As long as head coach Dennis Gates has been present on the sidelines for the Tigers, the recruitment effort has seen a massive jump in success in all aspects.
So far this offseason Mizzou has been able to pick up a number of transfers and commitments from incoming freshman, as well as bringing back old staff. while simultaneously attracting new ones.
The last month-plus has been virtually silent in terms of basketball, as the Tigers have brought in just two players, both of them 3-stars, proving their intent to bring in quality rather than quantity.
It also seems as if the team is focusing more on the 2026 class, and not as much on the 2025 one.
That was proven rapidly within the last week, as Mizzou has suddenly become the favorite to land the top point guard in the class of 2026, in the 6-foot-3 Jason Crowe Jr.
The California native was previously a "lock" to end up with Kentucky, before seemingly changing his mind to take a closer look at another team in the SEC Conference.
Kentucky is no longer seen as the frontrunner for 5⭐️ Jason Crowe Jr., with another SEC school now gaining serious momentum.
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) July 6, 2025
Read: https://t.co/LxcUcdeJlO pic.twitter.com/vkVj0SwKgw
Crowe recieved a crystal ball from Travis Branham early on the morning of July 8th, meaning Branham is extremely confident that he will end up with the Tigers. The CBS analyst has hit on 230 of his 247 predictions, good enough for a hair over 93% in his career.
Though the Wildcats opened up to be the favorite, Mizzou has successfully made their case to the guard, as they hope to snag him out of a stacked 2026 freshman class.
Crowe is an incredible talent for his age, and has already been predicted to be a top-lottery pick in a future NBA draft, a truly unreal feat for a highschooler.
The guard has a knack for finding his spots, which tend to be around the three-point line, where he consistently finds the bottom of the bucket. His playmaking ability has made him just about unguardable at times, as he's able to find an open teammate effortlessly.
Crowe isn't a first-generation basketball talent though, as his father, Jason Crowe Sr. played a ton of basketball on numerous teams, both in and out of the country, throughout his colleigate and professional career.
Crowe Sr. and Gates crossed paths once in 2002, when Crowe was part of a training camp for the Los Angeles Clippers at the same time Gates was a skill development coach for them.
This has led to specualtion of a connection between the two, potentially leading to a coaching job for the 5-star's father. While its unclear if that conversation has happened, it would make sense why this very, 'out-of-left-field' move occured in the first place.
Getting a player of this caliber would mean a new high for Coach Gates, and likely create full-team momentum going into the 2025-26 campaign.
While it his official top list of potential schools remains unknown, the incoming senior seems to have his eyes set on playing in Columbia come next fall. He would be the highest rated commitment since now-NBA forward Michael Porter Jr. in 2017.
Tiger fans and players alike look ahead to July 18th, where Crowe is set to make his official commitment, with Mizzou by far ahead of any other programs.