ESPN Recruiting Ranks MBB Incoming Class The Best In Program History

Men's Basketball Inks Four During Early Signing Period (Nov. 10)
Men's Basketball Signs Matiss Kulackovskis To NLI (April 12)

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Since ESPN.com Recruiting started its high school basketball recruiting rankings in 2007, the Bowling Green State University men's basketball program has never signed a higher-rated incoming class. The 2017 class, which features five soon-to-be freshmen, is set to arrive on campus this summer.

Nelly Cummings (Midland, Pa. / Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School), Joniya Gadson (Fort Lauderdale, Fla. / Dillard High School), Derek Koch (West Salem, Ohio / Northwestern High School), Matiss Kulackovskis (Saldus, Latvia / Archbishop Ryan High School) and Daeqwon Plowden (Philadelphia, Pa. / Mastery Charter North School) have all signed National Letters of Intent to play for head coach Michael Huger's Falcons. All five players have four years of eligibility, beginning with the 2017-18 season.

Bowling Green has four of its incoming freshmen ranked by ESPN, which is a program best. Additionally, two members of the 2017 recruiting class are tabbed as 3-star prospects according to ESPN, marking the first time ever that BGSU has signed a 3-star prospect on ESPN.com's ratings.

Derek Koch, a 6-9 forward, is a 3-star prospect with a 73 rating, while Nelly Cummings, a 6-0 guard, also earned a 3-star rating on ESPN.com, with an overall rating of 71. At the start of the season, Cummings was not rated, but when ESPN.com updated its rankings in late January, Cummings elevated all the way up to a 3-star ranking.

Joniya Gadson (6-11 center) and Daeqwon Plowden (6-5 wing) earned ratings on ESPN.com, as well. In December, ESPN Recruiting bumped Gadson all the way up to a 66 rating, which nearly classifies him as a 3-star prospect. Plowden received his ranking in March following a successful senior season. Plowden was named the Public League Liberty Division's Most Valuable Player, on top of being a Second Team All-State selection this past season, while Gadson finished his career at Dillard High School by capturing back-to-back state titles.

Matiss Kulackovskis, who signed with the Falcons last week, has garnered very high praise from the City of Basketball Love, an extensive recruiting site, which focuses predominately on the top prospects in the Philadelphia area. The website characterizes Kulackovskis as a player that "excels from beyond the three-point arc as a spot-up shooter, either in pick-and-pop or trail situations, and he can put the ball on the floor for a one-dribble pull-up, as well."

Bowling Green and Ball State are the only schools in the conference with two 3-star prospects on ESPN.com. Michael Huger has now signed multiple 3-star prospects in back-to-back seasons, which is another program record. Members of the 2016 freshmen class, Rodrick Caldwell (3-star, Scout), Dylan Frye (3-star, Rivals) and Justin Turner (3-star, Rivals), all earned 3-star ratings according to one of the three major basketball recruiting websites (ESPN, Scout, Rivals).

Starting next Friday (April 28), BGSUFalcons.com will be taking a closer look at each of the five men's basketball signees. The "Future Falcon Friday" series will be posted each subsequent Friday, and will delve into more details on the future Falcons.

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