The University of Massachusetts basketball team's incoming freshman class grew a bit larger late Thursday night. To be exact, it grew by about 81 inches and 220 pounds.

According to TheRecruitScoop.com, Malik Hines – a 6-foot-9 forward from Jackson, Mississippi whose recruitment elsewhere had been disrupted by academic issues – verbally committed to UMass for the 2014-15 season:

Hines, who played last season at the Life Center Academy in Burlington, New Jersey after spending time at the Cordia School in Kentucky and Jackson's MBA Hoops AAU team, was reported earlier Thursday by the Daily Hampshire Gazette to have been getting attention from the Minutemen as they look to fill out their roster.

Hines had previously been recruited by several big-time programs in Ohio State, LSU, Louisville and Kentucky. He's unrated by most recruiting outlets, but VerbalCommits.com gives him two stars.

Because of academic concerns, Hines' eligibility for the upcoming season is in question. If he fails to qualify, he'll have to sit out the year (like Donte Clark last seaon) and will – assuming he gets back on track in class – join the team with a scholarship for 2015. If he's ruled eligible, coach Derek Kellogg will have some tricky roster maneuvers to make as he'll have one too many incoming players on board for 2014.

UMass signed center Rashaan Holloway and guard/forward C.J. Anderson to Letters of National Intent for 2014 back in November. They're set to join Clark, a guard, a forward Zach Coleman as newcomers for 2014-15.

Here are a couple of older highlight videos featuring Hines from the spring of 2013. It seems he's put on some weight and grown a couple inches since then:

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