LOUDONVILLE, NY – Siena Basketball Head Coach Carmen Maciariello has announced the Saints' first official signings for the Class of 2025. Waldorf, Maryland guard Jared Billups and Fort Myers, Florida guard Javian McCollum have both signed and returned their National Letters of Intent during the early signing period, and will enroll at Siena College next fall.
 
"We are excited to welcome such great young men to our Siena College community who will thrive academically, athletically, and socially," said Maciariello. "We can't wait for Jared and Javian to arrive in Loudonville and don the Green and Gold."
 
The 6-5, 200-pound Billups stars at the McDonough School, which also produced recent Siena star Evan Fisher '19, and is coached by TJ Jordan who worked alongside current Siena assistant Antoni Wyche when the duo were on staff together at Lehigh. A cousin of five-time NBA All-Star and 2004 NBA Finals MVP Chauncey Billups, he averaged 15.5 points and eight rebounds per game last season. Billups plays his AAU basketball for Team Thrill, under the direction of Donnell "Mookie" Dobbins.
 
"Jared is a physically ready to play guard who is a triple threat with the basketball," noted Maciariello. "He comes from a fine academic institution, and will be ready to thrive academically in our campus community."
 
The 6-1, 170-pound McCollum is a two-time The News-Press Player of the Year. Last season, he averaged 20.7 points while leading Fort Myers to the Class 6A Regional Final under head coach Keeth Jones. McCollum, who is averaging 18.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.2 steals for his high school career, plays on the AAU circuit for CP25 coached by Darrin Wallace.
 
"Javian is a quick, cerebral combo guard who can play with or without the ball, and has a gift for scoring the basketball," explained Maciariello.