MBK: Cougs sign two for 2017-18 during early signing period

Davante Cooper and Kwinton Hinson have each signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball for Washington State University, head coach Ernie Kent announced Wednesday.

Cooper (6-11, 235, Center, Atlanta, Ga./West Oaks Academy-Fla./Bradley/Tyler Junior College) is beginning his first season at Tyler Junior College at Tyler, Texas, after playing his freshman year at Bradley in Peoria, Ill.

At Bradley, Cooper appeared in 26 games in 2015-16, averaging 1.7 points, and 1.3 rebounds per game while shooting .429 from the field in 8.0 minutes a game. Cooper graduated from Orangewood Academy in Southern California, where he played both basketball and volleyball. He was the 2014 Express League MVP by the Orange County Athletic Director's Association and a first team all-conference selection by the OC Register. Following graduation, he spent the 2014-15 school year at West Oaks Academy in Florida.

Kwinton Hinson (6-4, 215, Guard, Fairmont, N.C./Fairmont HS/Tyler Junior College) is in his second season at Tyler Junior College where he plays alongside Cooper.

Last year, he led the team in scoring, averaging 13.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while shooting .452 from the field in 28 games. He had his best game of the season at Lamar State-Port Arthur on Dec. 5, 2015, when he scored 36 points on .632 shooting from the field including .750 from beyond the 3-point arc.

The Cougars open the 2016-17 season, Friday, Nov. 11 at home against Montana State. The game is the first of a WSU men's-women's doubleheader as the Cougar men tip off at 4 p.m. and women begin at 7 p.m. The game will be televised on the Pac-12 Network.