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Johnson inks with MSU

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State's stellar signing class increased by one on Wednesday when heralded power forward Roquez Johnson of Montgomery, Ala., inked his letter of intent.
The 6-foot-7, 210-pound G.W. Carver High School standout joins Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year Rodney Hood, Parade All-American D.J. Gardner and All-State performer Deville Smith as the Bulldogs' incoming freshman for the 2011-12 campaign.
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This signing class is currently ranked No. 20 by ESPN and No. 24 by Scout.com.
"We are really excited to have Roquez join our family," said 14th-year MSU coach Rick Stansbury, the school's all-time leader in wins with 272. "He's a hard worker that brings a tremendous work ethic to your program every day. He's from one of the winningest high school programs in the state of Alabama, where he's played for one of best coaches in James Jackson. He's a great kid from a really good family."
Johnson comes to MSU after leading the Wolverines to a 33-2 record and a berth in the Class 6A semifinals as a senior. He led his team in rebounding (13.2), while his 16 points were the third most. He also dished out 5.1 assists while collecting 3.1 steals. In the 54-50 loss to Hillcrest (Tuscaloosa) in the semifinals, he totaled 13 points.
As a junior, Carver advanced to the Class 5A finals, where it lost to Lee-Huntsville, 62-48. However, Johnson paced his team with 17 points and 10 rebounds en route to garnering first-team all-tournament honors.
The son of Rose and Robert Johnson, he was selected to play in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic last March, where he totaled 9 points, 5 rebounds and 4 blocks.
"He is a picture of hard work," Carver coach James Jackson said. "The thing about his game is that he's very athletic. Night in and night out, he's going to give you all he has. He can get up and down the court, and he's a joy to watch play. The fans at Mississippi State are in for a big surprise."
Johnson's older brother, Robert, played for current MSU assistant George Brooks at Meridian Community College when he was the head coach.
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