Mississippi State Basketball adds strong three-point shooter to its backcourt
Chris Jans continues to build out the Mississippi State basketball roster as he looks ahead to his third season in Starkville. The Bulldogs picked up their third transfer of the offseason on Saturday with the commitment of former Boston College guard Claudell Harris Jr.
NEWS: Boston College transfer Claudell Harris has committed to Mississippi State, his NIL agent Noah Reisenfeld of Young Money APAA Sports told ESPN. Harris averaged 13.7 points and shot 37% from 3, ranked sixth in the ACC in 3-pointers made per game. pic.twitter.com/p2FXPm1XMz
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) April 21, 2024
Harris Jr. was the second-leading scorer for the Eagles last season behind, ironically, former Mississippi State center Quinten Post. Harris Jr. averaged 13.7 points per game while also averaging 3.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists.
The 6'3" guard was Boston College's go-to three-point shooter. He attempted nearly seven threes per game, making them at a 37% clip. He led the Eagles to a dominant upset over Elite Eight-bound Clemson in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals with 27 points on 10-22 shooting, going 5-13 from three. In a win over Lehigh, he knocked down seven threes on the way to a season-high 29 points.
Harris Jr. began his career at Charleston Southern. In his sophomore season he earned 2nd Team All-Big South honors after averaging 17.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists for the Buccaneers. He notched consecutive 30-point games that season, posting a career high 34 points in a win over High Point.
Claudell Harris Jr. is another important addition to Mississippi State basketball. Though Josh Hubbard and Penn State-transfer Kanye Clary give State a strong foundation in the backcourt, the losses of Deshawn Davis, Shakeel Moore, and Trey Fort still leaves some significant holes at guard.
Harris Jr. gives State another scorer in that room, specifically one who is another strong three-point shooter. Previously, Hubbard was the only consistent perimeter scoring threat. Also of note, he gives MSU better size in the backcourt, which they had been lacking.
With the news of forward KeShawn Murphy choosing to withdraw from the portal and return to Starkville, State now how three scholarships to fill. They still need to add a small forward and another center. We'll see how those needs are addressed in the coming days.