In committing to Mizzou basketball, Chang finds ‘fresh start’ and ‘perfect situation’
Ed Chang found himself in the NCAA’s transfer portal for the second time in two years. After starting his college career at San Diego State two years ago, Chang elected to leave for Salt Lake Community College, where he played last season.
Looking to return to Division I basketball, Chang again entered the portal earlier this month. That’s when Mizzou coach Cuonzo Martin reached out. Fortunately for both parties, there was already a base level of familiarity between them: Martin had recruited Chang and offered him a scholarship when the forward was coming out of high school in Papillion, Nebraska, located just outside of Omaha.
Once those talks restarted — albeit two years later — Chang said it felt like they picked up right where they left off. Only, this time, it worked out for both sides as Chang committed to Martin and Mizzou Thursday.
“The program itself sold itself to me,” Chang told The Star in a phone conversation Friday. “The opportunity that I have there. A fresh start. I’m not too far away from Omaha. It’s just perfect — perfect situation.”
When Chang made public his intent to transfer, he received interest from several Division I schools, including Long Beach State, Cincinnati and Eastern Michigan, but he decided on Mizzou after seeing the type of fit the Tigers offered.
Because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Chang was barred from visiting campuses — the NCAA has mandated a recruiting “dead period” through May 31. But Chang said he was able to make virtual “visits” with suitors, including one provided by Martin.
Coming from a community college, Chang is able to play in the 2020-21 season. He has two years of eligibility remaining. And immediately, what stands out about the 6-foot-8 wing’s game is an area in which Mizzou sorely faltered last season: three-point shooting.
Chang shot a blazing 41.2% from behind the arc on 114 attempts with Salt Lake last season, where he averaged 8.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. In comparison, the Tigers hit on an abysmal 29.7% on threes, often shooting themselves out of games . The only Tiger who shot better than 30% (at least five attempts) was Mark Smith, at 37.1%.
Based on Mizzou’s style, Chang is likely to play at the four position or power forward, where Mitchell Smith and Kobe Brown saw the bulk of those minutes last season. Chang’s three-point threat should provide an immediate boost in stretching the floor for his teammates, too.
“It’s more of a guard-oriented system, I feel like, from what I’ve seen,” Chang said. “I feel like what I bring to the table fits perfectly, just with the system (Martin) runs.”
While there’s a clear fit for Chang on the offensive end, he’ll also need to be a factor defensively. It’s how Martin builds his program, and when the Tigers are playing at their best, that foundation physically grinds down an opponent.
During his freshman season at San Diego State, Chang said, Aztecs coach Brian Dutcher and his staff worked him hard on that end of the floor. After competing in a similar environment, Chang said he embraces the defensive challenge awaiting him in Columbia.
“I spent a lot of time on the defensive side of things,” Chang said. “Now that I’m coming from my freshman year to junior year, basically, I feel like I’ve improved a lot more. Now I know the concepts — I know everything.”
While Martin and Chang already share a relationship from two years ago, Chang said there’s also a player on the roster with whom he’s familiar: Parker Braun. In high school, Chang played for the Kansas City-based AAU team MOKAN Elite on the EYBL circuit. That’s where Chang met Braun, and Chang said the two spoke before he made his final decision.
After bouncing around from spot to spot the past two seasons, Chang said he hopes he has found a permanent home to finish out his college career.
“I see myself as a bigger guard,” Chang said. “I’m working and improving on that every day. I feel like the opportunity is there for me, so I’ve just got to keep working.”