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Jalen Steele, a 6-foot-3 guard from Knoxville’s Fulton High School, was expected to sign with the Bulldogs on Tuesday night. He originally signed with Auburn, but after Jeff Lebo was fired and Tony Barbee hired as head coach, Steele asked for and was granted a release from his scholarship earlier this month.
MSU coach Rick Stansbury quickly pursued Steele, and now the only question is where the scholarship will come from, as the signing currently puts MSU one over the NCAA limit. Stansbury has until the first day of MSU’s fall term – Aug. 18 – to be at the limit.
Steele, who was named Tennessee’s Class AA Mr. Basketball last season, averaged 24 points per game and is the second MSU signee in this class. The Bulldogs signed junior college guard Brian Bryant in the fall.