Wyatt Wheeler/News-Leader
Missouri State was the first school to offer Jared Ridder a scholarship when he was being recruited out of Kickapoo High School.
The No. 1 Missouri recruit in the Class of 2017 by PrepHoops.com passed on the Bears, in favor of Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, before his senior year.
Bears head coach Paul Lusk lost contact with Ridder after losing out on him during the recruiting process. But Lusk received a nice surprise on Sept. 22 when he was driving to a football game to watch a recruit play.