Speculate: 2026 Tigers

[edwin drood]

Great (so far) incoming freshmen with Crowe, Bryant and Chronister. Solid returners in Barrett and Pierce. Burns coming back, but to me, his fitness and offensive skills questionable.
Many here have dissed Boateng. Personally I think his raw athleticism gives him a big upside.
Rowe and Randall returning as sophomores, but totally unproven.
Mack gone?
Robinson gone?

Nice core but little depth. So, a 15 day portal opens the day after the championship game. Much shorter this year.
What are priorities when delving into the portal?
I'd say a proven center would be #1 for me.
Big time 3 point threat to spell Crowe and Pierce and Chronister.
And can we find a J. T. Tiller - a lockdown, in your face defender?
Any word on additional freshmen leans?

[clemonsonroots]

yeah, that is about right, but are we sure robinson is gone? If he stays, you don't need a lockdown defender as he is that. A center and a three point specialist would be the top needs. Also, norweather I think is returning too.

[esp31]

Great (so far) incoming freshmen with Crowe, Bryant and Chronister. Solid returners in Barrett and Pierce. Burns coming back, but to me, his fitness and offensive skills questionable.
Many here have dissed Boateng. Personally I think his raw athleticism gives him a big upside.
Rowe and Randall returning as sophomores, but totally unproven.
Mack gone?
Robinson gone?

Nice core but little depth. So, a 15 day portal opens the day after the championship game. Much shorter this year.
What are priorities when delving into the portal?
I'd say a proven center would be #1 for me.
Big time 3 point threat to spell Crowe and Pierce and Chronister.
And can we find a J. T. Tiller - a lockdown, in your face defender?
Any word on additional freshmen leans?

They will need a scorer, an alpha, to replace Mitchell. He's the only star. Those other guys are just pieces. I don't think you can count on a freshman to do what he does.

[straight out of st louis robert ave]

yeah, that is about right, but are we sure robinson is gone? If he stays, you don't need a lockdown defender as he is that. A center and a three point specialist would be the top needs. Also, norweather I think is returning too.

Gates needs more NIL money to find a player to replace Mitchell and also acquire a big-time center.
After that, start digging deeply for a three-point specialist.
Gates found a player like Stone so he should continue to "dig" and get an under-rated player from the transfer portal.
What Gates does not need is a "one-trick pony" like Mack. Show Mack the door.
If Norweather is willing to accept "no NIL money", then let him stay and be a "cheerleader".
Also, I believe Aaron Rowe should transfer since he will get very little playing time with Crowe coming in.
Boateng and Randall should definitely stay as they have some upside next year.
If Robinson leaves, no big deal. We enough have talent at guard with Crowe and TO.
I definitely want Pierce to stay. Pierce's best basketball is ahead of him.
Burns is a big question mark! I really don't know what to do with him.

[clemonsonroots]

yeah, that is about right, but are we sure robinson is gone? If he stays, you don't need a lockdown defender as he is that. A center and a three point specialist would be the top needs. Also, norweather I think is returning too.

Gates needs more NIL money to find a player to replace Mitchell and also acquire a big-time center.
After that, start digging deeply for a three-point specialist.
Gates found a player like Stone so he should continue to "dig" and get an under-rated player from the transfer portal.
What Gates does not need is a "one-trick pony" like Mack. Show Mack the door.
If Norweather is willing to accept "no NIL money", then let him stay and be a "cheerleader".
Also, I believe Aaron Rowe should transfer since he will get very little playing time with Crowe coming in.
Boateng and Randall should definitely stay as they have some upside next year.
If Robinson leaves, no big deal. We enough have talent at guard with Crowe and TO.
I definitely want Pierce to stay. Pierce's best basketball is ahead of him.
Burns is a big question mark! I really don't know what to do with him.

Burns just doesn't have any hands.

[winonsports]

I will speculate that more threads like this will appear after Mizzou wins for the rest of the 2026 season, in order to bring something negative to the surface by posters with low self esteem who don't have the first clue on how to handle success.

[Sophrosyne]

yeah, that is about right, but are we sure robinson is gone? If he stays, you don't need a lockdown defender as he is that. A center and a three point specialist would be the top needs. Also, norweather I think is returning too.

Gates needs more NIL money to find a player to replace Mitchell and also acquire a big-time center.
After that, start digging deeply for a three-point specialist.
Gates found a player like Stone so he should continue to "dig" and get an under-rated player from the transfer portal.
What Gates does not need is a "one-trick pony" like Mack. Show Mack the door.
If Norweather is willing to accept "no NIL money", then let him stay and be a "cheerleader".
Also, I believe Aaron Rowe should transfer since he will get very little playing time with Crowe coming in.
Boateng and Randall should definitely stay as they have some upside next year.
If Robinson leaves, no big deal. We enough have talent at guard with Crowe and TO.
I definitely want Pierce to stay. Pierce's best basketball is ahead of him.
Burns is a big question mark! I really don't know what to do with him.

