at Charlotte Latin School where he was an all-conference selection his senior year. He was also a member of the National Honor Society and received the Greater Charlotte community service hero award for his non-profit organization Sneakers From The Heart (link).
 
Johnson on Jones: "Jaylen is a great young man and an elite level athlete that has a chance to impact our program in a multitude of ways on and off the court. His work ethic, toughness and determination will have an immediate impact on our program. We're happy that Jaylen is part of our Bobcat family."
 
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