Wichita State basketball recruiting big board: 10 juco and high school prospects
Even with the sports world shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, the spring recruiting season is fully underway for the Wichita State men’s basketball team.
After the end of the season saw six scholarship players transfer out of the program, Gregg Marshall and his WSU coaching staff now have up to six scholarships, all unexpected, to hand out to complete the Shockers’ 2020-21 roster.
In an exclusive interview with The Eagle, Marshall said he is considering not using all 13 scholarships after stockpiling last season’s roster with too much talent that led to playing time issues. He also told The Eagle that he wants to avoid another scenario where he has five or six players all in the same class. WSU currently has a well-balanced roster: two freshmen, one sophomore, two juniors and two seniors.
The NCAA has suspended all in-person recruiting activity until April 15. Without the ability to take official visits on campus, that could delay the decisions for many spring recruits. Coaches are still allowed to talk to recruits over the phone. The NCAA is currently in talks of easing up its transfer rules, which could make transfers eligible immediately next season, but nothing has been finalized.
WSU has been extremely busy early in the spring recruiting cycle. The Eagle has compiled a WSU recruiting “big board” that includes the top 20 prospects that WSU has been publicly linked to. That list features nine Division I transfers, six junior-college transfers and five high school prospects.
The Eagle previously profiled the nine Division I transfer targets and here will focus on the junior-college transfers and high school prospects.
Note: Recruits are sorted in alphabetical order.
Junior-college transfers
Shawndarius Cowart (Pensacola State junior-to-be)
Vitals: 6-foot-3, 185-pound junior-to-be combo guard from Pensacola, Florida
2019-20 season: Averaged 13.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 2.3 steals in 33.1 minutes per game with 28 starts for Pensacola State, which finished 18-11 and missed the NJCAA national tournament. Shot 43.2% from the field, 42.2% on three-pointers (25-59) and 73.3% on free throws.
Current recruiting: Holds offers from Wichita State, Hofstra, Louisiana Monroe, Grambling State and Southeastern Louisiana.
Outlook: Lead guard for Pensacola State who delivered some impressive counting stats, averaging 13.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 2.3 steals per game. Cowart is at his best in transition, where he has an impressive burst of speed that allows him to burst past defenders and use his athleticism to finish at the rim. Cowart is the type of athlete frequently seen at the AAC level and probably projects as more of a shooting guard than point guard. For Pensacola State, Cowart played the role of primary creator with mixed results — he averaged 6.5 assists, the 14th-most nationally, but also 3.7 turnovers. Dial down that workload and Cowart could be more effective when he can pick his chances instead of shouldering the brunt of the duty. Cowart takes a lot of mid-range jumpers and not enough three-pointers, but did up his three-point shooting percentage to 42% on two attempts per game and made 14 of his 26 catch-and-shoot opportunities. He’ll likely be doing a lot more of that off the ball at his next stop. Cowart is ranked the No. 55 overall junior-college prospect by JucoRecruiting.com with WSU being by far the highest-rated program who has offered him so far.
Justice Hill (Salt Lake sophomore-to-be)
Vitals: 6-foot-0 sophomore-to-be point guard from Little Rock, Ark.
2019-20 season: Averaged 13.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.2 steals in 27.8 minutes per game with 32 starts for Salt Lake, which finished 29-4, qualified for the NJCAA national tournament and was ranked No. 5 in the final NJCAA poll. Shot 44.1% from the field, 34.5% on three-pointers and 65.3% on free throws.
Current recruiting: Holds offers from Wichita State, Nevada, Washington State, Fresno State, Florida International and East Carolina. Interest from BYU and Utah State. Took an official visit to Nevada in September.
Outlook: Former big-time football recruit won won Gatorade Player of the Year honors in Arkansas as a star quarterback and led his team to a state championship his final year. He graduated early and went to Arkansas to play both football and basketball but never played in a game before transferring last spring following a coaching change on the basketball team. In his first season, Hill was the starting point guard for one of the best junior college teams in the country at Salt Lake, leading a top-five team in scoring (13.9 points) and assists (4.3). He’s primarily a jump shooter, and a pretty good one at that, as he rated above-average on Synergy efficiency off the dribble and off catches. He took 5.1 three-pointers per game and made 34.5% of them while rating in the 71st percentile nationally in his catch-and-shoot efficiency. Hill can be effective running the pick and roll because he is adept at zipping passes all over the court to open teammates and also has the ability to create off the dribble, especially leading to his pull-up jumper. He averaged better than one steal per game and rates out as a good defender, according to Synergy’s logs. He is ranked as the No. 18 junior-college prospect by JucoRecruiting.com and would have three seasons to play at the Division I level.
