Mississippi juco forward chooses Wichita State

Pearl River (Miss.) Community College forward Darral Willis chose Wichita State over Arizona State on Friday.

His addition to WSU’s three-person recruiting class gives the Shockers a needed front-court addition to help replace seniors Bush Wamukota and Anton Grady. WSU’s success with junior college players helped sell him. He also considered Marquette, Mississippi State and Oklahoma State.

“Some of the schools, they had no experience with junior college players,” he said. “(Wichita State) knows how to work with junior college players and develop them. I feel like I can go there and get better.”

Willis (6-9, 215) is averaging 16 points and 9.7 rebounds in No. 12 Pearl River’s 3-0 start.

“He’s a monster on the glass,” said Cameron Belden, a scout for Mullen Sports recruiting service. “He’s very strong, good motor. As his stock rose, he’s gotten more aggressive, played with more swagger.”

Willis visited WSU in late September, eating dinner with the team at coach Gregg Marshall’s house.

“Everybody got along real well with each other,” he said. “It felt like I would want to come somewhere like that. I felt like I was welcome.”

Belden saw Willis play as a freshman and described him as player who scored around the basket. When he watched Willis play in July at Mullen’s camp for top junior college prospects again in October in a jamboree, he saw an improved scorer.

“He can step out to mid-range and knock that down consistently,” Belden said. “He got a lot done when I saw him at Dallas, really stood out.”

Last season, he averaged 13.8 points and 7.1 rebounds a game, while making 62.6 percent of his shots and 75.5 percent of his foul shots. Willis, from Madison, Wis., earned All-Mississippi Association of Community and Junior College and All-Region 23 honors.

Earlier this week, WSU received its letters of intent from guard C.J. Keyser (6-4, 180), of Brewster (N.H.) Academy and Tallahassee (Fla.) Community College guard Daishon Smith (6-1, 170).

Keyser scored 25 points in Brewster’s 105-81 win over Redemption Christian in its opening game. Smith is averaging 15.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists in five games.

Guard Peyton Allen, a transfer from Texas A&M, is redshirting this season at WSU. He is scheduled to go on scholarship next season, along with current Shockers guard Conner Frankamp, who is eligible Dec. 12, coach Gregg Marshall said. Both are walk-ons this season.

This story was originally published November 13, 2015 at 3:26 PM with the headline "Mississippi juco forward chooses Wichita State."