If Missouri State men’s basketball was looking to wrap up its 2017-18 recruiting class with a bang, consider it mission accomplished for head coach Paul Lusk and the Bears.
MSU received National Letters of Intent Wednesday from junior college freshman Abdul-Hakim Fofana (6-6, 210, So., F, Burkina Faso, West Africa, Saint Exupery French Secondary School, Dakota College) and fifth-year transfer James “J.T.” Miller (6-4, 185, Sr., G, Clinton, N.C., Mt. Zion Academy) from Howard University.
“We have definitely been able to achieve our recruiting goals with this class,” said Lusk. “We have added athletic players who are multi-dimensional and can help us in a lot of areas. I am very proud of our staff and the hard work they put into our recruiting efforts.”
Rousseau Will Return
In addition to their newcomer commitments, the Bears received notification Wednesday that Ronnie Rousseau III has been cleared to return to the Bears for the 2017-18 season. The transfer from State Fair (Mo.) Community College was the 2016 NJCAA Regional Player of the Year at State Fair. He started 14 games for the Bears this season and was averaging 11.6 points and 2.9 assists per game before stepping away from the game for personal reasons in January. He converted 80.5 percent of his free throws and 48.3 percent of his field goal attempts during his junior season at MSU.
“We are ecstatic to welcome Ronnie back to Missouri State and to our program,” Lusk said. “As we mentioned before, he is a big part of our team, and we have embraced and supported him during his time away. It’s going to be great to have him back for the upcoming season.”
Rousseau noted he is thrilled to be returning to Springfield.
“I really appreciate Coach Lusk and Missouri State standing behind me throughout everything,” Rousseau said. “I can’t wait to go back to war with my brothers.”
Abdul-Hakim Fofana
Fofana has been described as a “freak of an athlete” by his junior college coach Brock Lemon at Dakota College in Bottneau, N.D. He earned All-Mon Dak Conference honors in 2017 for the Lumberjacks, an NJCAA Division II program, while also claiming NJCAA All-Region XIII honors. He averaged 15.4 points and 11.8 rebounds as a freshman this season, converting 56.6 percent of his field goal attempts and collected a school-record 21 double-doubles. He also posted 41 steals and 28 blocked shots. He spent his first year in the U.S. at Houston (Texas) Community College, which does not have basketball, making him eligible to transfer after his first full juco season.
“Abdul has a remarkable story,” said Lusk. “He is a high-character person whose education is very important to him. He was a juco Academic All-American, speaks six languages and wants to become an engineer. He will have three years with us, and is a high-level athlete with a great motor. He’s a great rebounder who averaged a double-double as a freshman, and he’s going to help us in a lot of areas.”
Fofana was part of a 19-12 season at Dakota in 2016-17 and was nationally ranked in total rebounds (3rd), rebounds per game (9th), offensive rebounds (14th), blocks (73rd) and points per 40 minutes (31st). He was a participant in the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders program as a junior player
James Miller
Miller, who will have one season with the Bears, has been a fixture on the Howard University campus for the last four years and was second on the team in scoring in 2016-17 at 14.7 points per game. He started 24 of the 25 games for coach Kevin Nickelberry this season as a redshirt junior, scoring 25 3-pointers and accumulating 49 assists, 38 steals and 84 rebounds for the Bison.
“We have been so impressed with his maturity level and his parents,” said Lusk of Miller. “He’s a terrific student who is going to continue his education in our nationally-recognized MBA program. He is an established scorer and a big guard who can play multiple positions. He makes us better immediately with his talent and leadership. He’s a great addition to a solid senior class.”
The combo guard scored 930 career points at Howard in just 83 games (11.2 ppg). He also contributed 72 career 3-pointers, made 70 percent of his free throws and contributed 101 assists, 93 steals and 241 rebounds during his time with the Division I program in the MEAC. He scored 30 points twice last season, including a 10-for-18 shooting effort at Georgetown on Nov. 27.
Roster Moves
Lusk also confirmed Wednesday that the team’s two additional spring signees were made possible by the departure of local products Austin Ruder (Nixa, Mo.) and Chris Kendrix (Willard, Mo.). Ruder will complete his undergraduate degree in accounting this May and has decided to forego his final season at Missouri State. He would be eligible to transfer to another four-year program for one season and play immediately. Kendrix would have to sit out a year in residency, per NCAA Division I transfer rules, and would have one year of eligibility remaining.
“We always have to be prepared for transfers in college basketball,” said Lusk. “In both cases, we anticipated this was a possibility, and we support their decisions. Austin graduates in May, and it’s a great accomplishment for him to earn a degree in accounting. Chris has also indicated he wishes to transfer. We wish them both success and appreciate their time in our program.”
Early Commitments
The Bears secured three additional new players during November’s early signing period:
Mustafa Lawrence (5-11, 165, Fr., G, Newark, N.J., Essex County Vocational High, Forest Trail Prep).
A two-sport standout, Lawrence averaged 28.9 points and 5.1 assists per game as a senior for Essex County Vo-Tech High School in Newark, N.J., in 2015-16 before moving on to Forest Trail Prep School in Kernersville, N.C., this season.
The standout point guard was part of three state championship teams at Essex County and became the first athlete to be inducted into the school’s hall of fame before attending college. He tallied 50 points against Bloomfield (N.J.) High on his high school senior night for coach Joe Jordan’s Terriers. He averaged 19.0 points per game as a junior, 13.5 points as a sophomore. He was also an all-state wide receiver in football.
Darian Scott (6-11, 200, Fr., C, Las Vegas, Nev., Centennial High)
A long and athletic rim protector, Scott recently completed his senior season at Centennial High in Las Vegas as the No. 7 ranked player in the state of Nevada, according to ESPN. He helped his team to a 23-5 campaign and conference championship in 2016-17. He also helped the Bulldogs to the Sunset Regional semifinals.
As a junior, he helped lead the Bulldogs to a 24-3 record and Nevada Class 4A semifinals. As the starting center for coach Noah Hartsock’s squad, Scott was fifth on the Gauntlet series circuit in blocked shots and averaged 5.7 rebounds for the Las Vegas Knicks AAU team over the summer. The team captain has helped Centennial to back-to-back Sunset Conference titles. He averaged 14.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and was named team player of the game twice.
Reggie Scurry (6-7, 220, Jr., F, Atlanta, Ga., North Clayton High, Northern Oklahoma Tonkawa College)
A powerful forward with a versatile skill set, Scurry averaged team-bests 15.7 points and 10.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Northern Oklahoma Tonkawa College this season. He played and started 31 games as part of a 23-10 club. He made good on 54.6 percent of his field goal attempts, blocked 86 shots and tallied 26 assists and 29 steals.
Last season, he started 25 games and was named team freshman of the year by his coaches and teammates, including current Bear Jarrid Rhodes. He helped coach Donnie Jackson’s Mavericks to a 26-7 overall record, a No. 25 national ranking and a 15-3 ledger in the OCAC in 2015-16. Scurry averaged 8.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game while converting 57.4 percent of his field goal attempts for the NJCAA Region 2 runners-up.
He was a Georgia Class 3A first-team all-state selection as a senior for coach Martisse Troup at North Clayton High in Augusta, Ga., where he averaged 17.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in 2014-15. He was also named to the GBCA North-South All-Star Game.
