Jackson State University basketball scored a big target on the transfer portal, grabbing a talented scorer from an in-state SEC program.
Former McDonald’s All-American Daeshun Ruffin has committed to Jackson State University. He made the announcement via his Instagram account on Friday.
Ruffin was a highly sought-after prospect in the 2021 class, ranking as the top player in the state of Mississippi and the eighth-best point guard in the nation in his class. Scored 2,337 points throughout his high school career at Callaway High School in Jackson, averaging 25.4 points per game over four seasons. He averaged 33.1 points per game, 3.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.8 steals per game, leading Callaway to three district titles and a trio of state appearances.
Daeshun Ruffin ultimately chose Ole Miss, becoming the program’s first-ever consensus four-star recruit. He had an immediate impact on the SEC program as a freshman, averaging the second-highest points per game total (12.6) on the team, while also averaging 25.9 minutes per game, 3.4 assists per game and 2.3 steals per game during the 2021-2022 season. He was limited to 14 games because of a hand injury.
Those numbers took a slight dip during the 2022-2023 season as Ruffin was limited to just 11 games and saw his minutes cut to 18.3 per game. Ruffin averaged 9.5 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. He entered the transfer portal on Monday, and it didn’t take long for him to return to Jackson where he will play under the tutelage of Mo Williams.
Jackson State can definitely use Ruffin’s scoring punch, as its 67.1 points per game were eighth-best in the 12-team SWAC. JSU finished 14-19 in its first season under Williams.