Mizzou's Anderson shores up point guard spot with another recruit

By foxsports
Published

New Mizzou basketball coach Kim Anderson landed a commitment from point guard Tramaine Isabell on Thursday morning, adding to a recruiting class that is considered one of the best in the Southeastern Conference.

"I liked the coaches and the team," Isabell told FOXSportsMidwest.com. "I had a good time on my visit. I felt like it was a good fit."

A 6-foot-1, 175-pounder, Isabell signed with Washington State in November but requested and received a release from his letter of intent after the Cougars fired coach Ken Bone. Isabell picked the Tigers after also considering Providence and Colorado State.

A three-star prospect, Isabell led Garfield High School to the Washington Class 4A championship last season. He scored 34 points in the title game and was named the tournament's most valuable player.

Isabell averaged 23.6 points and 3.5 assists per game as a senior.

The Washington native adds to a recruiting class that includes Top 100 prospects Jakeenan Gant, a 6-8 forward from Georgia; Namon Wright, a 6-4 shooting guard from Los Angeles, and D'Angelo Allen, a 6-7 forward from Dallas.

Scout.com recruiting analyst Evan Daniels, who broke the Isabell commitment story Thursday morning, ranks Mizzou's recruiting class as the fourth-best in the SEC. That's good news for Anderson and associate head coach Tim Fuller, who was the point man on Isabell's recruitment.

"Have to be impressed with what Kim Anderson has done in a short time," Daniels told FOXSportsMidwest.com on Thursday. "He's assembled a good staff, kept two Top 100 prospects committed, plus added to the class with two commitments."

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Missouri's point guard position has been in flux for a few months, since Jordan Clarkson announced he was not returning for his final year of eligibility and sophomore Shane Rector opted to transfer.

That left Wes Clark, a rising sophomore who averaged 4.1 points and 20.4 minutes per game last season, as the only point guard on the roster.

That changed when the Tigers brought in transfer Keith Shamburger from Hawaii, who is expected to be eligible to play right away as a senior this season after completing his undergraduate degree. The 5-11, 170-pounder led the Big West Conference in assists last season.

Now Anderson adds Isabell to the mix, giving Mizzou three point guards he can rely on for the 2014-15 campaign and the ability to mix and match depending on situations and opponents.

You can follow Nate Latsch on Twitter at @NateLatsch or email him at natelatsch@gmail.com.