Head coach Dennis Gates has built a reputation for his strong recruiting efforts year after year, and that’s been evident again this offseason with how active the Tigers have been in the transfer portal.
The first month of the offseason hasn’t been ideal for Mizzou, with the program losing several key players and multiple coaches. That said, Gates and his staff have done an impressive job filling those gaps with top-tier talent from the portal.
That remained true on Sunday, when the Tigers landed senior guard Jayden Stone.
The Washington native has been a reliable scorer for multiple programs over the past five years.
The 6-foot-4 guard began his career with two brief and largely forgettable seasons at Grand Canyon, where he never cracked the starting lineup and saw his minutes decrease from his freshman to sophomore year.
His efficiency and defense — though evaluated over a small sample size — weren’t enough to keep him in the regular rotation.
Stone finished the 2021–22 season with the Lopes before entering the transfer portal, ultimately landing in the Horizon League as a member of the Detroit Mercy Titans.
The Titans never finished above .500 during Stone’s time at Detroit Mercy, but he saw significantly more playing time and showed steady improvement in all areas of his game.
Stone started all but one of the 39 games he played for the Titans over two seasons and led the team logging nearly 40 minutes per game.
His shooting efficiency remained above 40% per game, peaking just under 50% from the field, while he handled a heavy workload each night. As a junior, he also shot 52% from beyond the arc.
His defense improved significantly during the 2023-24 season, as he averaged nearly two steals per game. However, his turnovers also spiked, nearing three per game.
As a senior, he averaged 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, solidifying his status as one of the best players in the conference and making him a key name to watch in the transfer portal after the season.
Following a 14-19 campaign as a senior at Detroit, Stone decided to transfer to West Virginia. However, an upper-body injury before the season kept him sidelined for the year.
Stone received an injury redshirt, keeping his eligibility intact for another season. With a history of strong performances, including multiple 25-point games, he fills a significant hole for Mizzou this year.
Stone joins a deep guard rotation and a loaded transfer class, which should excite Tiger fans as the team looks to find consistent scoring from the backcourt.
Gates still has one roster spot open as the team enters the summer and looks to add more talent to a Mizzou squad coming off a winning season.