Things at Missouri have largely been trending in a good direction since Dennis Gates took over four seasons ago. The Tigers did bottom out in 2024 but in his other three seasons have won at least 20 games and reached the NCAA Tournament. Last season was another example of this, as the Tigers tied for 7th in a tough SEC before bowing out in the first round of the Big Dance.
What’s unfortunate here is that Missouri loses a ton of the production from those recent teams, losing a slew of seniors and a few other names to the transfer portal. You won’t see Mark Mitchell or Jayden Stone suiting up next season, though Trent Pierce and a few other frontcourt pieces will be back at least but there’s a lot of lost output to replace.
Busy time for college hoops
A busy offseason brings a few freshmen and a ton of transfer into the fold. The backcourt gains significant experience with BYU’s Kennard Davis as well as a pair of mid-major guards who put up 14 points a game last season in Jordan Crawford (South Dakota) and Cord Stansberry (Western Carolina). Jaylen Carey heads over from Tennessee hoping to secure a major role in the frontcourt while the same can be said of former Providence forward Jamier Jones, a double-digit scorer in the Big East.
While there’s certainly value in these additions, we’re considering Bryson Tiller here for a few important reasons. A 6-10 forward from Atlanta, Tiller was a Top 100 prospect from last season who was expected to do great things over at Kansas. He started nearly every game as a true freshman in Lawrence, putting up 7.9 points and 6.1 rebounds and now gets a chance to star with the rival Tigers as well.
Sky is the limit
As a prospect, Tiller projects as someone who could turn into a real star. He may have underwhelmed certain expectations with the Jayhawks, but Missouri gives him every chance to become a starter and playmaker moving forward. If he can put up those figures in his first year, then taking an established leap forward as a sophomore could lead to dynamic results for the Tigers.
In all honestly, Missouri is leaning on plenty of new faces to settle into new roles for this team. We could easily pointed out Jones, a potent scorer as a freshman, or one of those veteran guards that might be thrust into a starting role in the Big 12. The reason we’re leaning heavily on Tiller is his importance not just on the court but for the eyeballs on him as a transfer from Kansas.
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