STARKVILLE,
Miss. ?
Mississippi State’s signing class swelled to two on Wednesday when forward Wendell Lewis of
Selma, Ala., signed a national letter of intent with the Bulldogs, 12th-year coach Rick Stansbury announced.
“We’re excited Wendell has joined the
Mississippi State family,” said Stansbury, whose team posted a 23-13 ledger this past year and won the SEC Tournament en route to the program’s 10th trip to the NCAA Tournament. “He’s a terrific young man that comes from a great family. We truly feel and expect that his best basketball days are ahead of him.”
The 6-foot-8, 230-pound Lewis chose MSU over other SEC rivals
Auburn,
Georgia,
Alabama and Ole Miss, in addition to
Middle Tennessee State, South Alabama and
Western Kentucky.
His official visit to MSU was this past weekend during Super Bulldog Weekend festivities.
“I just liked the way everything is set up at Mississippi State,” Lewis said. “I liked the facilities and the family atmosphere they have at Mississippi State. Basically, I liked everything about Mississippi State. They have a good winning tradition and are always one of the best teams in the SEC.”
This past season as a senior at Selma, Lewis averaged 14 points, 12.5 boards and 2.4 blocks a game. He earned all-state honors and was instrumental in leading his team to a 21-11 ledger that included a berth in the Class 5A state tournament.
Lewis, who played in the Mississippi-Alabama all-star game, is ranked by ESPN.com as the 27st-best center prospect.
“He played a little different role for our team than he will at the next level,” Selma head coach Woody Jackson said. “For us in high school, he stayed near the goal and drew a lot of double and triple-teams, which opened up our perimeter a good bit. But in college, he’ll probably be a four-spot guy that has three-spot skills. He has outstanding hands, a good outside shot and can put the ball on the floor."
Lewis is the second player Stansbury has signed for next year, joining heralded all-state performer Shaunessy Smith, a 6-6, 200-pound versatile guard out of Noxubee County High School in Macon (Miss.).
www.mstateathletics.com
