STATESBORO, Ga. --- Former Georgia Southern men’s basketball standout Jean Francois has signed a professional contract with Spanish team Caja Rioja.
 
Francois, who was an all-Southern Conference performer in Statesboro from 2002-05, moves to the Spanish side after spending a season with German team Cuxhaven.
 
Caja Rioja competes in the LIGA LEB Plata, the third level of the Spanish basketball league, and finished fourth last season with a 23-11 record.
 
Francois averaged 18.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game for the Cuxhaven BasCats in 2007-08, ranking fifth and eighth, respectively in the 2.Bundesliga ProA. The West Palm Beach, Fla. (Lake Worth Community HS) native earned second team all-league honors and led Cuxhaven to the ProA title with a 50-10 record.