WSU basketball recruiting: Cougs sign JUCO teammates Kwinton Hinson and Davante Cooper

Shooting guard Kwinton Hinson and center Davante Cooper, teammates at Tyler (TX) Junior College, have inked national letters of intent to play Washington State, head coach Ernie Kent announced in a press release Wednesday afternoon.

Hinson, a 6-foot-5, 175-pound combo guard, was Kent’s first verbal commitment of the 2017 recruiting cycle, averaged 13.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game for Tyler as a freshman while knocking down 45 percent from the field and 35.4 percent from beyond the arc. Following his sophomore season, Hinson should have three to play two on the Palouse.

Cooper, meanwhile, committed last week. He played his freshman year at Bradley in the Missouri Valley Conference. Listed at 6-foot-11 and 235 pounds on the Tyler roster — and, for whatever it’s worth, that represents a gain of an inch and 20 pounds over the previous year — Cooper saw a lot of minutes early for the Braves as a true freshman, but eventually found himself buried deep on the bench, leading to his transfer to Tyler. He also will have three to play two.

Cooper’s signing is especially important, given the impending departures of Josh Hawkinson and Conor Clifford, which threatened to leave the Cougs perilously thin up front.

Here are a couple of videos, followed by WSU’s current scholarship situation. The Cougs still have a pair of scholarships available to give away between now and the end of the late signing period next spring.

Hinson:

Cooper:

Scholarships: