Missouri basketball adds junior-college guard Jordan Geist

Missouri basketball added another guard to bolster its backcourt Friday, securing a commitment from Ranger (Texas) College’s Jordan Geist during a visit to Columbia.

A formal announcement from Tigers coach Kim Anderson isn’t expected until next week, but Geist already announced his decision on Twitter: “Proud to join the Mizzou Basketball family. Want to thank Coach Anderson and the Missouri Staff for this opportunity.”

Geist, a 6-foot-3 combo guard and high school teammate of Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan as a senior at Homestead High in Fort Wayne, Ind., averaged 15.1 points last season for Ranger.

He was a National Junior College Athletic Association second-team All-American during his only junior-college season, helping coach Billy Gillispie’s Rangers to a fourth-place finish at the national tournament and a 31-7 record overall.

Geist shot 35.3 percent from three-point range and also averaged 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 steals. He’ll have three years of eligibility for the Tigers.

Missouri announced that Garfield Heights guard Frankie Hughes signed Wednesday, joining three players — Hughes’ high school teammate Willie Jackson along with forwards Mitchell Smith and Reed Nikko — who signed in November.

Geist played his first three prep seasons at Penn High in Mishawaka, Ind., where he averaged 17.7 points and 3.3 assists as the point guard for a 23-2 squad.

He was recruited primarily by midmajor programs — Wright State, Ball State and Wisconsin-Green Bay among them — in high school.

Geist scored 18 with eight rebounds for Homestead in an overtime win during the 2015 Indiana Class 4A state title game.

The Tigers still have one open scholarship for the 2016-2017 season.

Coach Anderson said last month Mizzou needed to add a combo guard, wing scorer and possibly a post player after four guards — Martavian Payne, Wes Clark, Tramaine Isabell and Namon Wright — were dismissed from the team or decided to transfer last season.

Forward D’Angelo Allen also decided to transfer late last season.

The Tigers also must forfeit one scholarship before 2018 under self-imposed sanctions announced in January.

This story was originally published April 15, 2016 at 6:30 PM with the headline "Missouri basketball adds junior-college guard Jordan Geist."