After a long, arduous recruiting process, Oak Park and River Forest High School boys basketball senior Alex Gossett announced on May 7 that he will play collegiately at the University of Missouri St. Louis.
“I chose UMSL because they are giving me the best opportunity to succeed,” Gossett told Wednesday Journal. “They are an amazing program, have an amazing staff, and have a long history of success. All of that, as well as my parents, led me to my decision.”
Gossett described the recruiting process as “rough.” He said several schools wanted him to reclassify to the Class of 2026, while others overlooked him. But he stuck with the process, which ultimately led to finding a school that would allow him to have success on and off the court.
“I was picky about where I was going,” Gossett said. “UMSL has a solid business program and an amazing basketball program, so it all worked out.”
UMSL is a NCAA Division II institution which plays in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. This season, the Tritons went 21-12 and reached the Sweet Sixteen of the Division II national tournament, losing to Lake Superior in the Midwest Regional final.
In his final season at OPRF, Gossett averaged 20 points and seven rebounds for the Huskies, surpassing the 1,000-point mark for his career. He also excelled in the classroom with a 4.7 grade-point average.
As he prepares to move on to UMSL, he has fond memories of his time at OPRF.
“I’ll miss how accepting everyone is,” said Gossett, who plans to major in business or finance. “It got to the point where I know a lot of people and feel comfortable having conversations with almost everyone. I’ll miss how easy it was to interact with people.”