Mizzou men's basketball roster is chock-full of options

Missouri has one of the deepest and most versatile rosters of the Gates era. There are five-star freshmen, proven SEC veterans, high-major transfers, experienced mid-major scorers and enough size to make the Tigers a formidable defensive squad.

The possibilities are nearly endless.

So, before the season begins, here is a position-by-position look at what Missouri does well, where the questions are and what could make this group so interesting.

Guards: Crowe holds the keys

Projected starters: Jason Crowe Jr. and Jamier Jones

If Missouri wants to go somewhere it has not been in recent years, it will likely start with the ball in Jason Crowe Jr.'s hands.

Crowe enters Columbia as the highest-rated Missouri recruit since Michael Porter Jr. He was No. 7 in ESPN's final 2026 rankings and No. 14 nationally in Rivals' final rankings. He is a consensus five-star who ranked as high as No. 3 nationally by 247Sports.

The résumé is absurd.

Crowe scored 4,718 points at Inglewood High in Southern California, averaged 43.3 points per game as a senior and earned co-MVP honors at the McDonald's All-American Game. He also averaged 26.5 points at the 2025 Peach Jam.

The question is not whether Crowe can score.

It is how quickly he can do it against the SEC.

That is where Jamier Jones becomes important.

The 6-foot-6 Jones was a Big East all-freshman selection at Providence after averaging 11.9 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 57% from the field and 38.7% from 3-point range. He started 19 games for the Friars and ranked as high as No. 39 nationally in the transfer portal.

That gives Missouri a potentially explosive combination: Crowe's shot creation and Jones' size and efficiency.

And the depth behind them is legitimate.

Kennard Davis Jr. started 32 games at BYU last season after earning second-team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors at Southern Illinois the year before. Jordan Crawford arrives after averaging 14.4 points and making 77 3-pointers at South Dakota. Cord Stansberry brings another 14.1-point-per-game season from Western Carolina.

Aaron Rowe might be the most intriguing developmental piece. The Columbia native redshirted last season after entering Missouri as the No. 53 recruit nationally, according to Rivals. He owns Father Tolton's career assist record and could provide a true pass-first option when Crowe needs a breather.

The good: Shooting, scoring, size and depth.

The concern: Crowe is still a freshman and could only stay one season at Mizzou. Missouri will need someone to create offense when defenses make his life difficult.

The wild card: CJ Gunn has enrolled at Missouri, but he has not officially signed with the Tigers and should not yet be treated as a confirmed member of the playing roster. If added and cleared, the former Indiana and DePaul guard would bring four years of college experience and averaged 13 points at DePaul last season. He also won a 3-point contest at the Final Four.

For now, consider Gunn a question mark rather than a piece of the rotation.

Forwards: Where the roster gets crowded

Projected starters: Mark Mitchell and Bryson Tiller

This might be Missouri's most fascinating position group.

Mark Mitchell is the obvious headline.

After entering the transfer portal and committing to Kentucky following a court ruling that granted him a fifth year of eligibility, Mitchell ultimately returned to Missouri. He averaged 18.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists last season and earned second-team All-SEC honors.

If his fifth-year eligibility remains intact, Missouri gets back the player who led the Tigers in scoring, rebounding and assists last season.

That changes everything.

Next to him is Bryson Tiller, who started 31 games as a freshman at Kansas and averaged 7.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. He was a top-20 recruit coming out of high school and gives Missouri a physical 6-foot-11 forward who already has experience playing major-college basketball.

Then there is Trent Pierce.

At 6-foot-10, Pierce can make the frontcourt look like a mismatch nightmare. He averaged 10.4 points in only 20 games last season after returning from injury and shot 38.4% from 3-point range.

And that might be the most important number in this entire position group.

Missouri can put size on the floor without completely sacrificing spacing.

Behind them are Toni Bryant and Nicholas Randall.

Bryant is particularly intriguing. The freshman was ranked No. 14 nationally by ESPN and No. 2 among centers in the ESPN 100. He also earned McDonald's All-American honors alongside Crowe.

The good: Size, versatility and shooting.

The concern: Minutes. There are more legitimate frontcourt players than there are starting spots.

The wild card: Bryant. If the five-star freshman is ready immediately, Gates has another weapon to throw into the rotation.

Center: Carey gives Missouri muscle

Projected starter: Jaylen Carey

If the guards provide the fireworks and the forwards provide versatility, Carey provides the bruising.

The 6-foot-8, 255-pound senior arrives from Tennessee after helping the Volunteers reach the Elite Eight. His 103 offensive rebounds ranked fourth in Tennessee history, and his 2.78 offensive rebounds per game ranked 10th nationally.

That is not a flashy stat.

It might be one of the most valuable ones on this roster.

Carey gives Missouri a player whose job does not require 15 shots. He can create extra possessions, absorb contact and make life miserable around the basket.

Behind him is a fascinating collection of size.

Luke Northweather is 6-foot-11 and shot 41.9% from 3-point range last season. Trent Burns is 7-foot-5 and saw his role increase late last season. Additionally, Bryant and Tiller can play inside and slide to center. Pierce can play small-ball five.

Missouri does not have one center.

It has a menu.

The good: Rebounding and physicality.

The concern: The Tigers will need consistent interior offense, not just size.

The wild card: Burns. At 7-foot-5, he is perhaps the most unique player on the roster simply because there are not many people in the world like him.

So what does it all mean?

The current national projections reflect the intrigue. Jon Rothstein has Missouri projected at No. 20 nationally and lists a starting five of Crowe, Jones, Mitchell, Tiller and Carey.

That lineup says plenty.

It says Missouri can put five players on the floor who can score.

It says Gates has enough size to change matchups.

And, perhaps most importantly, it says there is still another wave of talent waiting on the bench.

Pierce. Bryant. Davis. Northweather. Crawford. Rowe. Boateng.

Someone is going to have to sit.

That might be Missouri's biggest strength and biggest problem at the same time.

There is no shortage of talent.

There is only one basketball.

Thirty-six days from now, Missouri will finally begin figuring out how all of it fits.