FWIW, Mack, Norweather (sp?), Burns and Boateng are what they are - really noncontributors to any meaningful degree. Boateng is a great athlete, but will never be even an adequate basketball player at this level. Randall will always be a role player. I suspect Rowe doesn't really have it for this level. I think Peirce and TO are quality players, and hope finds his way out of the wilderness. We need a power forward who can score and a serviceable center in the portal, at a minimum. Hey, teams retool every year now - that's part of the deal. Hopefully the transfer window will be good to us.

[Sophrosyne]

Sorry, hope Ant finds his way

[onemizzou]

Great (so far) incoming freshmen with Crowe, Bryant and Chronister. Solid returners in Barrett and Pierce. Burns coming back, but to me, his fitness and offensive skills questionable.
Many here have dissed Boateng. Personally I think his raw athleticism gives him a big upside.
Rowe and Randall returning as sophomores, but totally unproven.
Mack gone?
Robinson gone?

Nice core but little depth. So, a 15 day portal opens the day after the championship game. Much shorter this year.
What are priorities when delving into the portal?
I'd say a proven center would be #1 for me.
Big time 3 point threat to spell Crowe and Pierce and Chronister.
And can we find a J. T. Tiller - a lockdown, in your face defender?
Any word on additional freshmen leans?

For what seems like the 50th year in a row we need a "proven starter" at center. I think Robinson stays now that his season has collapsed. I'm not sure we need him but he'll likely stay or maybe transfer. Either way I don't think we need him to stay.

[winonsports]

yeah, that is about right, but are we sure robinson is gone? If he stays, you don't need a lockdown defender as he is that. A center and a three point specialist would be the top needs. Also, norweather I think is returning too.

This is the 2026 season. Nobody is going anywhere.

[greyhawk]

Great (so far) incoming freshmen with Crowe, Bryant and Chronister. Solid returners in Barrett and Pierce. Burns coming back, but to me, his fitness and offensive skills questionable.
Many here have dissed Boateng. Personally I think his raw athleticism gives him a big upside.
Rowe and Randall returning as sophomores, but totally unproven.
Mack gone?
Robinson gone?

Nice core but little depth. So, a 15 day portal opens the day after the championship game. Much shorter this year.
What are priorities when delving into the portal?
I'd say a proven center would be #1 for me.
Big time 3 point threat to spell Crowe and Pierce and Chronister.
And can we find a J. T. Tiller - a lockdown, in your face defender?
Any word on additional freshmen leans?

They will need a scorer, an alpha, to replace Mitchell. He's the only star. Those other guys are just pieces. I don't think you can count on a freshman to do what he does.

Crowe is a one yr player -- if he doesn't take the 'alpha' spot in the lineup that will be considered very disappointing. He will have the ball too --- he will have growing pains but he will have more great games than bad ones by a longshot -- enjoy the ride with that young man.

[Mizzoufan443]

Great (so far) incoming freshmen with Crowe, Bryant and Chronister. Solid returners in Barrett and Pierce. Burns coming back, but to me, his fitness and offensive skills questionable.
Many here have dissed Boateng. Personally I think his raw athleticism gives him a big upside.
Rowe and Randall returning as sophomores, but totally unproven.
Mack gone?
Robinson gone?

Nice core but little depth. So, a 15 day portal opens the day after the championship game. Much shorter this year.
What are priorities when delving into the portal?
I'd say a proven center would be #1 for me.
Big time 3 point threat to spell Crowe and Pierce and Chronister.
And can we find a J. T. Tiller - a lockdown, in your face defender?
Any word on additional freshmen leans?

They will need a scorer, an alpha, to replace Mitchell. He's the only star. Those other guys are just pieces. I don't think you can count on a freshman to do what he does.

Crowe is a one yr player -- if he doesn't take the 'alpha' spot in the lineup that will be considered very disappointing. He will have the ball too --- he will have growing pains but he will have more great games than bad ones by a longshot -- enjoy the ride with that young man.

Completely agree here. Crowe can be a generational player who is THE guy-he’s an exceptional shooter and driver and he can also pass when doubled, exactly what Gates likes. If other guys can buy into their roles, and I’m thinking Bryant in particular as a rim protector, we have the potential of doing some special things. Hoping Gates gives us his best Calipari imitation (the good Calipari) by developing his freshman in season with early growing pains and by end of season ready to get to the Final Four. We haven’t seen a player like Crowe since MPJ, and before that AP. Or he’ll be a bust. But if he’s not a bust we are in for a treat.

[1983cougar]

I'm watching the AR/AL game and I just hope one of the incoming freshman can be as good as the Acuff kid from AR.

[greyhawk]

I'm watching the AR/AL game and I just hope one of the incoming freshman can be as good as the Acuff kid from AR.

Crowe is higher rated --- they need to give him the ball and stay out of the way.

[1983cougar]

I hope that Crowe is nearly as good. That was one of the better games that I've watched. Very high level. Al by 2 in double ot!