Berrick Jeanlouis (Florida Southwestern junior-to-be)
Vitals: 6-foot-4, 195-pound junior-to-be small forward from Lehigh Acres, Fla.
2019-20 season: Averaged 12.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steals in 25.5 minutes per game with 19 starts for Florida Southwestern State, which finished 29-2, qualified for the NJCAA national tournament and was ranked No. 1 in the final NJCAA poll. Shot 48.1% from the field, 29.5% on three-pointers and 67.9% on free throws.
Current recruiting: Holds offers from Wichita State, Iona and Old Dominion. Picked New Mexico State over
Outlook: One of the most explosive athletes at the junior-college level — a highlight waiting to happen in the open court. He proved to be a devastating force in transition for the No. 1-rated junior-college team in the country. He originally signed with Chris Jans and New Mexico State out of high school but played just 6.1 minutes per game as a true freshman and transferred after his freshman season. At Florida Southwestern State, Jeanlouis was able to play significant minutes for a quality team and develop other aspects of his game. At 6-4 with long arms and elite athleticism, Jeanlouis is a defensive nightmare and regularly took away the opponents’ top player. His juco coach didn’t think it was a stretch to label him as the best perimeter defender at the junior-college level in the nation. But the question for Jeanlouis has always been where he fits in a halfcourt setting. He looked more confident shooting last season but still shot just 29.5% on 3.1 three-point attempts per game and canned just 32.9% of his catch-and-shoot looks. While he’s not likely to stretch defenses with his shooting ability, he can still apply pressure with athleticism that makes him a dangerous threat when he builds steam headed toward the rim. He also has a good nose for tracking offensive rebounds, which could lead to easy baskets. It’s not hard to imagine Jeanlouis’ recruiting will blow up soon, so it’s good for WSU to get in early with an offer to this big-time athlete. He is rated the No. 26 junior-college prospect by JucoRecruiting.com.
Craig Porter (Vincennes junior-to-be)
Vitals: 6-foot-1, 175-pound junior-to-be point guard from Terre Haute, Ind.
2019-20 season: Averaged 14.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.9 blocks with 26 starts for Vincennes, which finished 28-5, qualified for the NJCAA national tournament and was ranked No. 9 in the final NJCAA poll. Shot 48.8% from the field, 30.5% on three-pointers and 66.7% on free throws.
Current recruiting: Interest from Kansas, West Virginia, Oregon, Texas Tech, Indiana, Wichita State, Connecticut, Mississippi and Indiana State, per WTHI-TV.
Outlook: Primary playmaker for a traditional junior-college power at Vincennes, which was ranked in the top 10 for much of the season. Could be a ready-made starter at point guard for a top program. He can score well, pass well, rebound well and defend well. If Porter has a major flaw to his game, the junior-college level didn’t expose it. He can run the show out of the pick and roll or as a distributor in a motion offense. He has a pretty tight handle on the ball and excellent quickness, which paired with an array of spin moves makes Porter a very difficult guard for a single defender. He’s crafty and plays with high basketball intelligence and has some hops, too. On the defensive end, Porter has a truly impeccable sense of timing for swatting shots. He finished top 15 in the country last season and top 20 this season, averaging 1.9 blocks per game from the point guard position. Throw in nearly two steals per game and Porter figures to be a two-way star right away for whichever program he picks. He’s rated the country’s No. 17 junior-college prospect by JucoRecruiting.com.
Trevin Wade (Georgia Highlands junior-to-be)
Vitals: 5-foot-10 junior-to-be point guard from Marietta, Ga.
2019-20 season: Averaged 17.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.0 steals in 18.8 minutes per game with 32 starts for Georgia Highlands, which finished 24-8 and did not make the NJCAA national tournament. Shot 46.6% from the field, 34.6% on three-pointers and 65.0% on free throws.
Current recruiting: Originally was committed to Eastern Kentucky but reopened his recruitment on March 8. Wichita State has shown interest.
Outlook: Yes, he is the younger brother of current Shocker Trey Wade. Had a stellar sophomore season for Georgia Highlands, averaging 17.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2 steals. He did a lot of his damage in transition for Georgia Highland’s high-tempo offense. For being just 5-10, Wade has some serious hops and finished multiple alley-oops on fast breaks. The lefty has a somewhat unusual release, but he proved to be a good spot-up shooter and drilled 38.8% of his three-pointers that were catch-and-shoot attempts. He’s got some quick hands that lead to steals on the defensive end and he’s a fighter, but his diminutive stature would be a question mark defensively in the AAC. Wade is rated the No. 48 junior-college prospect by JucoRecruiting.com.
