VALDOSTA — The men’s basketball team at Valdosta State is going to open some eyes in the fall. And those eyes are going to be looking up.

The Blazers have signed Billy McShepard, a 6-foot-11 forward from Louisburg College in Louisburg, N.C., and Josh Williams, a 6-foot-9 center from Truett-McConnell Junior College in Atlanta.

The two giants will join a Blazers squad that already features three other players that stand 6-foot-7, including returning All-American Tyrone Curnell.

“We’ve been fortunate to have some kids that are taller that have skill. That might be the way to say it,” VSU head coach Mike Helfer said. “I think all of our guys that are 6-foot-7 have skill like Tyrone and B.J. (Dibble). We’re going to be tall, but our skill level is going to be good. That height can hopefully help us and maybe even be an intimidating factor as we go into some games.”

McShepard comes to VSU as a highly touted recruit. The rising junior said he was recruited by so many schools that he can’t remember them all. Ones he did remember were Division I UNC-Pembroke and Division II power Clayton State. However, VSU had an unconventional connection to McShepard that helped bring him to the Azalea City.

“My sister went to Valdosta State, but I didn’t know too much too much about the school,” McShepard said. “I just knew about football program, I hadn’t heard much about basketball. Then I met (assistant) coach (Nick) Gast and coach Helfer and they filled me in. I liked what I heard.”

McShepard was a highly touted recruit for a reason. At 6-foot-11 he plays the three and is best known for his shooting ability. Last year he averaged 17 points per game for Louisburg and shot 54 percent from the field. He hit 21 3-pointers and grabbed 8.6 rebounds per game.

“He’s a very different player,” Helfer said. “You look at him at 6-foot-11 and everybody immediately assumes he’s going to play inside, but he’s not an inside player. He’s a perimeter player. Obviously we thought he’s a great player and we enjoyed our time with him as a person. I just think he’s going to be a good fit for what we’re trying to do.”

McShepard agreed that he’s going to be a good fit, citing one of the reasons he chose VSU was because he got along great with the returning players on his visit. He was also impressed by VSU’s growing campus.

“The campus was lovely,” McShepard said. “It’s a nice campus. I met a lot of administrators, and they were nice people. It’s a homely place see myself for the next two years.”

While he doesn’t have the shooting ability of McShepard, Josh Williams brings a much needed defensive presence to the team. Williams said VSU was the only Division II team that recruited him, and he had a full ride offered to him by the Missouri Tigers and Western Kentucky and Marquette were also interested.

“I’ve been in college for three years and went to a few schools where I wasn’t happy,” Williams said. “I never enjoyed myself at school, then I visited (VSU) and liked it a whole lot. I can’t explain it. The energy, the vibe. It was cool. So were the players. I got the feeling everything was going to work out. I knew my position and what they want me to do. It feels to go to a school where you fit. It makes things easier.”

The Blazers struggled at times in the post last year, and in a game against Lynn they lost at the buzzer after being unable to haul in a series of loose balls around the basket. The hope is that Williams can solve that problem.

“We struggled with some guys last year when we faced a pretty good sized post player,” Helfer said. “I hope Josh will be able to defend the good post players that we face this year. He had 67 blocks in junior college. That’s good. He’s not the most bouncy athlete, but his timing is great.”

Williams will be the best defensive player the Blazers have had since the 7-foot-1 Jamahl Stokes two seasons ago.