Men’s Basketball

Ben Howland’s propensity to sign high-level recruits at Mississippi State has continued as the Bulldogs were once again impressive on the first day of the early signing period.

MSU inked 5-star forward Reggie Perry of Thomasville, Ga. The 6-foot-8, 240-pound standout is the son of former State great Al Perry, who still ranks third all-time at Mississippi State with 510 assists.

“Reggie is a Top 15 player in the country if you look at all the scouting services,” said Howland, whose team opens the regular season at 5:30 p.m. on Friday against Alabama State at Humphrey Coliseum. “There is a consensus that he is a McDonald’s All-American and that he is very skilled. What I was most impressed with in watching him was his ability to pass the ball and create for others. Also, he shoots and rebounds very well.

“He has a lot of international experience too. He’s spent the past two summers overseas with different all-star groups, like USA Basketball, for a number of years. He has a lot of experience outside of the high school level, which has him far ahead of where most kids are at this stage. He is a power forward, which will help us moving into the future.”

Perry is the No. 1 rated player from the state of Georgia and is ranked as the nation’s No. 4 small forward by numerous recruiting sites.

The remainder of this year’s signing class will be announced at a later date.

Softball

Off the heels of announcing its 2018 spring schedule, Mississippi State softball landed one of the top recruiting classes in the nation during the early signing period as head coach Vann Stuedeman announced the Bulldogs’ 21st-ranked class on Wednesday.

“We have been impressed with these young ladies both on and off the field,” Stuedeman said. “Coach (Samantha) Ricketts and Coach (Tyler) Bratton have worked extremely hard to bring in such a fine class. The future is bright.”

A total of seven student-athletes make up the Bulldogs’ 2018 signing class. The class, which was ranked as high as No. 19, rounded out the early signing period ranked No. 21 in the nation by Flo Softball. Of the seven signees, two incoming Bulldogs rank amongst the top 40 recruits in Flo Softball’s Top 150.

Leading the way in State’s signing class is Grace Fagan (Swedesboro, N.J.), a standout in the circle who was selected as South Jersey Pitcher of the Year. She joins MSU after leading Kingsway Regional High School to the 2017 New Jersey State Group 4 Championship. Fagan, who played travel ball with the Birmingham Thunderbolts Premier, was ranked as high as No. 8 and comes to MSU as Flo Softball’s No. 19 recruit in the country. The left-hander was a nominee for Gatorade Player of the Year and was named Kingsway’s Defensive Player of the Year last season.

Joining Fagan and rounding out State’s ranked recruits is Kayla Boseman (Chattanooga, Tenn.). Boseman, ranked as high as No. 12 by Flo Softball, the Ooltewah High School star lands at No. 39 in the nation. An All-American in the circle and former MaxPrep National Freshman on the Year, the utility player is talented on both sides of the ball with over 50 career wins and 190 career RBI. Boseman, also a member of the Birmingham Thunderbolts Premier, is a three-time All-State honoree and a two-time finalist for Gatorade Player of the Year.

Versatility describes State’s additions of outfielder/first baseman Anna Kate Seager (Moulton, Ala.) and catcher/third baseman Jackie McKenna (Parkland, Fla.). Seager is a two-time AllCounty Player of the Year from East Lawrence High School. The two-sport athlete has earned multiple accolades including All-State honors and also competes for the Huntsville Sparks Elite travel team. McKenna is an All-State honoree from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. She is a standout at the plate and served as team captain for the Eagles. McKenna also turned in a successful travel ball career with the N.J. IntensityHannigan.

The Bulldogs traveled to the West Coast, next door to Alabama and to its own backyard to bring depth to the outfield with Chloe Malau’ulu (Long Beach, Calif.), Jamie Gregg (Hoover, Ala.) and Chloe Morgan (Batesville).

Leading Saint Anthony’s High School to the Division 6 League Championship, Malau’ulu earned All-League honors and slugged a team-leading 13 home runs last season. She is also a member of the USA Athletics 18U Gold travel team. Gregg, an All-State honoree from Hoover High School, set the school record for stolen bases in a season. A member of Tennessee Fury Premier 18U travel squad, Gregg led Alabama’s 7A region in runs scored and stolen bases en route to Most Valuable Offensive and Defensive Player honors. State’s lone Mississippi native of the signing class, Morgan is a three-time All-District honoree from South Panola High School and led the Tigers to the 2015 North State Championship. Morgan has earned multiple honors for her offensive and defensive play and is a member of the Mississippi Blue Angels travel team.

Each signee will be featured on HailState.com every Tuesday over the next seven weeks, starting Nov. 14.

Women’s Basketball

Last season’s run to the national championship game paid off on the recruiting trail as Vic Schaefer’s Mississippi State women’s basketball team landed a top 10 signing class on Wednesday.

The Bulldogs inked three of the top 51 players in the Class of 2018, including two of the nation’s premier post players and one of the country’s top guards.

Mississippi State once again signed the top player in the state with the addition of Ocean Springs post Daphane White. The Bulldogs also added the one of the top interior players in Georgia with Waverly Hall native Jessika Carter and the top player in Virginia, guard Xaria Wiggins.

“I am just really proud of my staff and appreciate their hard work and diligence in putting together one of the top classes in the nation,” Schaefer said. “So much goes into securing a class like this. It is an impactful class with three impact players, and three impactful young ladies. They are going to really leave a footprint here at Mississippi State. I love their competitive spirit, their skill set, and their character. I am very excited to be adding these three outstanding young ladies and their families to our Mississippi State family.”

White enters her senior season under Gina Bell at St. Martin High School a 5-star prospect by ESPN, rating 48th nationally and seventh at her position after averaging 17.3 points, 12.7 rebounds and 7.8 blocks in her career.

Fellow post player Carter will join White in the MSU front court after she wraps her final campaign at Harris County High School in Georgia.

Wiggins emerged as the top player in Virginia, rating No. 54 overall and the eighth-best guard as a 4-star prospect by espnW. Prospects Nation ranked the Princess Anne High School standout the No. 51 player overall and 10th-best guard.