4/18/2023 basketball Edit

Tiger Season Review: Sean East II

Drew King • PowerMizzou

Basketball Writer

Over the next few weeks, PowerMizzou.com will take a look back at the season for each of the Tigers’ rotational players.

Sean East II hasn’t had a traditional path in college basketball. The 6-foot-3 point guard began his career at UMass in 2019-20, transferred to Bradley as a sophomore, then went to the junior college ranks in 2021, joining John A. Logan College. East led the Volunteers to a 29-4 record and received the NJCAA Player of the Year honor after averaging 20.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game.

The Louisville, Ky. native received interest from several NCAA Division I teams last offseason and narrowed his list down to a top six of BYU, Clemson, Kentucky, Missouri, Oregon and South Florida. East committed to Mizzou on April 15, 2022, becoming head coach Dennis Gates’ first point guard signing.

East spent nearly the entire season backing up starting point guard Nick Honor, providing a change of pace in the backcourt, but did prove he was able to play alongside Honor as a secondary playmaker. Gates played East and Honor in the lineup together for 478 minutes this season according to CBB Analytics and started the duo in the Tigers’ road game against Mississippi State on Feb. 4 — East’s lone start of the year.

The senior was one of MU’s most effective scorers inside the arc. East was second only to graduate senior guard DeAndre Gholston in the mid-range game, where he hit 46.5% of his shots, which ranked in the 86th percentile for D1 guards. He was also well-equipped to break his defender down off the dribble and drive to the rim, leading to floaters and layups. East was 60-103 on shots in the paint and made 76.1% of his looks at the rim (defined as shots within 4.5 feet of the hoop), which ranked in the 95th percentile for D1 guards per CBB Analytics.

Gates described East as the team’s best “risk-taker” as a passer. East made up 19.0% of his team's assists while he was on the floor, the highest mark on the team and the 469th-highest mark in the country according to KenPom. East had one of his best games as a facilitator in an 85-82 home win over Vanderbilt on Jan. 7 in which he dropped seven dimes without a turnover.

“Sean East is a tempo-starter,” Gates said after the game. “You know, when you're out camping — some of you guys don't camp, but he camps — when you're out camping, it's important that you keep your fire kit ready. He's our fire kit and his energy, his enthusiasm, his effort, his patience, his mentality — I don't want him to ever look to the sideline. I want him to play because his instincts are better than a lot of people in this country.”

Those risks did cost the Tigers at times. East committed a turnover on 19.6% of his possessions, the highest mark on the team. He also struggled with his outside shot all season long, making just 22.1% of his 3-pointers. East consistently had active hands on defense, registering a steal on 3.3% of possessions, which ranked 115th in the nation per KenPom. But it occasionally led to him picking up a whistle that put him in foul trouble.

East finished the year averaging 7.3 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He hasn’t announced his plans for next year, but would likely fill a similar role if he chooses to return to Missouri next season as the go-to guard off the bench.