The roster is getting closer and closer to set.

And best of all, the starting five will only lose one player before next season.

Men’s basketball Head Coach Robert Corn has announced the signing of two new recruits to letters of intent to play at Missouri Southern in the fall of 2011.

These two recruits, Michael Thompson and Stephen Atkinson, join early-signee Morgan Smith in Corn’s 2011 recruiting class.

“There’s no doubt Stephen coming in as a high school player continues our trend of bringing in high school players,” Corn said. “He has a good chance to be a very good player in our program. We think he’s going to fit in to what we’re trying to do by continuing to bring in high school players such as Stephen and Morgan.”

Smith, a 5’11”, 175 pound point/shooting guard was a three-year starter at Blue Valley Northwest High School for Head Coach Ed Fritz.

Atkinson is a 6’6″ forward from Benton, Ky. Averaging 19 points and 10 rebounds, he shot 50 percent from the floor to go along with 80 percent at the free-throw line as a senior.

The largest of the recruits, Thompson is a junior college product from Des Moines Area Community College.

“Michael gives us a player with some experience,” Corn said. “Gives us a little more size. He’s 6’9,” so he can step out on the floor and score from the inside or the outside. But the big thing with him is he brings some experience to the table.”

Between his high school and junior college careers, Thompson shot 49.5 percent from the floor and 76.5 percent from the free-throw line.