Former Virginia Union Panthers guard Bobby Gardner has announced his commitment to Maryland Eastern Shore, giving the Hawks a proven scorer out of the transfer pipeline.
The former CIAA Rookie of the Year revealed his decision Friday via X, writing:
“A lot of whys, a lot of where’s, a lot of find where you can call home. Found my home, time to change the momentum and make a change. Committed!!”
Gardner is coming off a strong sophomore campaign in which he averaged a team-high 12.4 points per game, along with 3.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists. He led the Panthers in scoring 12 times, highlighted by a 33-point performance in a 75–73 win over Johnson C. Smith on January 14.
He now joins a Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks men’s basketball squad that finished sixth in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with a 9–23 overall record and 5–9 mark in conference play last season. Offensive production was a clear need, as the Hawks ranked seventh out of eight MEAC teams at just 64.4 points per game.
Gardner’s ability to create and score should provide an immediate boost as UMES looks to shift its momentum heading into the upcoming season.
