SACRAMENTO -- Sacramento State signed former four-star recruit and USC transfer Brandon Gardner, it was announced today by Hornet first-year head coach Mike Bibby.

Gardner will be a sophomore for the upcoming season. He becomes the seventh player to sign with the program since Bibby was introduced as head coach on April 1.

Gardner joins forwards Jeremiah Cherry and Shaqir O'Neal, as well as guards Jayden Teat, Mikey Williams, Romari Robinson and Taj Glover. Local product Mark Lavrenov, a forward, also signed with Sacramento State during the early signing period.

The Gardner File
• A 6-foot-8, 215-pound forward from Waynesboro, Ga.
• Transfer from USC who took a medical redshirt with the Trojans during the 2023-24 season
• Will be a sophomore for the upcoming season
• Appeared in one game for USC prior to an injury
• At a dunk contest at Trojan HoopLA, Gardner dunked over eventual No. 1 overall NFL draft pick Caleb Williams
• A 2023 graduate of Christ the King High School in Queens, N.Y.
• As a senior, he averaged 12.4 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocked shots, and was named "Mr. Basketball" in New York
• Ranked as the No. 77 overall recruit in the country by Rivals.com
• Rated as the No. 2 player in the state of New York by 247Sports.com
• Ranked as a 4-star recruit by ESPN, On3, and 247Sports
• On3 basketball recruiting expert Jamie Shaw listed Gardner among his "most electric players" in the 2023 recruiting class.

Bibby quote - "We are very excited about Brandon. He is an incredibly athletic wing who runs the floor and has a nice handle. He is great in the open court and finished with authority."