Cleveland State's D'Moi Hodge commits to Mizzou basketball, reuniting with Dennis Gates

Chris Kwiecinski, Columbia Daily Tribune
·2 min read
Cleveland State guard D'Moi Hodge (55) shoots over Oklahoma State guard Isaac Likekele, left, in overtime of a game Dec. 13, 2021, in Stillwater, Okla.
Cleveland State guard D'Moi Hodge (55) shoots over Oklahoma State guard Isaac Likekele, left, in overtime of a game Dec. 13, 2021, in Stillwater, Okla.

Dennis Gates continues to piece together his first roster for Missouri men's basketball.

D'Moi Hodge, a 6-foot-4 Cleveland State transfer guard, committed to Missouri on Saturday evening, following Gates from his former school.

Hodge rounds out the Tigers' guard rotation and can provide versatility playing shooting guard or small forward. His commitment indicates there will be at least one player to leave Missouri or not enter the fold as expected. Junior-college star point guard Sean East's commitment Friday was the program's last open scholarship to offer.

Hodge comes to Missouri after averaging 15.4 points and 3.1 rebounds per game last season, hitting 48.2% of his shots from the field. He was named the 2021-22 Horizon League defensive player of the year after averaging 2.2 steals per game.

More: Missouri men's basketball lands point guard in JUCO player of the year transfer Sean East

Hodge's status as a key defender matches recent Missouri commit Tre Gomillion, another former CSU player. Gomillion was the 2020-21 Horizon League defensive player of the year, the same year CSU made the NCAA Tournament.

Hodge's addition will allow the MU staff to begin figuring out how to build its lineups.

Gates' offense seems like it will run through East, and his defense figures to benefit from the prowess of Hodge and Gomillion.

Ohio State guard Duane Washington Jr. (4) is guarded by Cleveland State guard D'Moi Hodge (55) during a game Dec. 13, 2020, at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
Ohio State guard Duane Washington Jr. (4) is guarded by Cleveland State guard D'Moi Hodge (55) during a game Dec. 13, 2020, at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

Jarron Coleman, Yaya Keita and Amari Davis are now without clear roles on the team.

Coleman was the primary ball-handler last season, something East is likely to assume. Keita was a backup post player as a freshman before suffering a knee injury. Davis was the sixth man last year but could face stiffer competition for playing time.

More: Why Tre Gomillion followed Dennis Gates to Mizzou: 'He didn’t have to sell me'

Chris Kwiecinski is the sports editor for the Columbia Daily Tribune, overseeing University of Missouri and Boone County sports coverage. Follow him on Twitter @OchoK_ and contact him at CKwiecinsk@gannett.com or 573-815-1857.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Cleveland State's D'Moi Hodge commits to Missouri basketball