Melvyn Ebonkoli commits to Missouri State men's basketball
Wyatt D. WheelerDana Ford capped off a busy week of recruiting by landing a commitment from a power forward.
The family of Melvyn Ebonkoli tweeted on Saturday afternoon that he has committed to Missouri State basketball.
Ebonkoli is a 6-foot-8 power forward who attends Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut. He is originally from Trappes, France. He will have four years of immediate eligibility.
Ebonkoli held offers from Nicholls State, St. Peters, Seton Hall and South Florida before choosing to play in Springfield.
The incoming freshman was a member of the French FIBA U17 national team during the 2018 FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup. He averaged 2.6 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.
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The addition of Ebonkoli would leave the Bears with one open scholarship toward the 2020-21 roster.
Ebonkoli is the fifth player to commit to Missouri State since the beginning of April.
Missouri State received a commitment from juco transfer Nic Tata on April 1 before landing juco transfer Keaton Hervey, incoming freshman Raphe Ayres and Hawaii transfer Dawson Carper on Wednesday.
Ebonkoli will be a welcome addition to the Bears' frontcourt. The team lost Tulio Da Silva and Kabir Mohammed to graduation following the 2019-20 season. Ebonkoli could be an impact player for the Bears as soon as this upcoming season.
Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. You can contact him at 417-371-6987, by email at wwheeler@news-leader.com or join the conversation on Twitter where his handle is @WyattWheeler_NL. You can also sign up for his free "Bears Beat" newsletter by subscribing on News-Leader.com.