Freshman forward-center Will Creekmore has elected to leave the men’s basketball program at Boston University and will transfer to Missouri State University for the start of the 2008 spring semester and join the Bears’ basketball program, MSU head coach Barry Hinson has announced.

  Creekmore, a 6-foot-9, 235-pounder, hails from Tulsa, Okla., and played for Thomas Edison Preparatory High School there. He will have to sit out a full year to regain his athletic eligibility and will then have three seasons to compete for Missouri State when he becomes eligible after the 2008 fall semester at MSU.

  Creekmore played in four of Boston University’s first eight games this season. He averaged 12 minutes a game in the contests in which he appeared and totaled 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Terriers of head coach Dennis Wolff.

  At Tulsa Edison, Creekmore was a four-year varsity starter and was team captain for two seasons for the Eagles of head coach Michael Parish. Creekmore was selected for all-state honors as a senior by the Oklahoma Coaches Association, The Tulsa World and the Daily Oklahoman. He was a two-time Tulsa World All-Metro pick and a three-time all-district and all-conference selection. He averaged 23 points, 17 rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks per game his final year, shooting 68 percent from the field and 57 percent from three-point range. He was the state’s leading scorer and rebounder in Class 5A as a senior and the state’s top rebounder as a junior. Creekmore set school single season and career rebound records for Edison

  Missouri State has a 7-5 record through its December non-conference play and the Bears open their Missouri Valley Conference schedule Dec. 30 at defending MVC champion Southern Illinois. Hinson is in his ninth season as the Bears’ head coach.