SPRINGFIELD — Missouri State men’s basketball coach Cuonzo Martin has received signed commitments from three additional players for the upcoming season.
Martin, who is beginning his second tenure as head coach at Missouri State will welcome:
- Chase Martin (G, 6-2, 180, Sr., Columbia, Mo., Father Tolton Regional, Purdue)
- Iago Stanback (G, 6-3, 170, So., Naples, Fla., Palmetto Ridge High)
- Makhai Valentine (G, 6-3, 185, Fr., Munhall, Pa., Steel Valley High)
“We are excited to welcome three new players to our basketball family,” said Martin who was announced as Missouri State’s new head coach on March 27. “Each of these young men has diligently worked to become well-rounded and complete contributors on the court. Their focus, determination, and commitment to success are truly commendable. Beyond their skills, they bring exceptional character, demonstrating humility, leadership, and a team-first mentality. We look forward to the positive impact they will have on our team both on and off the court.”
Chase Martin
Martin played in 27 games over the past four seasons (2020-24) at Purdue and was part of the Boilermakers run to the 2024 NCAA Championship game. He played in 13 games in 2023-24, collecting 23 minutes of action, including NCAA Tournament appearances against Utah State (3/24/24) and UConn (4/8/24) in the title game. He played in four games in 2022-23, made eight appearances in 2021-22, and earned playing time in two games his freshman year (2020-21).
He was named to the Big Ten All-Academic Team three straight seasons and completed his degree in Mechanical Engineering at Purdue in 2024.
He attended Father Tolton Regional High School in Columbia, Mo., during coach Cuonzo Martin’s head coaching tenure at Mizzou. Chase was class valedictorian at Tolton in 2020 and earned all-conference and all-district honors as a senior. He also helped Tolton to a district title in 2018.
Iago (YAH-go) Stanback
Stanback earned 2023 All-Region honors at the Southwest Florida Sports Awards Show and also was named Palmetto Ridge (Fla.) High School Player of the Year in 2022-23 after averaging 20.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.8 blocks per game for a 22-4 Bears club. He helped coach John Solak’s team to a district title and 6A state tournament appearance his senior year.
He was also a part of Portugal’s 18U European Championship Team, averaging 2.1 points per game in 7 contests in the FIBA event, including 7 points against Switzerland (7/29/23).
Stanback scored 18.3 points per game his junior season to go with 3.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists averages.
Makhai Valentine
A prolific scorer from Munhall, Pa., Valentine averaged 33.7 points per game as a senior at Steel Valley High School in Pennsylvania where he put together one of the most iconic individual seasons in state history. Valentine led coach Dale Chapman’s Ironmen to a 16-win season and was named the state’s 3A player of the year by the Pennsylvania sportswriters.
In his final prep season (2023-24), the two-time all-state standout scored 63 points in a road win at Brentwood on Jan. 27, 2024 — a game where he made a dozen three-pointers. He finished his career with a school-record 1,780 career points.
As a junior, he was named the Pittsburgh Union Progress Player of the Year and was the fourth-leading scorer in the WPIAL during the regular season with a 29.4 scoring average.
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The trio of recent Bears’ additions joins the following group of 10 previously-announced commitments for the upcoming season:
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)
Jalen Hampton (G, 6-7, 200, Jr., St. Louis, Mo., Univ. City High, South Plains (Texas) College)
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.)
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)
