Cuonzo Martin, Missouri State basketball coach brings 15 newcomers to the Bears roster as he returns to the Great Southern Bank Arena bench for the first time since 2011.
Martin’s new team includes two returning players, including one sidelined for the season. It also features a mix of Division I and juco transfers and a handful of incoming freshmen.
The Bears were picked to finish 11th in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll. Most of the league’s star players from last season have entered the transfer portal and are playing elsewhere. Only one player from Valley’s postseason team returned, leaving much mystery heading into the Bears’ final season in the league.
Missouri State to warn of non-conference games when traveling to Butler for a match at 5:45 p.m. on November 4. The Bears will host an exhibition game against Division II Southwest Baptist on October 29 at 7 p.m. at Great Southern Bank Arena.
Here are the 2024-25 Bears:
Baldwin could be an impact freshman as a 6-foot-7, 200-pound forward who averaged 28 points, nine rebounds and four assists as a senior.
Coming out of high school, he received offers from Saint Louis, Murray State, Illinois State, Eastern Illinois and Bryant.
Brady is expected to play a big role for the Bears as a 6-foot-3, 195-pound guard who started 52 games and made 63 appearances in two seasons at IUPUI.
Brady averaged 10 points and made 86 3s in his first two seasons of Division I ball.
Downing-Rivers could be the Bears’ starting point guard after leading his juco program to a national title last season. He started 70 consecutive games, averaging 8.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists over two seasons.
Logan Epes, Midwest State, junior
Epes is a Division II transfer who played in seven games last season at Midwestern State.
CJ Gaines, Calvary Day (Georgia), freshman
Gaines is a 5-foot-8 backup who averaged 15.5 points as a senior.
Hampton had previously signed with Missouri State before opting to follow former assistant Corey Gipson to Northwestern State. After one season of Division I ball, he transferred to South Plains College, the same juco program that produced Gaige Prim.
At South Plains, Hampton averaged 13.1 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists while shooting 61.8 percent from the field.
King is a true freshman who averaged 28.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and two steals during his senior year. He was named Sunflower League Player of the Year and Regional Player of the Year in his final two seasons.
Kramer is one of two returners from last season, but he had to undergo knee surgery in the offseason and will not play.
Kramer started two games last season in his eight appearances during an injury-plagued season. A knee injury has kept him out of the last 11 games.
He was efficient when active, shooting 36.4 percent from deep and averaging 14.9 minutes per appearance.
Martin, the son of head coach Cuonzo Martin, will be playing his final season of eligibility after serving as a backup for national championship runner-up Purdue Boilermakers.
At Purdue, the 6-foot-2 guard played in 27 games over four seasons. He saw 23 minutes of action last season.
Murray is considered a great athlete who had not reached his potential at Murray State before opting for a change of scenery. He played in 40 games over two seasons and was a reserve last year, playing 159 minutes while averaging 1.5 points and 1.6 rebounds.
Oba has been one of the most talked about players during Missouri State basketball practices due to his high energy.
The Delaware State transfer started in seven of his 34 appearances last season, averaging 6.2 points and 6.2 rebounds as a 6-foot-8 forward.
Osei-Bonsu is a 6-foot-4 forward who averaged 12.2 points and 9.6 rebounds last season at the juco level while shooting 62.5 percent from the field.
Tommy Pinegar, sophomore
Pinegar, a Greenwood graduate, is the second player on the previous list. He played in eight games last season as a redshirt freshman with seven minutes of action.
Stanback is a 6-foot-3 freshman who averaged 20.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.8 blocks per game while playing high school ball in Florida.
Udemadu just completed his first season of Division I basketball. He had seven double-doubles and shot 60 percent from the field. He began his career at Des Moines Area Community College before transferring to Southwest Florida.
Valentine was Pennsylvania’s Class 3A player of the year as a senior, averaging 33.7 points, 10.1 rebounds and 6.2 assists as a 6-foot-3 guard.
Expect White to be a major contributor as he enters his second season in maroon. He is a 6-foot-2 guard who was an ASUN All-Freshman honoree, averaging 7.9 points and 3.1 rebounds for the Governors. He also made 63 shots from deep, a program freshman record.
Martin pursued White when he was head coach at Mizzou.
This article was originally published on Springfield News-Leader: 2024-25 Missouri State basketball roster under Cuonzo Martin
