Men’s Basketball announces the signing of Waqo Tessema to the 2026-27 Signing Class
5/8/2026 9:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Head Coach Marty Richter has announced another piece to the 2026-27 signing class as Waqo Tessema will join the program for the upcoming campaign where he begins his new journey.
Tessema comes to Upstate after spending a season at Cleveland State and was a standout player at Panola College for two seasons. Tessema averaged 9.9 points a game during his sophomore season at Panola College while shooting 40 percent from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc. He added a 71 percent clip from the charity stripe and was a force on the defensive end, adding 1.5 steals a game proving to have a two-way presence. A 6'0 guard from Winnipeg, British Columbia, he was a standout athlete in high school becoming the first sophomore to win the MVP award at Glenlawn Collegiate Academy at the Luther Invitational Tournament. In multiple high school events, he averaged 25 points, five rebounds, five steals, and four steals while being named an all-star in multiple high school events.
Head Coach Marty Richter expressed his excitement about the addition of Tessema mentioning, "Waqo is joining us as a senior and already has an understanding of the Division 1 level coming from Cleveland State. He has shown the ability to shoot the ball consistently and compete for championships at the JUCO level. We're eager to continue building that winning culture with Waqo on board".
Waqo Tessema's collegiate experience and leadership will be a big boost to a program continuing to build in the right direction as he begins his new journey in Hub City when he reports in June.
