Geist signs with Missouri hoops

COLUMBIA — The Missouri basketball team made its signing of junior-college transfer Jordan Geist official Monday, three days after the Ranger (Texas) College point guard announced his commitment on Twitter.

Geist, a 6-foot-3, 180-pound native of Fort Wayne, Ind., was a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association second-team All-American last season.

“Jordan Geist has a winner’s mentality on and off the court,” Missouri coach Kim Anderson said. “His ability to be another trustworthy ballhandler and relentless defender for Mizzou basketball was important to us. Jordan is a savvy player who immediately brings solid experience and leadership to our squad.

“We’re excited to have Jordan and his family become a part of our program, and we cannot wait to have him in Columbia this summer.”

Geist averaged 15.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game in his freshman season at Ranger. The Rangers went 35-3 and finished fourth in the NJCAA Division I National Championship.

He is the second player to sign with the Missouri program in the last two weeks, after Garfield Heights (Ohio) senior Frankie Hughes.

“The atmosphere and culture surrounding Mizzou’s program is very exciting to me,” Geist said. “The campus is beautiful and the basketball arena is second-to-none. Coach Anderson and his staff treated me so well on my visit. That made me excited to be a part of the program.

“Playing in a great conference was also important to me. The SEC has great competition and has tough programs to play against. And I’ll be getting great coaching from the Mizzou coaches. I know they’ll prepare us the right way.”

Geist graduated from Homestead High School, which won an Indiana Class 4A State Championship his senior year, when he averaged 16.8 points and 3.6 assists per game. Geist previously played at Penn High School (Mishawaka, Ind.), where he averaged 17.7 points and 3.3 assists per game as a junior.

“Mizzou fans will see toughness from me,” Geist said. “I’m out there to win and give everything I have for Mizzou basketball. I think the little things are the most important parts of basketball. On defense, you have to bother people. I’ll do whatever it takes to win.”

Geist joins Hughes; 6-foot-6 small forward Willie Jackson, Hughes’ teammate at Garfield Heights; and 6-foot-9 forwards Reed Nikko of Maple Grove, Minn., and Mitchell Smith of Van Buren, Ark., in Missouri’s incoming class.

Texas transfer Jordan Barnett, a 6-foot-7 forward from St. Louis, will be eligible to play at semester.