Last group of recruits announced for Grizzly Basketball team

            • Mo Kora, a 6-foot, 6-inch wing from Renton, Washington

            • James “Scooter” Williams, a 6-foot, 5-inch guard from Clarksville, Tennessee

            • Tremear Fraley, a 6-foot, 8-inch post player from Chicago, Illinois

            • Martaveon Jones, a 6-foot, 2-inch sophomore guard from Kansas City

            “This group rounds out our class for 2020-2021,” Phay said. “We are excited about our group. We have the right mixture of versatile guys who want to come to West Plains for all of the right reasons. We have a group that will be fun to work with and fun to watch!”

            Kora averaged 18.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.4 blocked shots per game last year at Lindbergh High School.

            “Mo is very athletic and can play most any position. He is an above-the-rim guy and will be fun to coach and fun for fans to watch,” Phay said.

            Williams averaged 13.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game last season at Kenwood High School. He played for Jason James, the former head coach at the University of Tennessee-Martin, an NCAA D1 program.

            Williams originally signed with with NJCAA power Salt Lake Community College, but he decided he wanted to stay closer to home, Phay said.

            “Scooter is a guy who can play any position we need him to,” Phay said. “He will be considered one of the best freshmen in junior college. He played for a former NCAA D1 head coach who instilled great work ethic and discipline. He is a game changer for us!”

            Fraley averaged 5.2 points per game last season at perennial power Bogan High School in the Chicago area.

            “Tremear gives us more size and athleticism,” Phay said. “He can really run the floor and is an above-the-rim guy. We believe he is a hidden gem with a tremendous upside!”

            Jones, and all-state selection at Southeast High School, is transferring to MSU-WP from Cowley County Community College. He averaged 15 points and 4.3 assists per game last season with the Tigers, who recorded 26 wins in the Jayhawk Conference.

            “Martaveon gives us some experience and elite quickness from the guard spot,” Phay said. “He was a high-impact guy on one of the best programs in the NJCAA last year.

            “He is familiar with MSU-WP in that he led Cowely County with 25 points last year in a game on our court,” the coach added.

            These four join two returners and nine newcomers on the Grizzly squad this season. Returners are:

            • Franklyn Petion, a 6-foot, 3-inch guard from Freeport, Bahamas

            • Nico Hill, a 6-foot, 4-inch guard from Opunake, New Zealand

            The other newcomers include:

            • Byron “Tre” Breland III, a 6-foot, 3-inch guard from New Haven, Connecticut

            • Adnan “Ed” Hussein, a 6-foot, 3-inch guard from Silver Springs, Maryland

            • Roy Eze, a 6-foot, 8-inch forward from Phoenix, Arizona

            • Jimarius Sneed, a 6-foot, 6-inch forward from Chicago, Illinois

            • Nate Garrett, a 6-foot, 6-inch wing from Florrisant

            • Armani Williams, a 6-foot, 3-inch guard from Tempe, Arizona

            • Isaiah Wilson, a 6-foot, 2-inch point guard from Phoenix, Arizona

            • Ankit Choudhary, a 6-foot, 1-inch point guard from Markham, Ontario, Canada

            • Ian Lopez, a 6-foot, 4-inch wing from Winter Garden, Florida