After leading the University of Missouri men’s basketball team throughout the 2023-24 season, Sean East II is set to continue his career, officially signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday.
East led the Tigers with 17.6 points and 4.0 assists per game in 2023-24. His 17.6 points per game ranked fifth in the SEC – the most by a Tiger in a season since 2013-14 – while he placed sixth in the conference in assists. A native of Louisville, East finished the season shooting 52.1 percent from the field and 45.0 percent from beyond the arc. His three-point mark was good for seventh in Mizzou history.
One of the nation’s most improved players, East enjoyed a breakout campaign in his final collegiate season, increasing his scoring average by 10.3 points. His increase is the most by a Tiger since 1976-77, the most by an SEC player this season and the sixth-most nationally by a power-conference player. Overall, he became just the sixth player in Mizzou basketball history to average 15.0 points and 4.0 assists in a single season.
The 2024 SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, East is the third Tiger to sign with an NBA franchise in two seasons under the direction of Whitten Family Men’s Basketball Head Coach Dennis Gates. Following the 2022-23 campaign, Kobe Brown was selected in the first round of the NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers, while D’Moi Hodge inked a free-agent deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.
In addition to his success in 2023-24, East was also a key piece on the 2022-23 squad that won 25 games, advanced to the SEC Tournament semifinals for the first time in school history and won MU’s first NCAA Tournament game in 13 years.
