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In the first day of the early signing period for college basketball recruits, Mississippi State has signed junior college forwards Quantel Denson and Travis Daniels, per coach Rick Ray's Twitter and Daniels' Twitter.
It's official, Quantel Denson is now part of the Bulldog family! Excited about what his skill and talent will bring to our team next season!
— Rick Ray (@RickRay1) November 14, 2012
It's official#MSU twitpic.com/bd7bnb
— Travis Daniels (@kingt40) November 14, 2012
Denson, a 6'9" 215 lb power forward out of Mineral Wells CC, has been committed to the Bulldogs since October 4. He chose Mississippi State over offers from Marquette, Missouri, Oklahoma State, and Western Kentucky, among others. Here's a brief bit of information on Denson from our October 4th commit story:
Upon further review, Denson is a bit of a peculiar story. A seemingly talented player, Denson chose MSU over Marquette, Missouri, and Oklahoma State, among others. Quantel originally enrolled at Hutchinson CC, and had committed to Missouri before an arrest in mid 2011. The article then says he transferred to Paris Junior College, and now plays at Mineral Area JC. Paul Jones' article on Denson says that he transferred to Mineral from Hutchinson, so I'm not sure which is correct.
So, should we be worried about off-the-court issues with Denson? My take is: absolutely not. If there's one thing coach Ray has proven so far it's that players will be held accountable, unlike under the previous regime. I have to believe Ray and staff would not have taken a chance on Quantel if they didn't feel like he was past his issues.
On the court, Denson seems like a really good pickup. With offers from schools like Marquette and Missouri, he clearly has the talent that State needs down low. With junior college experience as well, he, like Daniels, could have an immediate impact next year for State, joining Wendell Lewis, Gavin Ware, and Colin Borchert on the low block.
Travis Daniels, like Denson, comes to Mississippi State by way of a junior college, as he currently plays for Shelton State CC in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Daniels committed to the Bulldogs back on October 2nd over offers from Southern Miss, Western Kentucky, and Wichita State, among other interests. Daniels also seems to be a solid pick up for this team, and with a 6'8" 205 lb frame, he and Denson will give the MSU low post an immediate boost.
As of now, Quantel and Travis are the only two committed players yet to sign with MSU. State still awaits word on the signing of high school prospects I.J. Ready and Fallou Ndoye. Ready has been committed to State since early May, while Ndoye committed just last evening. We will let you know if/when these two remaining prospects sign, but it could be some time, even if only for Ndoye. Brandon Marcello tells us that it could be some time before Fallou is officially signed, as his mother lives in Senegal, and the paperwork may therefore take longer to file.
Hail State