Rudi Williams (Northeastern Oklahoma A&M junior-to-be)
Vitals: 6-foot-3 junior-to-be point guard from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
2019-20 season: Averaged 21 points, 6.7 rebounds, 8.9 assists and 2.7 steals in 32.8 minutes per game with 29 starts for Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, which finished 25-7, qualified for the NJCAA national tournament and ranked No. 23 in the final NJCAA poll. Shot 50.9% from the field, 36.4% on three-pointers and 80.7% on free throws.
Current recruiting: Interest from Texas Tech, Wichita State, Memphis, Pittsburgh, Utah and Fresno State.
Outlook: Big-time playmaker who averaged 21 points and led the country with 8.9 assists per game. He’s the definition of a bucket-getter and the type of one-on-one scorer that WSU hasn’t had in recent seasons. He finished with the fifth-most isolation possessions in the country, per Synergy, and made an extremely impressive 44.7% of his shots on those attempts. In fact, Williams had double the amount of possessions end in isolation attempts than he did running the pick and roll. He’s a three-level scorer and very good jump shooter and also has the size (6-3) to finish inside over bigs. He finished 58.1% of his looks near the basket in the halfcourt and shot 43.2% on jumpers in the halfcourt, which says Williams’ offensive game should translate to the next level as a primary playmaker. Synergy didn’t have any of his defensive clips uploaded, but it’s apparent he has quick hands — he averaged nearly three steals per game. He is rated the No. 29 junior-college prospect by JucoRecruiting.com.
High school prospects
Ricky Council IV (Durham, N.C. freshman)
Vitals: 6-foot-5, 200-pound shooting guard from Durham, N.C. (Southern Durham).
2019-20 season: Council IV was named third team all-state in North Carolina and helped lead his team, Southern Durham, to the fourth round of the state playoffs.
Current recruiting: Offered by Wichita State, Hofstra, Georgia Southern, Siena, Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina and Rice.
Outlook: Wichita State has positioned itself at the front of the line for the coming-out party for Council IV: The Shockers are the first high-level program to extend him an offer this spring. It would be a major surprise if WSU is the last, as he has the makeup to be a major riser during the spring recruiting period. He is a big-time athlete who routinely throwns down highlight-reel dunks on opponents. But Council IV is more than just a dunker. His handle is underrated for a wing, which allows him to take full advantage of his size and athleticism going toward the rim. He appears to be a good shooter from the outside, as well. He’s reminiscent of Dexter Dennis coming out of high school. Rated a three-star prospect by Rivals and 247 Sports; also No. 361 nationally in the 247 Sports composite ranking.
Jamahri Harvey (Fayetteville, N.C. freshman)
Vitals: 6-foot-4, 175-pound combo guard from Fayetteville, N.C. (Moravian Prep).
2019-20 season: Just wrapped up his prep year at Moravian, which finished 34-3 this season with Harvey being one of the top players.
Current recruiting: Offered by Wichita State, Southern Miss, Lipscomb, UNC Wilmington and Quinnipiac, among others. Interest from Wake Forest.
Outlook: Played against current WSU 2020 signee JaDun Michael in high school and alongside him on the same summer team. He’s considered a combo guard and spent more time on the ball this season on a loaded Moravian Prep team, which helped his development. So far, he has not been evaluated by either Rivals or 247 Sports.
Chaunce Jenkins (Newport News, Va. freshman)
Vitals: 6-foot-4, 160-pound shooting guard from Newport News, Va. (Menchville).
2019-20 season: Helped lead Menchville to a 20-4 record.
Current recruiting: Offered by Wichita State, Southern Miss, Lipscomb, UNC Wilmington and Quinnipiac, among others. Interest from Wake Forest.
Outlook: Another big-time athlete who was a relative unknown until Wichita State offered him recently. There’s not much video of Jenkins online, but it’s clear his elite athleticism and size has caught Wichita State’s attention. Has not been evaluated by Rivals or 247 Sports yet.
Brandon Murray (Baltimore, Md. freshman)
Vitals: 6-foot-5, 200-pound shooting guard from Baltimore, Md. (Polytechnic Institute).
2019-20 season: Was a senior star for Poly, which finished 23-2 and was on the brink of its fourth straight state championship.
Current recruiting: Offered by Wichita State, Georgetown, Mississippi, Virginia Tech, East Tennessee State, Rhode Island, Saint Louis, North Texas, DePaul, St. Bonaventure and George Washington, among others.
Outlook: Murray has been a quick riser this spring, picking up offers from WSU, Georgetown, Saint Louis and Rhode Island in the last month. Explosive athlete who could be a solid two-way player right away. Billed as a shot-maker from the outside and has several videos of impressive bursts finished off with ferocious dunks. Rated a three-star prospect; has not been evaluated yet by 247 Sports.
This story was originally published March 23, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
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