Two starting forwards off of the 27-3 North Central Missouri College men’s basketball teams have announced their four-year school destinations, after completion of two seasons with Coach Jeremy Esry.
Marty Jackson, a forward from Kansas City named NJCAA D-2 first-team All-American earlier this spring, will stay in the state of Missouri, landing at Division Two University of Missouri-St. Louis. Fellow starting forward and Kansas City native Quinan Rieves will head much further from Trenton to continue his education and basketball career, finding a spot on the roster of the Southern Wesleyan Warriors, a private Christian school in Central, South Carolina. Wesleyan will coming off a Conference Carolinas championship, and like UMSL, is a Division Two NCAA institution. Sophomore guard T.J. Babikir has yet to decide on his future collegiate home, but did announce on Wednesday, via Twitter, that he has received a scholarship offer from Eskrine University in Due West, South Carolina. Three weeks ago, reserve forward Michael Horton announced his transfer, after two years at NCMC, to Clarke University in Dubuque, Iowa, a school in the Heart of America Conference.
As is always the case at the junior college level, there will be a fair amount of roster shake-up the offseason, with Coach Esry and Coach Gossett looking to add talent to a talented returning group of freshmen. Former Lamar (MO) High School guard Truman Kaderly is the latest commit to NCMC for the Class of 2021, announcing his commit to the Pirates following a red-shirt year at Oklahoma Wesleyan University.
In late April, North Kansas City High School 6’4″ senior forward Riak Mabour gave a verbal commitment to Coach Esry’s incoming class of recruits for 2021. Southwest Livingston High School senior center Mack Anderson verballed to the Pirate program in early April, adding size and athleticism to the North Central frontline.
The off-season recruiting season got off to a fast start for the Pirates, as assistant coach Brandon Gossett was able to use some of his Illinois high school connections to gain the commitments of transfers Cam’Ron Donatlan in addition to 6’9″ big man Carleton Williams.
