SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Head coach Chris Gerlufsen and the University of San Francisco men's basketball program announced the addition of center Carlton Linguard Jr. (San Antonio, Texas) on Friday afternoon.
 
"Our staff is thrilled to welcome Carlton to the University of San Francisco," said Gerlufsen. "Carlton possesses the combination of size, skill, and athleticism that will make him a valuable addition on both ends of the floor. We can't wait to get Carlton to the Hilltop to start working towards the 2024-25 season".
 
Originally from San Antonio, Linguard Jr. spent the past two seasons at UTSA. Most recently, he appeared in all 32 games for the Roadrunners in 2023-24, which included making 27 starts. Overall, the 7'0" center averaged 9.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game on 41.8 percent shooting from the field. Averaging around 25 minutes per game, Linguard Jr. dropped a career-high 31 points in UTSA's 89-88 victory over Tulane on Jan. 24. Additionally, he also pulled down 10 rebounds in this performance, a feat he would achieve seven times throughout the course of last season. Notably, he tallied five total double doubles this past year. Academically, he earned NABC Honors Court accolades and was named to the Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll in 2022-23.
 
Prior to his stop in El Paso, Linguard Jr. spent the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons at Kansas State, where he appeared in 32 games for the Wildcats.
 
Before his time in Manhattan, Kan., he found success at Temple Community College in Temple, Texas, where he finished ranked as the 12^th-best junior college prospect in the nation according to 247 sports in 2019-20. Helping Temple to a 24-7 overall record, Linguard Jr. averaged 13.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.6 blocks per game on 51.4 percent shooting from the floor. Overall, he led the team in total blocks, blocks per game, total rebounds and offensive rebounds while shooting 70.1 percent from the free throw line. Growing as the year went on, Linguard Jr. finished in double figures in 25 of his 30 games for Temple, which included 12 double doubles.
 
In high school, the big man was a three-year letterwinner and two-year starter at John Paul Stevens High School in his hometown of San Antonio as he guided the Falcons to 39 wins and consecutive trips to the UIL Class 6A State Tournament during his final two years on campus. As a junior, Linguard Jr. averaged 13.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game to go along with 16 double doubles in 58 games combined as a junior and senior. Notably, he earned Second Team All-District 28-6A honors as a junior before being named a unanimous First Team All-District 28-6A selection his senior year (2018-19). In the classroom, he was also named a Second Team All-Academic selection his senior year.
 
Linguard Jr. joins Jason Rivera-Torres (Vanderbilt) as the second member of San Francisco's 2024 signing class.
 
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