Back in October 2023, Missouri coach Dennis Gates looked like a star in the making. He had just led the Tigers back to the NCAA Tournament in his first season, and after landing big man Trent Burns, the Tigers’ 2024 recruiting class moved into the No. 1 spot in 247Sports team rankings. The path to stardom looked clear.
Then, the Tigers went winless in the SEC. Woof.
Monday morning, Gates and Mizzou landed Toni Bryant. The No. 23-ranked player in the Class of 2026 according to 247Sports, the 6-foot-9 power forward is an athletic frontcourt player from Zephyrhills (Florida) Christian Academy with physical gifts galore.
After already landing high-scoring, No. 3-ranked guard Jason Crowe Jr. from Inglewood (California) High, the Tigers are once again in possession of one of the top recruiting classes in the country.
This time, though, it feels different.
Arkansas vs. Houston brings elite college basketball tripleheader to CBS on Dec. 20
Matt Norlander
Not only did Gates and the Tigers bounce back from that winless SEC season to make the 2025 NCAA Tournament, but they’ve got proof of concept that they are built for long-term success thanks to a mixture of retaining veteran players and leaving room to mix in elite high school talent.
Dennis Gates’ strategic bet
There is plenty of uncertainty in college basketball circles about what next spring will look like. What’s the funding look like for basketball in the revenue-sharing era? How much money should be allotted to freshmen? Should we save for the portal? What’s our…
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