Dennis Gates and the Missouri Tigers basketball program look ahead to the 2024 recruiting class.
Coach Gates did his best with the resources he had. He was hired in March of 2022. Within only a few months on the job, he had already sunk his teeth into a few recruiting prospects. Gates was magical with the transfer wand. In his first season, he has assembled a team that can compete.
With the program in disarray and the announcement of a coaching change in the middle of March Madness, the Missouri Tigers did not figure to do well with the 2023 class, with most recruits already picking their destinations when Gates took the helm.
The 2024 recruiting class could be a much different story. There are three major factors that will impact the decision of the next crop of college ballers.
· The recruit’s interpretation of the University, facilities, location, and where they think the program is headed: Do recruits view the University of Missouri as a place they want to play, live, and learn?
· The recruiting team, which will be led by Coach, Dennis Gates. Their ability to close prospects: Can Dennis Gates sit with the best high school players, and convince them Missouri is the best place for them?
· Missouri’s 2022-23 season: Can the Missouri Tigers put together a winning season, with a competitive in-conference SEC finish, which will take talent off the fence and into Columbia?
Even if not aloud, these questions will be asked of the Missouri Tigers
These are bullets, purposely, not numbered, because you cannot rank them. They all share equal importance.
Looking ahead to the 2024 class and the available in-state talent, a few names jump off the page. We talk about the local talent, because it is the single most important statistic by which Dennis Gates will be measured, less wins. Unless you are a perennial powerhouse like Duke or Kansas, you must keep your boys at home. Or at least some of them.
Gates will have plenty of time to get his squad in. The players he has been given the opportunity to sit with and convince to join the University of Missouri basketball team. In the interim, until a full Coach Gates rotation is formed, he will take as many small bites as he can. A vivacious and driven leader – he is the right guy for the job. A few local kids the University of Missouri will continue to target are:
A few of the top recruits below: Branson’s Link Academy tops the charts, per usual. If Dennis Gates can find his way into to this high school, it opens up endless opportunities.
· Elliot Cadeau: 5-star recruit: Link Academy, Branson, MO
· Tyler McKinley: 4-star recruit: Link Academy, Branson, MO
· Darrion Sutton: 3-star recruit: Gateway City Elite, O’Fallon, MO
· R’Chaun King: 3-star recruit: Link Academy, Branson, MO
If Gates can convert one of these players to black and gold, it will be a successful recruiting session.
It should be noted, there is a ton of time between now and commitment dates. Many high school players will present themselves that currently may not rank high, and some may slide back.
Want your voice heard? Join the Truman's Tales team!