Keita becomes second Mizzou commit in as many days
Less than a week ago, St. Louis forward Yaya Keita told PowerMizzou that he planned to wait before announcing his college decision, hoping the NCAA would lift the current ban on recruiting visits so he could see each of the schools recruiting him In person one more time. He did follow that up with a caveat, however. "Everything can change overnight," he said.
It wasn't quite overnight, but Keita indeed sped up the timeline for his recruitment. He announced his commitment to Missouri on Twitter Wednesday night, becoming the Tigers' second in-state pledge In as many days. Springfield forward Trevon Brazile committed to Missouri on Tuesday.
Keita, the No. 145 prospect nationally in the 2021 class, picked Missouri over an offer list that included Iowa, Iowa State, Missouri State, Saint Louis, Tulsa and West Virginia. The DeSmet forward profiles as a center who can block shots, rebound and run the floor at the next level. He averaged eight points and 9.4 rebounds per game as a junior, at one point logging 26 boards in one game.
Missouri head coach Cuonzo Martin offered Keita a scholarship back in March. Keita's coach at DeSmet, Kent Williams, worked as an assistant coach under Martin at both Missouri State and Tennessee. Keita, a native of Mali, said he quickly developed a rapport with the entire staff.
“I have a really good connection with Mizzou, with the coaches, and we keep in touch every week,” Keita said last week. “We talk, we text, video call. So it’s been pretty good.”
“A huge benefit to Keita is that he will arrive prepared for college ball," Rivals.com national analyst Eric Bossi said. "Not only is Kent Williams an outstanding coach, but given that he worked for years with Cuonzo he’ll be able to prep Keita to play for his future head coach.”
Keita becomes the fifth high school prospect to join Missouri's 2021 recruiting class and the fourth in the past 15 days. He is the third player from the state of Missouri, joining Brazile and Springfield guard Anton Brookshire. The Tigers are expected to fill at least six scholarships with this class, though some of those could come from the transfer market.
Keita moved to the United States from Mali prior to his freshman year in high school. He was a soccer player who knew three words in English.
"It's all different from my country to here," Keita told Rivals.com in January. "When I came over I got changed to be a basketball player and it was fun so I gave myself to it. My freshman year I did play soccer for DeSmet, I played forward and scored 15 goals. But I stopped after that and I’ve just focused on basketball because I love it.
Keita should help immediately fill the void left in the middle by Jeremiah Tilmon after this season. And his description of his game to Rivals.com earlier this year sounds like a textbook Cuonzo Martin player: “Anytime when I step on the floor I have to be in that aggressive mood and make my teammates that way. Even if it’s not going for me I have to get them going. I like to take leadership and talk to my guys all the time. If I’m not scoring I don’t worry about it, I go for every rebound because I know that’s going to help. I love my teammates and I want them to love me too.”
"Keita isn’t going to win any beauty contests for his style of play but he’s rugged, he’s tough and his energy is infectious," Bossi said. "Too many big men lose sight of who they are and what makes them effective; Keita doesn’t. He knows his job is to rebound, run the floor, set tough screens and pick up offense where he can and he embraces it.”
PowerMizzou.com plans to catch up with Keita tomorrow to get further thoughts on his commitment to the Tigers.