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Power forward becomes Missouri’s first 2015 commitment

Kim Anderson

New Missouri men’s basketball coach Kim Anderson speaks after he was introduced at an NCAA college basketball news conference in the Reynolds Alumni Center on Tuesday, April 29, 2014, in Colubia, Mo. (AP Photo/Columbia Daily Tribune, Ryan Henriksen)

AP

One of the issues new Missouri head coach Kim Anderson had to address when he was brought in to lead his alma mater was their lack of front court depth. With there being three returnees, it was clear that Anderson and his staff would need to reel in some players for the 2014-15 season. And in short order the staff did just that, putting the program in a better position than it was in upon their arrival.

They did enough to ensure that Jakeenan Gant, who committed to the program when Frank Haith was in charge, would remain committed and added both D’Angelo Allen and Montaque Gill-Caesar. That triumvirate joins returnees Keanau Post, Ryan Rosburg and Johnathan Williams III for the upcoming season, and on Thursday evening Missouri landed a verbal commitment from a power forward in the Class of 2015.

6-foot-7 power forward Kevin Puryear, who hails from Blue Springs, Missouri, verbally committed to the SEC program according to Eric Bossi of Rivals.com. Puryear posted the following message via his Twitter account:

As a junior Puryear posted averages of 19.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, helping lead Blue Springs South to a 21-5 record. Puryear filled multiple roles for his high school team, serving as a point forward on the offensive end of the floor. Blue Springs South head coach Jimmy Cain discussed some of his star player’s strengths in a story written by Bill Althaus of The Examiner back in April:

“He really played a point-forward type role for us this year,” Cain said. “He was able to be effective anywhere on the floor. He can obviously score, but he also does a great job reading defenses and finding teammates when he is doubled. He would be the first to also mention the luxury of having some great teammates who he trusted.”

Puryear played his grassroots basketball for the KC Run GMC program, and his versatility is something that can help Missouri upon his arrival on campus next summer. Post is Missouri’s lone senior in the front court, so the depth questions Anderson had to deal with when he was hired shouldn’t be an issue at that time.

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