And then there was one. Jakeenan Gant is the only basketball player remaining from former Missouri basketball coach Frank Haith’s 20th-ranked recruiting class in 2014 according to ESPN.
On Tuesday, Missouri men’s basketball coach Kim Anderson announced that sophomore guards Tramaine Isabell and Namon Wright are transferring.
“Tramaine Isabell and Namon Wright have made the Mizzou Men’s Basketball program aware of their intentions to transfer,” Anderson said in the release from Mizzou Athletics. “We will fully support these requests on the condition of Tramaine and Namon completing their academic requirements to close the semester.”
Wright started 25 games and played in 31 in the 2015-16 season, averaging 9.6 points per game. Isabell played in 28 games and played the backup point guard role.
In a year that featured the self-imposed penalties due to violations under Haith, Isabell and Wright are the fourth and fifth players to leave Mizzou since the beginning of the fall semester — the others were [D’Angelo Allen who also elected to transfer Feb. 29](https://www.themaneater.com/stories/2016/2/29/dangelo-allen-transfer-missouri-mens-basketball-pr/), [Wes Clark, who failed to meet academic standards and was dismissed Feb. 17](https://www.themaneater.com/stories/2016/2/16/three-things-watch-when-missouri-basketball-faces-/) and Martavian Payne, who never suited up for the Tigers due to “academic pursuits” prior to the season.
As of now, Missouri has three signees for this 2016 recruiting class, but the departures have affected the team’s Academic Progress Rate (APR), a score out of 1000 points that, according to the NCAA, “holds institutions accountable for the academic progress of their student-athletes through a team-based metric that accounts for the eligibility and retention of each student-athlete for each academic term.”
In May of last year, Mizzou’s APR was 941 and in May of 2014, it was 851. This May, if Mizzou’s APR drops below 940, the team will be subject to a postseason ban, per NCAA rules.
Three scholarships remain for the 2016-17 season, although Missouri must forego one due to the self-imposed penalties announced earlier this year, so that could be an option.
“We appreciate what both Tramaine and Namon contributed during their time with the program and wish them the best as they continue to pursue their academic and athletic goals,” Anderson said.