The transfer portal is officially open, much to the chagrin of college basketball purists everywhere. Somewhere in the upcoming whirlwind of quick-draw recruiting and NIL negotiations, teams will look to fill their gaps and set their rosters before the end of the academic year.
When I began writing this, Dennis Gates was set to lose seven players to graduation and the portal. Yesterday it was announced that T.O. Barrett will enter the transfer portal, leaving a huge void at the guard position. As it stands now, the Tigers have nine players on the roster. There’s a chance that senior forward Jevon Porter will apply for a medical waiver following his season ending injury in December, but approval is not likely.
The NCAA roster limit is 15, so I would expect Gates and company to snag six players from the portal. There are a lot of unanswered questions that will likely determine the course of action in the next few weeks. For example: Is Jason Crowe slated to be their main ballhandler or will they work him in off the ball? What will Annor Boateng’s recovery timeline be? Do they have the budget for a high-level post player?
That being said, with the needs that they have now and the targets available, these are some players that could possibly find themselves a new home in Columbia.
Need #1: Fill Out the Guard Rotation
Mizzou’s three portal entrants so far have all been guards. Anthony Robinson II underwhelmed following immense preseason hype and the front office couldn’t work out a deal with likely starting point guard T.O. Barrett. Sebastian Mack would’ve been a good piece behind Jason Crowe, but he left for greener pastures. Aaron Rowe remains on the roster, but the crafty, undersized redshirt freshman is completely untested.
Dennis Gates will likely target a high-volume, balanced offensive threat to complement the scoring of Jason Crowe, and some solid defense would be ideal to fill the shoes of Robinson and Barrett. An established starter and a serviceable bench man will round out the position well.
Targets
Justin Pippen- Sophomore PG, California– A proven passer-scorer who was top-100 nationally this year in both steals and assists per game. Pippen averaged 14 points per game, is a physical defender and strong offensive option. He’s also the son of NBA legend Scottie Pippen, which can’t hurt either.
Christian Hammond- Sophomore PG, Santa Clara– A first-team WCC selection. More of a scorer than a passer, Hammond played in an up-tempo, high volume offense. He has less eye-popping defensive stats, but is a hard player to match up with regardless.
Corey Hadnot II- Junior CG, Purdue-Fort Wayne– A ridiculously talented scorer, Hadnot would make an elite one-two punch with Jason Crowe in the backcourt. He mostly worked as a shooting guard at IPFW, but his ballhandling and passing ability is undeniable. Hadnot led the Mastodons in scoring with 20.4 per game, and also added top-70 stealing numbers nationally. He greatly improved his rebound and assist numbers this year, and it’s clear Corey Hadnot II is ready to excel at a higher level.
Jordan Frison- Junior PG, Chattanooga– Frison two years at the D2 level before transferring to the Mocs and immediately fit in. Averaged 16.4 ppg with a 2.35 assist/turnover ratio and shot the lights out from three-point land. He’s a proven talent that could work incredibly well in tandem with Jason Crowe and won’t fetch a hefty price despite his skill.
Trevian Carson- Junior CG, North Dakota State– Trevian Carson is a guy that could play a really strong sixth man role for the Tigers. A former junior college transfer, Carson is a jack-of-all-trades type of player. He is an efficient offensive option that can pass and score from all levels, rebound incredibly well for his size and swipe the ball from anyone.
Lazerek Houston- Freshman PG, Central Missouri (DII)– An unlikely but potentially valuable budget pick up. A DII to SEC transfer happened just last year and worked out well (Auburn’s Elyjah Freeman). Houston averaged 20.8 ppg at UCM and 5.1 assists per game- if the move did happen Houston would likely compete for minutes as the fourth guard on the roster.
Need #2: Physical Starting Center
Shawn Phillips Jr. exhausted his final year of eligibility with the Tigers, leaving Trent Burns, Nicholas Randall and Luke Northweather as the only real post players on the roster. Burns showed flashes of ability down the stretch this season, but that talent still needs to be refined for him to get starting minutes. If not for the gutted guard depth, this would easily be number one.
Targets
Chol Machot- Sophomore C, Charleston– Super athletic for his size, Chol Machot is a realistic pick to start at center next year. He did not get a lot of usage at Charleston, but still managed to produce 9 ppg and 5.5 rpg along with 2.5 blocks per game. His assist numbers are somewhat alarming, but his athleticism and defensive ability should make him an immediate eye-catcher in the portal- not to mention he was recruited and offered by Mizzou back in 2024.
