Missouri State starter quits the team 3 days before the MVC Tournement game vs. ISU

[yoda]

Jalen Hampton averaged 7.6 ppg (5th on team) and 6.0 rpg (2nd on team), and hit 58% of FG attempts (best on team among all players who attempted more than 1 FG) - but in his last 8 games, he is hitting 82% (32-39)
No reasons given- it would appear he still has one season of eligibility remaining - possibly two if the juco waiver is also available for 2026.


** Missouri Valley has been in the MVC since 1990. (as SW Missouri State)
They won Arch Madness in 1992 (under head coach Charlie Spoonhaur), and have not won it since.
Only Evansville among teams that have been on the MVC more than 7 years has won it less than Missouri State.
They have not been to the NCAA Tourney since 1999.

[Da Coach]

Jalen Hampton is a 6'6" guard/forward who has really bounced around. He has attended 5 different schools in the last 5 years.
He is originally from St. Louis, but after graduating high school in 2021, he did a prep school year at Link Year Prep in Branson, MO, finishing in 2022. He initially committed to Missouri State head coach Dana Ford back in 2021. But then he de-committed in 2022 prior to enrolling and followed Missouri State assistant coach Corey Gipson to Northwestern State in Louisiana, where he took the head coaching job. He played the 2022-23 season at Northwestern State and was mostly a starter, averaging 10.2 ppg, and 7.4 rpg as a freshman. He did not attempt a three point shot.
But then after only 1 season, Corey Gipson left Northwestern State and took the Austin Peay job. Hampton transferred to South Plains College, a juco in Texas, and played the 2023-24 season there. He had a good year at South Plains, averaging 13.1 ppg and 9.1 rpg, but he shot only 3-19 from three. Then he committed quite late to Missouri State and Cuonzo Martin (May 8, 2024), where he played this past season (2024-25). He was a part-time starter and averaged 7.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 36.1% from three (6-19).
And now he has left the Missouri State team again, and plans to transfer.
So counting high school, prep school, D1 Northwestern State, South Plains juco, and D1 Missouri State, he has attended 5 different schools in the last 5 seasons. And because of the junior college ruling from the NCAA, he still has probably 2 more seasons of eligibility if another D1 is willing to take a chance on him.
His next school will be his 6th in 6 years, and he could go for 7 schools in seven years if he plays an additional season somewhere.

[Bacci'sAftertheGym]

When I saw your subject line I was hoping it was Osei-Bonsu. Dude is a UNIT. Bradley only got to play him once this year. As a Juco junior he might have 2 more seasons I think? He would do very well to enter the portal after they lose in STL and pick a team to stay in the Valley.
Jashon Henry 2.0

[JMM28]

When I saw your subject line I was hoping it was Osei-Bonsu. Dude is a UNIT. Bradley only got to play him once this year. As a Juco junior he might have 2 more seasons I think? He would do very well to enter the portal after they lose in STL and pick a team to stay in the Valley.
Jashon Henry 2.0

Yup.

[Da Coach]

When I saw your subject line I was hoping it was Osei-Bonsu. Dude is a UNIT. Bradley only got to play him once this year. As a Juco junior he might have 2 more seasons I think? He would do very well to enter the portal after they lose in STL and pick a team to stay in the Valley.
Jashon Henry 2.0

Osei-Bonsu is an interesting and somewhat unique D1 player. He plays the center position, though he is only 6'4" - https://missouristatebears.com/sport...sei-bonsu/8157
...but he holds his own pretty well, despite playing against much bigger players. He averaged 11.1 ppg and 7.5 rpg. though in the one game in Peoria he didn't hurt the Braves too badly (7 pts, 5 reb).
And I expect there will be several Missouri State players who enter the transfer portal after they had such a miserable season.

[yoda]

When I saw your subject line I was hoping it was Osei-Bonsu. ...... As a Juco junior he might have 2 more seasons I think?

actually, as the rule is stated currently (and it still could change), the only players entitled at this time to the extra year are those whose
eligibility would otherwise run out at the end of the 2024-25 season. BUT, Osei-Bonsu does not run out of eligibility this year, he's just a junior,
so for him to get extra eligibility via the juco rule, NCAA would have to extend the rule next season to include the players who run out of
eligibility next year at the end of 2025-26 - but they have not yet done so.