Mankato, Minnesota — minnesota state men's basketball coach matt magensler announced that four student-athletes will join the Maverick men's basketball team in the fall of 2024.
All signings and transfers are subject to admission to MSU and compliance with NCAA rules, including certification by the NCAA Eligibility Center.
Drew Daniel, Puorla Gong, david harmon and kaden kirkman They will make up the 2024-25 recruiting class.
“Our recruiting class represents a diverse range of talent that addresses all the important needs as we continue to chase championships,” Mergenthaler said. “This outstanding class brings talent and a commitment to excellence and represents the future of our program. I welcome them to the Maverick family.”
Security guard from West Des Moines, Iowa Drew Daniel He played in 68 games over the past four seasons at Northern Iowa. He played in 31 games in the 2022-23 season, recording 73 points and 43 rebounds. Against Wartburg, he made 4 of 8 shots from the field and recorded 11 points and 3 rebounds. Last season against Loras, Daniel had five points and a season-high eight rebounds. He has been named to the MVC Honor Roll twice and to the NABC Honor Roll once.
Before joining Northern Iowa, Daniel played at Dowling Catholic High School and helped the team reach the state tournament in 2019 and 2020. He earned second team all-conference honors and averaged 8.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
Security guard from Mankato, Minnesota Puorla Gong The past two seasons he played against Kirkwood CC's boys basketball team. In his sophomore year, he averaged 8.1 points and 3.4 rebounds per game while shooting 47.2 percent from the field. He scored a season-high 21 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the field against Marshalltown.
Gong averaged 7.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per game as a freshman, including a 25-point performance against Marshalltown. He scored at least 10 points in eight games during his freshman season. Gong had a season-high nine rebounds against Iowa Wesleyan.
Security guard from Omaha, Nebraska david harmon He played in all 59 games for Wayne State over the past two seasons. As a freshman, he recorded 105 points and 40 rebounds while shooting 49.4 percent from the field. In his second season, Harmon averaged 10.6 points and 2.2 rebounds per game on 44.9 percent from the field. Harmon also finished second on the team with 41 3-pointers. Against Southwest Minnesota State, he scored a career-high 21 points, including 3-of-5 from downtown.
Harmon earned state first-team honors as a senior on the Millard North High School basketball team, averaging 15.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. He also helped the team win the state championship during his junior and senior seasons.
A forward from Wilton, Iowa. kaden kirkman After playing one season at Augustana, he joined the Mavericks. Kirkman appeared in all 30 games, including 20 starts for Augie, averaging 8.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting 56.1% from the field. He scored at least 10 points in 10 games, including a season-best 24 points and 10 rebounds on 10-of-12 field goals against Minnesota Crookston.
Prior to joining Augustana, Kirkman earned first-team state honors as a senior at Wilton High School, scoring 27.4 points and 11.2 rebounds per game while shooting 67 percent from the field. Even as a junior, he averaged 20.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.
Minnesota State won the NCAA Championship and finished the season with a 35-2 record.
2024-25 Minnesota State Men's Basketball Recruiting Class
name | position | Ht. | weight | Year | Birthplace/High school/Alma mater |
Drew Daniels | G | 6-7 | 220 | Senior | West Des Moines, Iowa/Dowling Catholic/UNI |
Puorla Gong | G | 6-7 | 205 | junior | Mankato/Mankato East/Kirkwood, MN |
david harmon | G | 6-4 | 185 | junior | Omaha, Nebraska/Millard North/Wayne State |
kaden kirkman | F | 6-8 | 215 | So. | Wilton/Wilton/Augustana, Iowa |