Anton Bonke- Junior C, Charlotte– A highly sought-after target, Bonke is an experienced scoring center, something that Dennis Gates hasn’t truly had in his time at Mizzou. He averaged 10.6 ppg and 8.3 rpg, both numbers that would be sizable improvements in the frontcourt. He’s 7-foot-2, but with a good amount of bulk that makes him a force on the glass.
Arrinten Page- Junior C, Northwestern– A physical inside presence that brings solid rim protection and three years of consistent power-four minutes. Page spent time at USC and Cincinnati before transferring to Northwestern, where he slotted into a key starting role for Chris Collins’ Wildcats. With good scoring and defensive numbers, Page is a great option for a high-level and cost effective inside man.
Connor Turnbull- Senior C, Evansville– Turnbull has Missouri roots, as he attended high school at Fort Zumwalt North in O’Fallon. The future grad transfer earned MVC Defensive Player of the Year in 2024-25, but struggled with an injury-riddled season this year. Despite this, he averaged 11.5 ppg and 6 rebounds per game to go along with 2.4 blocks per game in 16 appearances.
Need #3: Three-and-D Wing/Forward depth
Jacob Crews, Mark Mitchell and likely Jevon Porter are done, being replaced by four-star Aidan Chronister and five-star Toni Bryant. There were questions floating around about whether Bryant would be ready to take on a starting role as a freshman, but he likely put those to rest with a dominant performance at the McDonald’s All-American Game. I wouldn’t be surprised to see both Trent Pierce and Toni Bryant start, as Pierce tends to function more as a wing than his listed power forward position. Chronister is an excellent shooter and a good candidate to fill in Jacob Crews’ role from last year, but the Tigers could use more established depth at the position.
Targets
Stefan Vaaks- Freshman SG, Providence– A long-shot pick that would be pricey, Vaaks is the kind of guy you can build an offense around. A good passer and prolific shooter, the Estonia native averaged 15.8 ppg on 35% from behind the arc with excellent assist numbers. His former head coach Kim English is a Mizzou alumnus, and Mizzou basketball GM Tim Fuller recently spent time as an assistant coach at Providence.
Jamier Jones- Freshman SF, Providence– Jones is a more likely pick that Dennis Gates recruited out of high school. Jamier Jones worked his way into the starting lineup for the Friars down the stretch, averaging 11.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game on the year. He’s aggressive, sometimes to a fault, and has a sub-1 assist/turnover ratio, but the talent is absolutely there.
Eian Elmer- Junior SF, Miami (OH)– An underrated prospect out of high school, Elmer has blossomed into one of the most reliable players in the nation. He started 31 of 32 games for the seemingly unstoppable Redhawks this year, shooting a staggering 43% from three. Adding to this, Elmer averaged 5.9 rpg and 2 steals/blocks per game.
Tate McCubbin- Sophomore G/F, Austin Peay– McCubbin is a Columbia native and a good option to work in with Trent Pierce. The versatile wing attended Battle High School, and his father, Todd, is currently the executive director of the Mizzou Alumni Association. He averaged 9.7 ppg on 34.6% three-point shooting this year, along with solid rebounding and plus defense.
Taj Manning- Junior PF, Kansas State– A native of Grandview, Missouri, Taj Manning would be an excellent addition to the forward rotation, slotting in behind Bryant and Pierce. He’s your bread and butter workhorse, snatching up a high volume of rebounds and working for loose balls. He’s not an excellent scorer, but that’s not what Dennis Gates would need from him anyway.
My Ideal 2026-27 Mizzou Basketball Depth Chart
Starting Lineup
G- Sr. Jordan Frison (Chattanooga)
G- Fr. Jason Crowe Jr.
F- Sr. Trent Pierce
F- Fr. Toni Bryant
C- Jr. Chol Machot (Charleston)
Bench (in order of minutes)
So. F Jamier Jones (Providence)
Sr. G Trevian Carson (North Dakota State)
Sr. F Taj Manning (Kansas State)
So. C Trent Burns
Jr. G Annor Boateng
Fr. G/F Aidan Chronister
Jr. G/F Tate McCubbin (Austin Peay)
So. F Nicholas Randall
Fr. G Aaron Rowe
Sr. F Luke Northweather