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Morehead State picks up junior college guard Bakari Turner

Western Kentucky v Mississippi Valley State

DAYTON, OH - MARCH 13: Head coach Sean Woods of the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils watches the action in the first half while taking on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in the first round of the 2011 NCAA men’s basketball tournament at UD Arena on March 13, 2012 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

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Even with two players sitting out this season per NCAA transfer rules, Morehead State will have a crowded roster in the first season of the Sean Woods era.

That roster became a little more crowded on Thursday, as it was announced that the Eagles have added junior college guard Bakari Turner.

Turner, a 6-4, 190-pound guard from Plano, Texas, was a NJCAA All-American at Cedar Valley College and helped lead the team to 23 wins and a national runner-up finish.

Originally a Baylor signee out of high school, Turner averaged 24.4 points and 10.5 rebounds per game last season. As a freshman at Blinn JC, Turner posted averages of 17.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest.

“Bakari is a big-time talent, and we’re excited about him joining our program,” Head Coach Sean Woods said. “Bakari had several high-major programs recruiting him, and we’re happy he chose Morehead State in the end. He could certainly be a difference maker for us in the near future.”

Turner’s arrival means that Morehead State will have ten newcomers in the program this season, but Mississippi Valley State transfer Brent Arrington and UNLV transfer Karam Mashour will both be sidelined.

Of the six returnees forward Drew Kelly brings the most production (last season) to the table, as he averaged 10.2 points and a team-best 4.8 rebounds per game.

Fellow forward Khalil Owens averaged 4.8 rebounds per game as well, while Milton Chavis (7.9 ppg) and Angelo Warner (6.0 ppg) are next in line behind Kelly from a scoring standpoint.

With Terrance Hill and Ty Proffitt moving on the Eagles were in need of perimeter scoring, and the addition of Turner should help in that regard.

“Bakari has the potential to play valuable minutes for us the next two years,” Woods said. “He’s a hard-nosed competitor who is quick with the ball and has a knack for scoring. He can also defend three positions for us. I think he will fit in nicely with the up-tempo style we are going to play.

“We want to be among the Ohio Valley Conference leaders in scoring, field-goal shooting and three-point percentage this season,” Woods added. “Bakari will help us in all of those categories. His ability to score will help get us into a full-court press, where we can put pressure on opponents.”

Raphielle is also the assistant editor at CollegeHoops.net and can be followed on Twitter at @raphiellej.