By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer

Bryan Sherrer is now headed to the big time.

Sherrer recently signed his letter of intent to play for South Alabama next season in the Sun Belt Conference, a team that made the field of 65 last season.

"I went down there and felt comfortable and it is a good situation for me," Sherrer said. "One thing was, with me majoring in business, that is one of their top degrees there."

Sherrer got offers from other places like Louisiana-Monroe and Wichita State, but liked the fact that South Alabama will play some games in his home state of Arkansas over the next few seasons giving folks in his home town of Monticello a chance to see him play.

Sherrer started in all 35 games over his sophomore season at Three Rivers and was named an All-American. He averaged 13.5 points per game and led the Raiders to a fourth-place finish in the NJCAA national tournament and a 29-8 record this past season. He also shot 87.1 percent from the free-throw line over the course of the year.

"It has been a good two years," Sherrer said. "I can take working real hard here and take it there and make it pay off for another two years."

Sherrer's versatility will definitely come in handy at the next level, Three Rivers coach Gene Bess said.

"They are so blessed and it may take them a while to really figure that out," Bess said. "They have a true point guard and he is going to be a great asset to their program."

Sherrer feels that although it is a different situation coming in to a four-year program as a junior instead of a freshman, he will make the adjustment rather smoothly.

"I think I'll be able to fit in," he said. "I'm sure it will be a little different at the beginning but you take a little time and get used to it. It is still basketball."

Sherrer had 163 assists over the course of the season, an average of 4.4 assists per game. If asked, Sherrer could succeed in a role that required less scoring.

"Not every program wants their point guard to play the same way but if Bryan gets outstanding scorers on this team, he knows how to get the ball to them," Bess said.

Sherrer fit right into the fold early in his career as a Raider coming off the bench, Bess said.

"Well, when he first came in, he didn't start and got injured," Bess said. "Then we started going against these teams that killed us with the presses, Mineral Area and others, and we stuck him and Keith (Burton) in there and the presses quit hurting us."

Although Sherrer has proved his ability on the court, South Alabama is getting a solid individual as well, Bess said.

"That is the thing we have like about him is that he is a better person than he is player," Bess said, "and that is saying something."