SPRINGFIELD -- Missouri State men's basketball coach Cuonzo Martin has received National Letters of Intent and financial aid agreements from four additional players to expand his roster for the upcoming season.
 
Recently committing to the Bears for the 2024-25 season are:

• Jalen Hampton (G, 6-7, 200, Jr., St. Louis, Mo., University City High, South Plains (Texas) College)
• Michael Osei-Bonsu (F, 6-4, 265, Jr., Bolingbrook, Ill., Bolingbrook High, Vincennes University)
• Allen Udemadu (F, 6-10, 235, Sr., Lagos, Nigeria, Spire Institute, Morgan State)
• Dez White (G, 6-2, 176, So., Jefferson City, Mo., Helias High, Austin Peay)

 
This incoming group of young men brings a potent combination of skill, toughness, shooting, and interior scoring to the team," said Martin. "They've proven themselves in game situations and consistently delivered results. We couldn't be more thrilled with the talent and potential they bring to our program."
The spring National Letter of Intent signing period for Division I basketball began on April 17 and continues through May 15.
 
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Jalen Hampton
A St. Louis native, Hampton comes to Missouri State after a successful sophomore season at South Plains (Texas) College where he averaged 13.1 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game as a sophomore in 2023-24. He started 31-of-34 games for the Texans and shot 61.8 percent from the field for a Western Junior College Athletic Conference and Region V championship club. Hampton helped lead coach Hayden Sowers' team to a 32-3 record en route to a quarterfinal run in the NJCAA Division I national tournament.
 
Hampton played his freshman season for former MoState associate coach Corey Gipson at Northwestern State where he started 25-of-33 appearances and averaged 10.2 points and a team-best 7.4 rebounds per game while shooting 65.1 percent from the field. He scored in double figures 20 times, including a career-high 22 points vs. McNeese (Jan. 12), with eight double-figure rebounding efforts with a career-high 15 rebounds during a Nov. 26 win at Central Arkansas. He earned Louisiana Sports Writers Freshman of the Year honors after racking up six double-doubles in his only season at NSU, which ranked third in the Southland Conference. His 3.36 offensive rebounds per game ranked him third in the Southland and 20th nationally in that category, while his 7.4 boards per game overall was second nationally among all freshman. He was also named to the Southland Conference All-Tournament Team.
 
He started four seasons for coach Kelvin Lee at University City High School in St. Louis where he averaged 19 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game as a senior (2021). He earned Class 5 first-team all-state honors as a senior and topped the 1,000-point career scoring mark. He was also a three-time conference player of the year helped University City go 36-11 in his final two seasons. He played a gap-year season (2021-22) at Link Year Prep in Branson, averaging 11 points and 6 rebounds per game against a national schedule, while earning MVP honors at the Southwestern Missouri Invitational.
 
 
Michael Osei-Bonsu (oh-SAY bon-SU)
An NJCAA All-American and Region 24 Tournament MVP in 2024, Osei-Bonsu averaged 12.2 points and 9.6 rebounds per game at Vincennes (Ind.) University this past season while converting 62.5 percent of his field goal attempts. He ranked 22nd in the country in total rebounds per game, while also averaging 4.5 offensive rebounds per game, which was third in the NJCAA this past season. His sophomore season featured 11 double-doubles, while he scored in double figures 21 times, helping him earn NJCAA Division I third-team All-America honors.
 
He led the Blazers to the 2024 NJCAA Division I Region 24 regular season and tournament Championships, scoring 33-points with 15 rebounds in VU's semifinal win over John A. Logan College. He also earned All-Region 24 distinction for the second time. He guided the coach Todd Franklin's Trailblazers to a combined 60-10 record over the last two seasons, including two trips to the NJCAA Division I National Tournament and a berth in the Elite Eight as a freshman. As a freshman in 2022-23, he notched six double-doubles while averaging 9.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game while converting 60.4 percent from the field.
 
Osei-Bonsu helped guide Bolingbrook (Ill.) High School, just outside Chicago, to the Illinois 4A semifinals as a senior. He averaged 14.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per game for the Raiders in 2021-22, pushing coach Rob Brost's team to a 30-6 record while earning IBCA 4A All-State distinction.
 
 
Allen Udemadu (Ew-duh-ma-du)
A transfer from Morgan State, Udemadu posted seven double-doubles in 2023-24 in a transformational junior season. He averaged 7.8 points and a team-best 6.7 rebounds per game. He also shot 60 percent from the field for the Bears and racked up 33 blocks in 29 appearances (24 starts). His block total ranked second in the MEAC. He logged a season-high 24 points on Jan. 20, 2024 against Coppin State, including 7-of-8 field goals and 10-of-12 free throws. He also posted a career-high 17 rebounds vs. NJIT on Dec. 31, 2023 and was named MEAC Defensive Player of the Week two weeks earlier (Dec. 13, 2023).
 
He played his sophomore season (2022-23) at Florida Southwestern State College where he played in 25 games for the Bucs, averaging 4.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting a team-best 59 percent from the field. He recorded a season-high 15 points on a perfect 6-6 shooting in a win over Polk. He later pulled down seven rebounds and blocked four shots against Indian River.
 
He lists fellow Nigerian Hakeem Olajuwon as his biggest sports influence. A former soccer player, he began playing basketball when he was 13-years-old in Nigeria and immigrated to the United States at 15. He prepped at Spire Institute and ultimately landed at Des Moines Area Community College for his first collegiate season where he averaged 5.8 points and 4.0 rebounds per game for a Bears team that finished 28-8, earned a Region XI title and took third place at the NJCAA Division II national tournament.
 
 
Dez White
A native of Jefferson City, Mo., White comes to Springfield after playing his freshman season for former Bears associate head coach Corey Gipson at Austin Peay. White earned ASUN All-Freshman Team honors in 2023-24 after he averaged 7.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game for the Governors while racking up 63 threes. He also had 36 assists and 36 steals in his debut campaign while starting 34 of 35 games for a 19-16 APSU team that made a postseason appearance in the CIT.
 
As a high school standout at Helias High School in Jefferson City, he broke the Crusaders' single-season scoring record with 699 points his senior season (2021-22), including another club record 51-points in a single game. He completed his prep school year at The Skills Factory under head coach Trey Scotti where he helped the program reach a top 20 national ranking while shooting 48.0 percent from three-point range. We was a three-star recruit by On3.com and 247.sports.com.
 
The latest group of MSU commits brings Martin's total recruiting class to 10 players, including previous commitments:

• Jurrell Baldwin (F, 6-7, 200, Fr., Chicago, Ill., Hyde Park Career Academy)
• Vincent Brady II (G, 6-4, 185, Jr., Indianapolis, Ind., Cathedral High, IUPUI)
• Mozae Downing-Rivers (G, 6-6, 190, Jr., Lawrence, Kan., Free State High, Barton CC)
• Zaxton King (G, 6-4, 180, Fr., Lawrence, Kan., Lawrence High)
• Sam Murray II (F, 6-9, 200, Jr., Gulfport, Miss., Harrison Central High, Murray State)
• Wesley Oba (F, 6-8, 215, Sr., Manchester, England, Loreto College High, Delaware St.)