BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Samford University basketball team continued to stockpile talent for the near future Tuesday as the Bulldogs officially added Alabama transfer Justin Coleman to their roster for the 2016-17 campaign, announced Head Coach Scott Padgett.
 
Coleman, a 5-foot-10, 170-pound point guard from Birmingham, will be immediately available to practice with the team throughout the 2016-17 season, but won't be able to compete in game action until 2017-18, due to Division I transfer rules.
 
Coleman, who will then be a redshirt junior, will still have two years remaining to play competitively.
 
A business major at the University of Alabama, Coleman signed with the Crimson Tide out of high school as the ninth-best point guard in the nation and the No. 1 prospect in the state of Alabama. He was also ranked No. 1 on AL.com's A-list of top seniors in the state of Alabama and was named the 5A Player of the Year by the Alabama High School Athletics Association.
 
A two-time member of the basketball "Super Five" team awarded to the top five players in the state, Coleman averaged 28 points, six assists, six steals and five rebounds as a senior.
 
The Final 48 Most Valuable Player in 2013, Coleman was a four-time all-state honoree, including first-team honors in each of his last two seasons (2013 and 2014). He also proved to be a four-time team most valuable player and helped lead Wenonah to a 34-2 record, the Alabama 5A state championship and finished the year nationally ranked during his junior season in 2012-13.
 
Coleman averaged 20.3 points, 7.7 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 4.2 steals a game as a junior and holds the school record for career triple-doubles, including recording 40 points, 15 assists and 12 steals in a single game.
 
As a true freshman at Alabama in 2014-15, Coleman finished the season as a member of the Southeastern Conference First Year Academic Honor Roll. He played in all 34 games, starting in nine contests and finished third on the team with 48 assists.
 
Coleman led Alabama in 3-pointers and assists six times and in steals five times. Additionally, he set a career-high in points (22), while sinking five 3-point baskets in the second half at Arkansas (Jan. 22). Coleman also set career-highs in 3-pointers attempted (7), steals (3), free-throws made (7) and free-throws attempted (8) in that game.
 
Last season, Coleman played in 33 games and started seven times. He led the team by shooting .890 from the free-throw line (73-of-82), which ranks as the second-highest percentage in school history.
 
A keen decision-maker, Coleman led Alabama with 110 assists last season and averaged a team-best 3.3 helpers per game. He also led team in assists in 21 contests, tallied 12 games with five or more assists and 11 double-figure scoring games.
 
Coleman scored a career-high 24 points against Oregon (Dec. 21) while setting a career high in field-goals made (7) and matched his highs in field goal attempts (16). He also finished with 21 points at LSU (Feb. 17), while dishing out five assists and matching his career high with five 3-point field goals.
 
Coleman officially joined a talented group of players in this season's recruiting class Tuesday.
 
Under Padgett and Samford's tireless coaching staff, the Bulldogs have also added highly-touted incoming freshmen James Boone, Triston Chambers, Justin Hopkins and Josh Sharkey.
 
Coleman will redshirt the 2016-17 campaign and is going to be listed as a junior with two seasons to play beginning in 2017-18.
 
2016-17 Samford Basketball Signees
 
Name, Pos., Ht., Wt., Cl., Hometown (Previous School)
James Boone, G, 6-6, 185, Fr., Murray, Ky. (Murray HS)
Triston Chambers, G, 6-2, 180, Fr., Cold Springs, Ala. (Cold Springs HS)
Justin Coleman*, PG, 5-10, 170, Jr., Birmingham, Ala. (University of Alabama)
Justin Hopkins, G, 6-4, 190, Fr., Huntsville, Ala. (J.O. Johnson HS)
Josh Sharkey, PG, 5-10, 165, Fr., Philadelphia, Pa. (Archbishop Carroll HS)
 
*Will redshirt the 2016-17 season due to NCAA transfer rules