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S. R. No. 66 *SS26/R1600* ~ OFFICIAL ~ N1/2
26/SS26/R1600
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To: Rules
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Senator(s) Norwood
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 66
A RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING JACKSON STATE 1
UNIVERSITY BASKETBALL STANDOUT DAESHUN RUFFIN, THE NATIONS'S NO. 3 2
SCORER, AS THE SWAC PLAYER OF THE YEAR FOR 2025-2026. 3
WHEREAS, Jackson State University basketball's Daeshun Ruffin 4
was named SWAC Player of the Year on March 6, 2026; and 5
WHEREAS, Daeshun was the only Jackson State (11-20, 10-8 6
SWAC) player on the men's side to receive recognition in the 7
conference awards; and 8
WHEREAS, Daeshun Ruffin led the conference in scoring with a 9
career-high 23.3 points per game and is third in the country. He 10
scored at least 30 points in eight games and at least 20 in 19 11
games. He only scored below double-digits three times and played 12
an average of 14.3 minutes in those games; and 13
WHEREAS, Ruffin was also second in the conference with 5.3 14
assists and sixth with 33.7 minutes. He added 2.8 rebounds and 15
1.6 steals per game and shot 42.6% from the field and 30.9% from 16
the three-point line; and 17
S. R. No. 66 *SS26/R1600* ~ OFFICIAL ~
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WHEREAS, Ruffin is a 5-foot-10 fifth-year senior guard from 18
Jackson who played at Callaway High School. He was the 2020 and 19
2021 Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year and a 2021 McDonald's 20
All-American; and 21
WHEREAS, Ruffin played his first two seasons at Ole Miss and 22
transferred to JSU for the 2023-2024 season. He played a combined 23
25 games those first two seasons; and 24
WHEREAS, last year with JSU, Ruffin averaged team highs with 25
15.7 points, 4.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He was named to 26
the SWAC All-Tournament Team; and 27
WHEREAS, Ruffin was a consensus four-star recruit and one of 28
the top point guards in the 2021 class. He initially committed to 29
Auburn before reopening his recruitment. On June 17, 2020, Ruffin 30
committed to Ole Miss over offers from Auburn, Florida, 31
Mississippi State and LSU, among others. He became the 32
highest-ranked recruit in program history; and 33
WHEREAS, in high school, Ruffin was the first McDonald's 34
All-American signee in school history, consensus 4-star prospect, 35
ranked No. 40 in the country and No. 1 in the State of 36
Mississippi, tabbed 2021 Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year 37
and 2021 MaxPreps Mississippi High School Basketball Player of the 38
Year; and 39
WHEREAS, Daeshun is the son of Twyla Ruffin-McDonald and has 40
five siblings. He is a multidisciplinary studies major with 41
minors in African American studies, sociology and education; and 42
S. R. No. 66 *SS26/R1600* ~ OFFICIAL ~
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ST: Recognize JSU basketball standout Daeshun
Ruffin as 2025-2026 SWAC Player of the Year.
WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we note the 43
accomplishments of a standout Mississippi athlete who has brought 44
honor to his university, his high school, his community and to the 45
State of Mississippi: 46
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF 47
MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend and congratulate Jackson 48
State University basketball standout Daeshun Ruffin, the nations's 49
No. 3 scorer, as the SWAC Player of the Year for 2025-2026, and 50
extend to Daeshun and his family and coaches our best wishes for 51
athletic and career success. 52
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to 53
Daeshun Ruffin, his family and his coaches, be forwarded to the 54
JSU Athletic Director, and made available to the Capitol Press 55
Corps. 56