Six-foot-seven versatile forward Rylie Rushing from Gallatin County High School has signed a letter of intent to play basketball for the Southeastern Illinois College Falcons this upcoming fall.

Rushing has played his high school basketball at nearby Gallatin County High School for Coach Craig Utterback where his ability to play inside and out has led to many mismatch problems for opponents in the Greater Egyptian Conference. Rylie is a gifted ball-handler for his size, a strong rebounder, and has the ability to shoot from the perimeter which makes him hard to defend.

“I am super excited and thankful to be able to sign with SIC to continue playing the sport I love,” Rushing said after signing. “It really is a dream come true to be able to put on another basketball jersey, and I’m looking forward to 2 more years.”

Rushing is the first Gallatin County Hawk basketball player to sign to play basketball on scholarship since Andrew Drone signed with Rice University in 2013. He also marks the first signing of the 2023 recruiting class for the basketball Falcons.

“We are very excited about Rylie,” SIC Coach Sam Swinford said. “He is a competitor with a high IQ and a strong skill set to go with it. We are excited to welcome him to the team in the fall and thrilled that we get to keep him close to home.”