It didn't take long for new Missouri coach Kim Anderson to start stockpiling talent. He already has his first recruit.
Anderson, who accepted the Mizzou job April 28 after winning a Division II national championship at Central Missouri weeks earlier, announced Monday that D'Angelo Allen, a 6-foot-7, 190-pound small forward from Kimball High in Dallas, has signed a national letter-of-intent with the Tigers.
Allen is known for his tough defense, a trait that certainly will endear him to his new coach.
"He can score, rebound, defend and block shots, and I really appreciate his willingness to put team success over his personal accolades," Anderson said in a press release announcing the signing. "He is going to be a great addition to our program."
Alan Branch, a recruiting analyst for TexasBoysBasketball.com, said in the release that "Missouri is getting a winner and a competitor" in Allen.
"He is one of the few players that takes as much pride on the defensive end of the court as he does scoring the basketball," Branch said. "He is a very good on-ball and help defender. His versatility and toughness will help him succeed at the next level."
Allen, who is known for his athleticism and defensive versatility, started all four years at Kimball and his teams went to the Class 4A state championship game each season, winning three times (2011, 2012, 2014).
"D'Angelo is a bit of a sleeper prospect nationally, but he is a talented young man that is known well throughout our state," Branch said.
Allen selected the Tigers over Oklahoma, Marquette, Houston and Georgetown.
One of Anderson's first recruiting moves was to retain assistant coach Tim Fuller, who had recruited Jakeenan Gant, a 6-8 forward and the Player of the Year in Georgia. After it was announced that Fuller would remain on the Mizzou staff, Gant told Fuller he remained committed to the Tigers even after the coaching change from Frank Haith to Anderson.
Anderson reportedly was meeting this past weekend with Namon Wight, another 2014 freshman recruit. The 6-5 guard from Los Angeles has not yet announced whether he still will be coming to Columbia.
Alson on Monday, USA Basketball announced that Gant was among 21 of the nation’s top 18-and-unders who accepted invitations to participate in the 2014 USA Basketball Men's U18 National Team training camp.
The training camp, scheduled to be held June 10-19 in Colorado Springs, Colo., will be used to select the 12-member team that will compete in the USA Basketball-hosted 2014 FIBA Americas U18 Championship.
