COLUMBIA, Mo. (STLToday.com) -Kim Anderson’s efforts to restock Missouri’s basketball roster paid off with a verbal commitment Sunday from Frankie Hughes, a 6-4 shooting guard from Garfield Heights, Ohio, who was in Columbia this weekend on a recruiting visit.
Hughes announced his decision on Twitter.
Hughes signed with Louisville in November but was released from his letter of intent this spring. Hughes was a high school teammate of Mizzou signee Willie Jackson, who signed with the Tigers in the fall. Jackson is a consensus three-star prospect by recruiting rankings. Before signing with Louisville in the fall, Hughes also considered Miami, Minnesota, Texas A&M, Wichita State, Wisconsin and others.
Hughes averaged 19.0 points and 5.0 rebounds for Garfield Heights High School as a senior. Hughes and Jackson both received Associated Press All-Ohio first-team honors and made Cleveland.com’s boys basketball first team.
Hughes will help replenish a backcourt depleted in recent months. In February, junior guard Wes Clark was kicked off the team for academic reasons. After the Tigers completed their 10-21 season, sophomore guards Tramaine Isabell and Namon Wright both left the team, opting to transfer.
Anderson entered the offseason with three available scholarships and planned to use one on a guard who can handle the ball to complement returning point guard Terrence Phillips and another scholarship on a perimeter scorer. Mizzou must vacate a scholarship for either 2016-17 or 2017-18 as part of its self-sanctions for NCAA violations that took place under the former coaching staff.
The spring signing period for basketball recruits begins Wednesday.
