Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
Hamilton, Kugel, Walton Sign NLIs With Men’s Hoops
November 11, 2021 | Men's Basketball
by Matt Dunaway, Director/Communications
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State men's basketball has received National Letters of Intent (NLI) from Kimani Hamilton, Riley Kugel and Jaykwon Walton announced Thursday during the fall signing period.
Walton (Columbus, Georgia) is one of the nation's top junior college prospects spending this season at Shelton State Community College in Alabama after he spent the 2019-20 and 2020-21 campaigns at Georgia. He has two years of eligibility remaining beginning in 2022-23.
Kugel (Orlando, Florida) and Hamilton (Clinton, Mississippi) will join the program as freshman for the 2022-23 season.
Walton was rated an ESPN top 75 prospect for the Class of 2020 and finished his prep career with close to 1,500 points. He was a two-time Alabama Sports Writers Association (ASWA) First-Team pick and Super 5 selection during his junior and senior seasons playing for James Jackson at George Washington Carver High School in Montgomery, Alabama. Walton posted 18.7 points per game and his team was the Class 6A runner-up as a senior.
"We're excited about all three of our new signees," Howland said. "Jaykwon Walton, a junior college transfer, is a really good addition because of his ability to shoot the ball. He's an outstanding athlete, and we recruited him out of high school, so we already have a relationship with him that was built up over time. He's a very good young man and has been very well coached. We're excited to have him join our program."
Kugel posted 14.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game as a junior playing for Ben Witherspoon at Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Florida. His team won the Class 7A State Championship last season. Kugel also has made an impact for Southeast Elite at the AAU level under Anthony Ricks.
"Riley Kugel an excellent athlete and very explosive player," Howland said. "He shoots the ball very well and is playing at one of the best high school programs in the country. They're the number five team in the high school rankings, and he has played at a high level all summer long in AAU. We're really excited about his future and his potential."
Hamilton, an ESPN top 100 recruit, amassed 16.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game for his 2020-21 state-championship winning squad at Clinton High School as a junior. He will continue his Bulldogs legacy started by his father, Tang Hamilton, who sits among State's top 20 in points and rebounds. Hamilton was a key contributor on the AAU circuit for Team Thad.
"Kimani Hamilton is an outstanding athlete and is very versatile," Howland said. "He can play multiple positions. He handles the ball like a guard, yet is 6-8. He's very skilled and comes from a great family. His dad, Tang Hamilton, is one of the greatest players in Mississippi State history. It's awesome to have that family tradition continue here at MSU with Kimani joining our program."
The Bulldogs started the 2021-22 season with a 75-49 victory over North Alabama on Wednesday. State continues a four-game homestand against Montana on Saturday. Tip time is slated for 6 p.m. CT, and the game will be streamed online courtesy of SEC Network+ and the Watch ESPN app.
The Mississippi State Athletic Ticket Office is selling 2021-22 season tickets. New season ticket purchasers can call (662) 325-2600, (888) Go Dawgs (888-463-2947) or visit www.HailState.com for more information.
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.
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State men's basketball has received National Letters of Intent (NLI) from Kimani Hamilton, Riley Kugel and Jaykwon Walton announced Thursday during the fall signing period.
Walton (Columbus, Georgia) is one of the nation's top junior college prospects spending this season at Shelton State Community College in Alabama after he spent the 2019-20 and 2020-21 campaigns at Georgia. He has two years of eligibility remaining beginning in 2022-23.
Kugel (Orlando, Florida) and Hamilton (Clinton, Mississippi) will join the program as freshman for the 2022-23 season.
Walton was rated an ESPN top 75 prospect for the Class of 2020 and finished his prep career with close to 1,500 points. He was a two-time Alabama Sports Writers Association (ASWA) First-Team pick and Super 5 selection during his junior and senior seasons playing for James Jackson at George Washington Carver High School in Montgomery, Alabama. Walton posted 18.7 points per game and his team was the Class 6A runner-up as a senior.
"We're excited about all three of our new signees," Howland said. "Jaykwon Walton, a junior college transfer, is a really good addition because of his ability to shoot the ball. He's an outstanding athlete, and we recruited him out of high school, so we already have a relationship with him that was built up over time. He's a very good young man and has been very well coached. We're excited to have him join our program."
Kugel posted 14.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game as a junior playing for Ben Witherspoon at Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Florida. His team won the Class 7A State Championship last season. Kugel also has made an impact for Southeast Elite at the AAU level under Anthony Ricks.
"Riley Kugel an excellent athlete and very explosive player," Howland said. "He shoots the ball very well and is playing at one of the best high school programs in the country. They're the number five team in the high school rankings, and he has played at a high level all summer long in AAU. We're really excited about his future and his potential."
Hamilton, an ESPN top 100 recruit, amassed 16.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game for his 2020-21 state-championship winning squad at Clinton High School as a junior. He will continue his Bulldogs legacy started by his father, Tang Hamilton, who sits among State's top 20 in points and rebounds. Hamilton was a key contributor on the AAU circuit for Team Thad.
"Kimani Hamilton is an outstanding athlete and is very versatile," Howland said. "He can play multiple positions. He handles the ball like a guard, yet is 6-8. He's very skilled and comes from a great family. His dad, Tang Hamilton, is one of the greatest players in Mississippi State history. It's awesome to have that family tradition continue here at MSU with Kimani joining our program."
The Bulldogs started the 2021-22 season with a 75-49 victory over North Alabama on Wednesday. State continues a four-game homestand against Montana on Saturday. Tip time is slated for 6 p.m. CT, and the game will be streamed online courtesy of SEC Network+ and the Watch ESPN app.
The Mississippi State Athletic Ticket Office is selling 2021-22 season tickets. New season ticket purchasers can call (662) 325-2600, (888) Go Dawgs (888-463-2947) or visit www.HailState.com for more information.
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.
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