Men’s Hoops Lands KeShawn Murphy

Photo by: Erik Schelkun/Elsestar Images

Men’s Hoops Lands KeShawn Murphy

November 13, 2020 | Men's Basketball

by Matt Dunaway, Associate Director/Communications

STARVKILLE – The Mississippi State men's basketball program and head coach Ben Howland started its 2021 signing class on a strong note as ESPN top 100 recruit KeShawn Murphy inked his National Letter of Intent (NLI) Friday during the fall signing period.

Murphy, a 6-10 forward from Birmingham, Alabama, will start his freshman season for the Bulldogs during the 2021-22 season. Earlier this week, he began his senior campaign under Denton Johnson at Ramsay High School.

Murphy is rated No. 89 in ESPN's top 100 rankings and is the state of Alabama's No. 2 prospect for the Class of 2021. It marks back-to-back seasons that Howland has reeled in an ESPN top 100 commitment as Deivon Smith ranked No. 69 in the 2020 class. Mississippi State also has a pair of ESPN top 50 recruits from the Class of 2018 in Reggie Perry and Robert Woodard II, who are hopeful in hearing their names called in next week's NBA Draft.

Murphy amassed 18.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.0 blocks per game in 2019-20 as a junior. He was a finalist for the Alabama Sport Writers Association [ASWA] Class 5A Player of the Year award and was a consensus ASWA All-State First-Team selection. Murphy posted 12.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game during the 2018-19 season as a sophomore.

Ramsay has combined for a 45-22 record over the last two seasons, fueled by a 25-9 mark in 2019-20. The program has made back-to-back trips to the Alabama Class 5A Final Four.

Murphy has been nominated to participate in the 2021 McDonald's High School All-America game. He began his senior campaign with a 21-point, 13-rebound, 3-block performance in an 82-76 win over Auburn High School and is closing in on becoming a 1,000-point scorer at Ramsay.

Murphy played on the AAU circuit for Alabama Fusion in the Nike EYBL and Alabama Celtics in the Adidas Gauntlet League. He also was recruited by numerous programs, which include Alabama, Auburn and Western Kentucky.

COACH HOWLAND ON MURPHY
"I'm really pumped up about KeShawn joining our Mississippi State basketball family. He's 6-10, 225 pounds and is very long with a 7-1, 7-2 wingspan. KeShawn loves the game of basketball and is a gym rat. He loves to work on his game, he shoots the basketball well and he is an excellent passer. KeShawn is driven to be great. He's going to be a big shot in the arm for our team next year, and I expect big things out of him right away."

COACH JOHNSON ON MURPHY
"First and foremost, KeShawn is an excellent teammate, a genuine leader and a humble person. He loves basketball, loves to work and is very coachable. His story is similar to [Los Angeles Lakers forward] Anthony Davis. He walked into our program as a 6-3 shooting guard and blossomed into a talented 6-10 forward. KeShawn can handle the ball like a guard and can score at all three levels. He has worked hard and improved a different facet of his game each season. There's no doubt in my mind that he is a future pro. No one recruited KeShawn harder than George Brooks and Mississippi State. He has the opportunity to have a special senior season with our team, and I'm extremely excited for his future at Mississippi State and beyond."

Mississippi State embarks on its 2020-21 season against Clemson on Wednesday, November 25, as part of the Space Coast Challenge from Titan Field House, located on the campus of Eastern Florida State College in Melbourne, Florida. Tip time is slated for approximately 7:30 p.m. CT televised by CBS Sports Network.

Mississippi State won 11 of its last 15 SEC games to earn a top four finish in the conference standings last season, the program's highest overall regular season finish since 2010-11. The Bulldogs have tucked away three consecutive 20-plus win seasons under sixth-year coach Ben Howland. The last time the program accomplished that feat was the 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons. The 68 victories also are the fourth-highest total in program history for a three-year span.

Mississippi State will look to punch its return ticket to March Madness in 2020-21 led by returnees Abdul Ado, Iverson Molinar and D.J. Stewart Jr. The trio will be joined by talented transfers in Javian Davis, Jalen Johnson and Tolu Smith along with a skillful freshmen class headed by Derek Fountain, Andersson Garcia, Cameron Matthews, Keondre Montgomery and Deivon Smith.

Visit www.HailState.com for the latest news and information on the men's basketball program. Fans also can follow the program on its social media outlets by searching 'HailStateMBK' on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.