MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama men's basketball coach Richie Riley has announced that graduate transfer Kory Holden will be the first signee in his 2018-19 class.

Holden, who joins the program after one season at South Carolina and two at Delaware, has one season of eligibility remaining.

"Kory is a dynamic guard that can score on all three levels," Riley said. "He also possesses a great IQ. His vision and ability to get to the paint makes others better around him."

At South Carolina, Holden was limited to 14 games due to injury, and averaged 3.4 points per contest.

The 6-foot-1 point guard made a tremendous impact in his two seasons at Delaware, earning Colonial Athletic Association all-Rookie Team honors as a freshman, and Second Team all-CAA plaudits as a sophomore. He averaged 15.1 points in 59 games, including 17.7 points in his second season, which ranked fourth in the conference.

As a freshman, Holden was second in the league with 5.0 assists per contest, and eighth with a 1.5 assist/turnover ratio. His 12.4 point-per-game average was second among all CAA freshmen, and his 360 points are the second most by any UD rookie. He was one of two Division I freshmen to average 12.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists.

In his second season, Holden reached the 20-point plateau 12 times, and placed among the league's top 10 in points, assists, 3-pointers, free-throw percentage and assist/turnover ratio. His 532 points are 15th in Delaware's single-season history, and he poured in a career-high 35 points on six 3-pointers against Boston College.

"We are excited to add him to our family and expect him to have an immediate positive impact," Riley said.

Holden's prep career at J.M. Bennett High School in Salisbury, Md. was marked by First-Team all-Bayside Conference and Bayside Player of the Year honors, and he was an all-state pick in 2012-13.

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