Losing talented transfer Cameron Biedscheid is a blow to Missouri
Cameron Biedscheid is leaving Missouri without ever actually playing a game for the Tigers.
Nine months after the former top 50 recruit transferred from Notre Dame, new Missouri coach Kim Anderson announced in a statement that Biedscheid has decided to leave the school "to attend to personal matters.” Biedscheid, a 6-foot-7 sophomore wing, would have been eligible after the first semester.
“Cameron will no longer be a member of our basketball program," Anderson said. “We wish him and his family all the best and hope everyone will respect their privacy during this period of time.”
The loss of Biedscheid is a blow to a Missouri team bereft of talent at guard after Jordan Clarkson and Jabari Brown both turned pro and Shane Rector transferred. Biedscheid averaged a modest 6.2 points in 17.4 minutes as a freshman at Notre Dame, but the Saint Louis product had been expected to assume a far greater role last season before opting to first redshirt and later transfer.
Without Biedscheid, Missouri has limited options to play at wing alongside point guard Wes Clark. Athletic Baylor transfer Deuce Bello is a strong candidate to start at one wing spot, though his production never matched his potential in two full seasons with the Bears and he has dealt with leg injuries since coming to Columbia. The other starting spot will probably go to a freshman, with top 100 recruit Namon Wright being the most likely option.
As for Biedscheid, this news raises questions regarding whether his career will ever get back on track.
He'll have to sit another full year if he transfers to another Division I program, meaning he wouldn't be able to play until the start of the 2015-16 season. His high school pedigree certainly will merit him another chance somewhere, but given the chaos of Biedscheid's past 12 months, it wouldn't be a surprise to see high-profile schools shy away too.
- - - - - - -
Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
