D’Moi Hodge led the Los Angeles Lakers to a narrow 104-103 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in their Summer League finale. Hodge, a former Missouri men’s basketball standout, scored 23 points, including going 7-of-11 from behind the arc. He also contributed five rebounds, three assists, five steals, and a block in over 31 minutes of action. Cole Swider added 21 points for the Lakers.
On the Clippers’ side, Kobe Brown, another former Missouri player, suffered an ankle injury in the first quarter and did not return to the game. He finished with six points and two assists in just over five minutes of play.
In the same Summer League session, former Missouri guard Dru Smith returned to the starting lineup for the Miami Heat and scored 16 points in their 104-78 win against the Portland Trail Blazers. Smith also recorded four rebounds, four assists, and three steals. However, he struggled from beyond the arc, missing all six of his attempts.
Orlando Robinson led the scoring for the Heat with 27 points, while Jamal Cain contributed 15 points to secure the victory.
DeAndre Gholston, a former guard for the Missouri men’s basketball team, has signed his first professional contract with the Oroszlány SE Lions in Hungary’s top-tier league, the Nemzeti Bajnokság I/A. Sevag Keucheyan of Keucheyan Sports Management confirmed the signing on Saturday.
Gholston joins two other players from Missouri’s 2022-23 season who have secured professional opportunities. Kobe Brown was drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers in the final pick of the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft, while D’Moi Hodge signed a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Having previously played for UW-Milwaukee, Tallahassee Community College, and Kent State, Gholston transferred to Mizzou for his final collegiate season. During that season, he averaged 10.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. Gholston notably made two buzzer-beating shots for the Tigers, including a game-winner against UCF and a dramatic shot against then-No. 6 Tennessee.
Gholston will be coached by Simon Petrov, a former EuroLeague player. He joins a group of former Tigers currently playing internationally, including Leo Lyons (Altiri Chiba, Japan), Ra Guna (Jeonju KCC Egis, South Korea), and Jeremiah Tilmon (Brampton Honey Badgers, Canada).
