CLEVELAND – Delta State University head men's basketball coach Jason Conner announced the signing of Mississippi State University transfer Phil Turner on Thursday. Turner, a 6-foot-3 senior-to-be, will enroll at DSU in August.

“We're excited that Phil has decided to finish his collegiate career at Delta State,” Conner stated. “Phil has been a part of Southeastern Conference championship basketball and I believe his talents will help us reach that level here as well. He wants to help us win a championship and I'm looking forward to getting him on the floor.”

Turner, a three-year letter-winner for the Bulldogs, played in all 36 games this season, averaging 5.5 points and 4.3 rebounds in 20.9 minutes per game. He led MSU in rebounding three times, including a season and career-high 14 versus Southeastern Louisiana and he scored a game-high 15 points in MSU's 72-69 win at Humphrey Coliseum on Jan. 16.

Despite standing just 6-foot-3, Turner played much of last season at the power forward spot, but DSU's Conner expects him to return to his natural position - guard. “Phil can literally play anywhere on the floor, but he has a knack for handling the basketball and an ability to get the rack,” Conner added.

As a sophomore, the Grenada native started the last 27 games for the Bulldogs, averaging 8.5 points and 5.5 rebounds for the season. In a memorable SEC Tournament Championship game, Turner scored seven points over the final 90 seconds of action to lead MSU to the title over Tennessee.

“Sometimes it's hard to look at kid and tell if he's a winner, but with Phil, it's written all over him,” concluded Conner.