Mizzou men’s basketball head coach Dennis Gates answers a question during a press conference introducing him in the Albrecht Family Practice Facility in Columbia on Tuesday, March 22, 2022. Gates is the 20th head coach in program history, coming to Missouri from Cleveland State University. Photo by Colter Peterson, cpeterson@post-dispatch.com
COLUMBIA, Mo. – New Missouri basketball coach Dennis Gates has landed his second recruit in two days, securing a verbal commitment from a player he should know well from the Horizon League. Milwaukee senior guard DeAndre Gholston, who played against Gates’ Cleveland State’s team five times the last two seasons, announced his pledge to Mizzou on Saturday. With just one year of eligibility, he’ll add some perimeter scoring and experience to MU’s backcourt.
Gholston is a 6-5 guard from Gary, Indiana, who has played for three college programs over the last four years, including the last two seasons at Milwaukee, where he averaged 15.3 points per game and shot 34.2% from 3-point range. He played against Gates’ team five teams, averaging 14.2 points per game. Gholston’s highest-scoring Division I season came in 2020-21, when he averaged 16.8 points per game while shooting 37.4% from deep and 43.9% overall from the floor.
Gholston began his college career at Kent State, where he played sparingly as a freshman, then transferred to Tallahassee, Florida, Community College, then left there for Milwaukee.
On Friday, Gates landed a commitment from junior college prospect Mohamed Diarra, a 6-foot-10 forward from Garden City, Kansas, Community College and originally from Paris, France.
Gates is trying to land one of the top available point guards as well. Sean East, a junior at John A. Logan College, was at Mizzou on Saturday visiting campus, his father, Sean East, confirmed. East, who averaged 20.9 points and 5.7 assists this season, began his college career at Massachusetts, then transferred to Bradley. He led both teams in assists in his seasons there. Former coach Cuonzo Martin had been heavily recruiting East before he was fired earlier this month.
JucoRecruiting.com ranks Diarra the No. 1 junior college player in the country and ranks East No. 2.
Dave Matter brings you the latest updates from the Mizzou sports scene.
Dave Matter is the Mizzou beat writer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
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Mizzou men’s basketball head coach Dennis Gates answers a question during a press conference introducing him in the Albrecht Family Practice Facility in Columbia on Tuesday, March 22, 2022. Gates is the 20th head coach in program history, coming to Missouri from Cleveland State University. Photo by Colter Peterson, cpeterson@post-dispatch.com
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