Bears score with local target
Missouri State wanted a shooter in the class of 2013. Now, they've got him.
One of the finest shooters in the Midwest -- if not the entire nation -- Austin Ruder of the class of 2013 made a verbal pledge to play for Paul Lusk's Bears.
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A 6-foot-2 three-star shooting guard from nearby Nixa (Mo.) High, Ruder cast his lot with the Bears early rather than dragging out his recruitment.
"In the past couple years, I've wanted to play in the area," Ruder told the Springfield News-Leader. "I'm really happy that I'm getting a chance to play there."
As tough as he is deadly with the jumper, Ruder is a local that had long been targeted by the Bears.
Ruder doesn't just give the Bears a shooter who can stretch defenses, he's also an important get because he's their first recruit from the MoKan Elite program.
One of the area's top summer organizations, MoKan produces several division one players on a yearly basis and their roster is stocked with Springfield area players who figure to be targets in 2013 and 2014. Lusk and his staff are hopeful that the first commitment leads to more from the MoKan program.