CARBONDALE, Ill. – SIU men’s basketball head coach Bryan Mullins announced on Thursday that Ben Coupet Jr. signed a letter of intent to play for the Salukis next season.

Coupet (6-7, 185, G) is a Chicago native who won a state championship at Simeon. He comes to SIU from Little Rock, where he averaged double-figures each of the last two years and led the Trojans to a Sun Belt championship in 2019-20.

“Ben is a winner,” Mullins said. “I love what he is about. He has helped his teams win championships at every level in his career. He wants to be a part of something special in his last year, and I couldn’t be more excited to have him join the program. He is a versatile guard that can score at all three levels and guard multiple positions. He will be able to make an immediate impact for us on both sides of the ball. He will fit in great with the culture we have been building and want to continue to establish this upcoming year.”

In two seasons at Little Rock, Coupet  (pronounced coo-pet) started all 57 games and averaged 10.8 points on 45 percent shooting from the field and 37 percent shooting from the 3-point line. As a junior, he averaged 11.2 points and 4.7 rebounds while leading the Trojans to a 21-win season and a conference championship. As a senior, he again averaged double figures and was named Lou Henson National Mid-Major Player of the Week and Sun Belt Player of the Week after averaging 26.5 points on 77 percent shooting in two conference wins. He also was second on the team in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.28).

Coupet has already earned two college degrees and will pursue a master’s degree at SIU. Out of Simeon, Coupet was a three-star recruit by ESPN and a top-40 small forward in the nation.