STARKVILLE — It may be the offseason, but the Mississippi State men”s basketball team made plenty of news Wednesday.
MSU finalized its 2011 recruiting class with the signing of Latvian forward Kristers Zeidaks. It also announced it has been invited to participate in the 2012 EA SPORTS Maui Invitational.
MSU will join perennial powers Butler, Illinois, Marquette, North Carolina, Texas, and Southern Cal and host school Chaminade in the annual event.
It will be the second trip in three years to Hawaii for the Bulldogs, who competed in the 2010 Diamond Head Classic last December in Honolulu.
Dates and times for the Maui Invitational will be announced in the fall.
The appearance in the Maui Invitational will be the first for MSU.
“No question this is the premier preseason basketball tournament in the country,” MSU coach Rick Stansbury said. “It”s a great honor to be asked to play in Maui. Every year, you see the best teams in the country playing in this event. I know this is something our players and fans will be excited about.”
Eighty-nine schools representing 21 conferences and 39 states have competed in the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational, with Maui participants having won an astounding 62 of 73 NCAA championships and 58 of 73 national runner-up spots while comprising 239 of 292 Final Four teams.
“The 2012 field exemplifies the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational”s commitment to bringing the nation”s top teams to the island of Maui,” EA SPORTS Maui Invitational Tournament Chairman David Odom said. “With legendary basketball programs, led by some of America”s most notable and proven coaches, as well as dedicated fan bases coming to Maui in 2012, we are looking forward to another exciting, fun-filled, and competitive week of Basketball in Paradise.”
Last season, eventual national champion Connecticut upended Kentucky 84-67 to win the Maui Invitational.
As for recruiting, Zeidaks, 21, is a small forward who has played with three Latvian club teams in Europe. The 6-foot-8 Zeidaks also starred on the Latvia Under-20 team last year and averaged 13.7 points and 6.2 rebounds in the Europe U-20 Championships last season.
Zeidaks signed his financial aid agreement and has been academically cleared by MSU. However, his amateur status hasn”t been determined by the NCAA. Additionally, Zeidaks is likely to miss games in the fall after playing with and against professional players in Latvia.
Since Zeidaks isn”t enrolled for the second summer term, he won”t travel with the team for its five-game, preseason tour in Europe on Aug. 5.
Zeidaks will be a sophomore after spending one year at the University of Latvia. The university doesn”t have an athletics program, but a student-athlete”s eligibility clock begins when they enroll in school.
A Latvian National Team presence since he was 15, Zeidaks scored in double digits in four of the six games of the 2010 U-20 Championships. He had 19 points against Greece.
Zeidaks played for club teams Barons, Ridzenem and Ridzene 92.
With the transfer of center John Riek, Zeidaks completes MSU”s 13-scholarship allotment.
Zeidaks is the fifth signee who is listed as 6-7 or taller. He likely will battle for small forward minutes with incoming freshman Rodney Hood and sophomore Shaun Smith.
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