Ernie Kent’s Cougars land pair of Texas junior college players

PULLMAN – Washington State signed a pair of basketball players, who hail from the Southeast and played together at a Texas junior college, on Wednesday, the first day of the national signing period.

Davante Cooper, a 6-foot-11, 235-pound center who originally hails from Atlanta, Georgia, and Kwinton Hinson, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound guard from Fairmont, North Carolina, will both play this season at Tyler Junior College before arriving at WSU next summer.

WSU coach Ernie Kent called Tyler “maybe one of the best junior college teams in the country” and mentioned his connection having recruited players from the same league when he was the coach at Oregon.

The well-traveled Cooper began his career at Bradley University, and chose the Cougars over programs such as Iowa State, Oklahoma State and Oregon State. He also played at West Oaks Academy before enrolling at Bradley, and was named a first-team all-conference selection by the Orange County Register while playing high school ball at Orangewood Academy in California.

“He gives us the big, physical presence that will be leaving our program with Conor Clifford after this year,” Kent said. “Even though he has that kind of size, he can play several different positions, being able to step out and shoot the ball.”

Hinson led Tyler in scoring last season, averaging 13.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. He scored 36 points against Lamar State-Port Arthur.

“He is that power big guard that we’ve searched for, that can match up with other big guards in this conference,” Kent said.

The Cougars still have two scholarships to offer for the 2017 class and may recruit some high school players before the spring signing period.

WSU opens the 2016-17 season this Friday at home against Montana State. The game tips off at 4 p.m.

WSU women sign two

Cougars head coach June Daugherty announced that guard Celena Molina and center Taryn Shelley have signed letters of intent to play for WSU.

Molina, a 5-foot-10 native of Hawaii, is the younger sister of current Cougars freshman guard Chanelle Molina. Shelley is a 6-3 center out of Shorewood High School in Shorewood, Washington.