Former Mizzou Guard Emerges as MVP Candidate in Canadian Basketball League

In his best season at Mizzou (2023-24), East II averaged 17.6 points, 4 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game. Before arriving in Edmonton, the 6-foot-3 guard played 10 games for CSM Constanța of the Romanian Basketball League during his first professional season, averaging 24.4 points and 4.8 rebounds.

The former Tiger is quickly becoming an MVP candidate within the league, making a name for himself with every game. In a standout performance against the Montreal Alliance, the Louisville, Kentucky native led the Stingers to a 94-83 victory, posting a season-high 35 points, six assists, and four steals.

“If he’s not the MVP of the league at the midway point, I don’t know who is,” said Stingers head coach Jordan Baker. “He’s carried us a lot of the time, and now we’ve got guys playing alongside him that are pretty damn good too.”

Despite shouldering a heavy load, East II remains humble.

“I give the credit to my teammates and my coaching staff. They’re letting me play. My teammates are finding me when I’m open, we’re moving the ball well. We started [the season] out slow… but we finally found our team and I think we’re moving in the right direction,” East II said.

As mentioned, the Stingers didn't start the season too hot, going 2-4 in their first six games. However, with East II leading the charge, they’ve turned things around—now riding a five-game win streak and sitting at 9-6.

He was recently named CEBL Weekly host Esfandiar Baraheni’s mid-season MVP, showing strong early returns in his first season in the league.

With just nine games remaining in the regular season, the former Tiger has taken the CEBL by storm, and he doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

It wouldn’t be too surprising to see East II pick up interest from top European or NBA teams in the coming months, as he could easily fit on a roster as a gritty two-way player with the ability to control game tempo — someone who likely won’t be on the secondary market for much longer.