Over the next few weeks, PowerMizzou.com will take a look back at the season for each of the Tigers’ rotational players.
DeAndre Gholston hadn’t played for Dennis Gates before suiting up for Mizzou this year, but had gone against the head coach multiple times while playing for Milwaukee in the Horizon League. Gates had initially recruited Gholston out of junior college to join him at Cleveland State in 2020. Gholston chose the Panthers instead, but his familiarity with Gates helped lead him to Columbia last offseason, where he became the team’s third-leading scorer.
“While we competed, he saw everything come to fruition that I sat and told him could be possible,” Gates said at the NCAA tournament in March.
Gholston provided a unique skill set to the Tigers as someone who could consistently break his defender down off the dribble and find an open look in the mid-range game. The 6-foot-4 guard hoisted 70 mid-range shots this season, connecting on 33 of them — no one else on the roster took more than 43. Per CBB Analytics, Gholston’s 47.1% conversion rate on mid-rangers ranked in the 87th percentile among NCAA Division I guards.
The graduate senior was also one of Mizzou’s best at getting to the free throw line, drawing 4.6 fouls per 40 minutes according to KenPom. Gholston went 88-112 on foul shots this year.
Gholston’s makes often came at the timeliest moments of certain games. He hit two game-winning buzzer-beaters from over 30 feet away from the basket to clinch wins over UCF and Tennessee. He was also able to knock down tough, contested shots when Missouri found itself in a jam on offense and needed someone to turn a “nothing” possession into something. Gholston credits his upbringing playing a lot of one-on-one basketball in Gary, Ind., for his knack to sink tough shots. His reputation as a bucket-getter earned him the nickname “Greenlight Gholston” among his teammates.
“The thing that I think he's developed so well in the last 10 months is his ability to create his own shot, to go get his own shot. And he's able to use his body to create a few angles and he has a beautiful touch in the mid-range area,” assistant coach Dickey Nutt said at the NCAA tournament in March. “The thing that we're most impressed with Dree is that he showed up every day to work. When it's time for him to hit that practice floor, we can always count on him, given us 100% on a daily basis.”
Gholston’s size lended itself to the Tigers’ switch-heavy scheme on defense — though he didn’t rack up a high volume of steals, he was versatile enough to guard multiple positions in a pinch. He finished the year playing in all 35 of Missouri’s games, starting in 22, and averaging 10.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
Now out of college eligibility, Gholston plans to play professional basketball, announcing on March 24 his intention to declare for the NBA Draft.
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