Former Missouri State basketball star Isiaih Mosley commits to Mizzou
Former Missouri State star Isiaih Mosley has committed to the University of Missouri.
The three-year standout for the Bears posted a photo on Instagram on Monday afternoon of him in a Tigers uniform with the caption "I'm coming home."
Mosley was a star player for Rock Bridge High in Columbia. During his senior year, he led the Bruins to a state championship and was named Missouri's Mr. Basketball at the end of the season.
Mosley's departure from Missouri State came in late April and he recently withdrew his name from the NBA Draft. He joins a new regime at Mizzou under new head coach Dennis Gates.
Mosley was pursued by many of the top programs in the country with Mississippi State and Kansas showing heavy interest in the guard.
Gates, Mizzou's new head coach, has been active in the transfer portal this offseason and has landed some of the highest-rated juco players and mid-major standouts. The Tigers were in need of a wing and Mosley will fit right in as one of the sport's top available players.
Missing on Mosley was considered perhaps Cuonzo Martin's biggest recruiting miss when he was the head coach at Mizzou. He was also pursued by Tulsa, Bradley and Mississippi State out of high school but chose to play on the same court he won a state championship on in Springfield.
Mosley averaged 20.4 points and 6.2 rebounds on 50.4 percent shooting this past season while leading the Bears to the NIT. The Tigers went 12-21 and Martin lost his job.
A move to Mizzou will allow Mosley to play against better competition on a nightly basis. There would likely be Name, Image and Likeness possibilities and he'd also have better television exposure with the SEC having a deal with ESPN. A chance to boost his NBA stock will be ideal at his next destination.
A move to Mizzou also allows him to be closer to family and friends. Mosley was Mr. Basketball his senior year while playing with Dajuan Harris (Kansas) and Ja'Monta Black (former Missouri State, now Northwestern State).
Wearing a Tigers uniform will tarnish his Missouri State legacy in the eyes of many in southwest Missouri. He's one of the better players to wear a Missouri State jersey and has his name high in record books as he was on pace to be the school's all-time leading scorer.
For many, they would have liked to see him go anywhere but there.
Missouri State has moved on and it's not like Mizzou would play against the Bears in a game anyway.
Fifth-year head coach Dana Ford has been extremely busy this offseason with an overhauled roster of newcomers featuring the likes of James Graham III (Maryland), Kendle Moore (Colorado State), Jonathan Mogbo (Northeast Oklahoma A&M) and Chance Moore (Arkansas) among others.
Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. You can contact him at 417-371-6987, by email at wwheeler@news-leader.com or Twitter at @WyattWheeler_NL. He's also the co-host of Sports Talk on Jock Radio weekdays from 4-6 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Isiaih Mosley transfers from Missouri State to Mizzou
