EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – SIUE men's basketball Head Coach Brian Barone has announced the addition of two dynamic guards to his roster for the 2025-26 season.

Junior college transfer Tyler King (St. Louis) and incoming freshman Dehrio McCaskill (St. Louis) have both signed to join the Cougars.

King is a 6-foot, 4-inch, 185-pound guard currently playing at North Central Missouri. McCaskill is a 6-foot, 3-inch combo guard entering his senior season at Vashon High School.

King played all 35 games for the Pirates in 2023-24, making 34 starts for a team that went 27-8 and advanced to the National Junior College tournament quarterfinals. King averaged 21.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.

"I'm excited to sign with SIUE and to be a Cougar next year," King said. "Ever since I stepped foot on campus it felt like home. The coaching staff and the players were really accepting and fun to be around plus it's close to home so all my family and friends can come watch us play."

King played at Parkway West in suburban St. Louis, where he averaged 15.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.3 steals per game as a senior.

"Tyler is a hard-working winner," Barone said. "He comes from a great family that pushes him to be his best. He had a very good season last year in leading his team to the national tournament. Tyler can do a little bit of everything.  He is a proven scorer which is something we are looking forward to adding next season. Tyler is a team guy that makes those around him better.  He is another talent from this area, and we are excited he wanted to come back home to impact our program."

"We are super proud of Tyler and excited for his future with SIUE," North Central Missouri Head Coach Jeremy Esry said. "Since the first day that Tyler stepped on Campus at North Central, he made our program better. On the basketball court yes, but even more so around campus and in the community. SIUE is getting an overall great human being who will go down in our history as one of the best players to ever come thru North Central as is evident by his 1st Team All-American honors as a freshman. We look forward to watching Tyler bring that same success and leadership to the Cougars and their community."

As a junior, McCaskill helped Vashon to a fifth consecutive Missouri Class 4 A State Championship in 2024. He averaged 6.5 points, 4.3 rebounds. 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to play for the SIUE Cougars," McCaskill said. "I can't wait to showcase my talents on the court. I take this as a blessing with many more to come."

"Congratulations to Dehrio McCaskill; I'm so proud of him for putting himself in position to attend a wonderful university, such as SIUE," Vashon Head Coach Jimmy McKinney said. "This is a great opportunity for him to continue to grow as a student-athlete, I wish both parties nothing but the best."

McCaskill played AAU for the Southwestern Illinois Jets in the Recruit Look Circuit, where he averaged 15 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game. McCaskill was a Second Team All-Circuit selection in the 17u division. He also was in the Top 15 of the Recruit Look player rankings.

"We're bringing energy and a high motor into our program in signing Dehrio "Bubby" McKaskill," Barone said. "He has an ability to play above the rim with great aggressiveness. He is known for his high energy and athleticism, but he also has the ability to make the right basketball play.  His passing and feel for the game is something we are excited to implement into our system while developing it even more. Bubby is coming into our program with a championship mindset. He is another local talent from the state champion Vashon High School. Fans in our community will truly embrace him."

SIUE is 2-2 to start the 2024-25 season. The Cougars will travel to Kalazoo, Michigan for games with Western Michigan Friday and Canisius Saturday.