D'Marcus Simonds to Mississippi State: Bulldogs Land 4-Star SG Prospect

With Mississippi State's football program ascending into national championship contention, it's up to Rick Ray to make sure his basketball team isn't too far behind. The Bulldogs head coach is off to a strong start if his recent recruiting coups pan out.

Less than a week after landing touted class of 2015 guard Quinndary Weatherspoon, Ray received the commitment of class of 2016 star D'Marcus Simonds. The consensus 4-star recruit became Mississippi State's first 2016 commit on Tuesday, choosing the Bulldogs over Kansas State, Florida, UConn and others.

"I felt like Coach (Rick) Ray is turning (the program) in the right direction," Simonds told Gene Swindoll of Scout.com. "(And) the entire family aspect of it is amazing. I also love the campus and the coaching staff."

Simonds, a standout shooting guard at Buford (Georgia) High School, is currently the nation's No. 52 recruit in 247Sports' composite rankings. He's the ninth-best shooting guard and the second-ranked player in the state behind 5-star point guard Kobi Simmons. 

Listed at 6'4" and 196 pounds, Simonds is a skilled combo guard who should fit the roster nicely as a secondary ball-handler. He's an above-average athlete who likes to use dribble drives to get into the middle of the defense, finishing over opponents or drawing contact. He averaged 23 points, 12 rebounds and six assists per game last season and says he likes Ray's system. 

“The pick and roll game is great,” Simonds told Robbie Faulk of 247Sports. “When they run and play defense they get after it. It’s what I do at Buford. They want to use me at the one sometimes but usually I’ll be catching and shooting because I like the wing. I’m just a winner and that’s all I know. I can play basketball so that’s just how it is.”

Chuck Burton/Associated Press

Ray, in his third season at Mississippi State, has gotten off to a slow start. The Bulldogs were 24-41 in his first two seasons, including a 7-29 record in SEC play. While injuries and a depleted roster have played a part in those struggles, Ray's job status heading into 2014-15 was at least somewhat up in the air. Mississippi State had not been under .500 since the 1999-2000 season before Ray took over, with Rick Stansbury leading the Bulldogs to six NCAA tournament appearances in his tenure.

Off to a 2-0 start and having landed a Top 50 class for 2015, Ray seems to have the program heading in the right direction. Landing a high-profile recruit like Simonds over some major powers is just the latest sign.

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter