Keon Lawrence, a former All-New Jersey guard from Weequahic High, is leaving Missouri and considering several Big East schools near home.
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Lawrence led the Tigers with 29.2 minutes played last season as a sophomore, appearing in all 32 contests, including 20 starts. He finished as the team’s third-leading scorer with 11 points per game and a team-leading 307 field goal attempts.
“The reason why he’s leaving Missouri is he kind of wants to come home, family things and stuff,” said Lawrence’s skills trainer Mike Rodgers. “We’re going to concentrate on the Big East as far as his recruitment. We are concentrating on Villanova, Seton Hall, Rutgers and St. John’s, and moving along to looking into Providence, Pittsburgh and Marquette. We have a timetable on how we’re going to do it. I’ve had conversations with a number of Big East coaches.”
Lawrence would sit a year as per NCAA transfer regulations and then have two years of eligibility remaining.
“This is the year you do this,” Rodgers said. “He had two very good years at Missouri. The first year he was injured with a foot injury.”
Rodgers said Lawrence had nothing against Missouri, which granted him his release Friday.
“He liked it out there and everything,” he said. “It was time to come home. He needed to be home for family situations.”
