The Tribune

By JONATHAN BURROWS

Tribune Sports Reporter

jburrows@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN forward Leano Rolle will continue his collegiate basketball career at the NCAA Division I level after signing with Missouri State University for the 2026-27 season.

Missouri State head coach Cuonzo Martin announced Rolle as the latest addition to the Bears’ roster, bringing in a player who emerged as one of the top junior college prospects in the country following a strong sophomore campaign at Southwest Mississippi Community College.

The 6-foot-7 forward averaged 14.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 block per game last season while shooting 50.3 per cent from the field. He connected on 36 three-pointers and helped Southwest Mississippi finish with a 17-15 record.

Rolle scored in double figures in 20 of his 29 appearances, including eight games with at least 20 points and three double-doubles. His best performance of the season came in a victory over LA Knights on November 5, 2025, when he scored 27 points on 10-of-14 shooting.

His production earned national recognition, as JucoRecruiting.com ranked him as the No. 60 junior college prospect in the country.

Missouri State head coach Cuonzo Martin praised Rolle’s athleticism and development.

“Leano is a gifted athlete and arguably has the best leaping ability of any player I’ve ever coached,” Martin said. “What impresses me most isn’t how high he can jump, but how naturally he moves and impacts the game. He’s a special talent with a bright future, and I’ve enjoyed watching his growth.”

Before his breakout season at Southwest Mississippi, Rolle spent his freshman year at Arizona Western College. He appeared in 16 games with five starts and averaged 6.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per contest for a Matadors team that finished 23-8.

During that season, he reached double figures seven times and recorded a season-high 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting in a win over Imperial Valley on November 5, 2024.

Rolle completed high school at The Legacy School of Sport Sciences in Spring, Texas, during the 2023-24 academic year. Prior to that, he played at North Florida Educational Institute in Jacksonville, Florida, where he averaged 8.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as a junior and helped the Eagles post a 22-9 record.His performances also placed him among Florida’s top 100 prospects in the 2024 PrepHoops.com rankings.

Rolle comes from a family with strong basketball ties. He is the cousin of Bahamian and Philadelphia 76ers guard Valdez “VJ” Edgecombe, who is regarded as one of the country’s top young basketball talents.

With his move to Missouri State, Rolle becomes the latest Bahamian player to earn an opportunity at the NCAA Division I level and will look to continue the progression that turned him into one of junior college basketball’s most highly regarded prospects.