PowerMizzou is reporting that power forward Jakeenan Gant, the No. 44 player in the Class of 2014 according to Rivals.com, committed to Mizzou while on a visit this weekend.
"It felt like family. Everybody was just family. It was a perfect fit for me. A good situation for me," said the 6-foot-8, 200 pound prospect.
The Tiger coaches put in work recruiting Gant during the summer AAU season, where he played with the Southern Stampede in the Nike EYBL. Tim Fuller and Frank Haith's attendance at Stampede games during the NCAA certified open periods did not go unnoticed by Gant, who added that he felt like he had a very good relationships with both Haith and Fuller.
Fuller strikes again, I guess.
Gant is a lanky power forward, at this time known mostly for his athleticism and length. He had offers from Florida, Indiana, Marquette, Syracuse, Cincinnati, Clemson, and West Virginia, among others. He is still learning the game, however, according to ESPN's scouting report:
Weaknesses:
Gant is still a young thoroughbred who is still picking up the nuances of the game. His overall offensive game is a bit raw as he depends on energy and athleticism at this stage. He can knock down elbow jump shots and has an occasional drop-step move, but overall his footwork (pivot work) and fundamentals (keeping the ball high) need to improve when operating in the paint. On the perimeter he still needs to improve his ball handling when attacking the rim and and add range to his jump shot.
(You could write most of those things about just about every good power forward at the high school level, of course.)
His highlight video is both impressive and predictable.
This is a lovely get. Gant joins Los Angeles swing man Chris Sandifer and Louisville transfer Zach Price in filling the three available scholarships Mizzou currently has for the 2014 class ("currently" being the operative word). Obviously Devin Booker is still on the board, but I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that there would probably be a scholarship available to him if he wanted one. For now, however, Mizzou's class is full.