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Looking ahead to Mizzou's offseason

Despite having a dozen roster spots to fill after taking over as Missouri’s head coach, Dennis Gates managed to put together one of the best rosters in the country, leading to a 25-win season and an appearance in the second round of the NCAA tournament this year. Now a full year since taking over the program, Gates will look to sustain the Tigers’ success with a few key additions.

Here is Mizzou’s 2023 offseason outlook:

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PLAYERS OUT OF ELIGIBILITY

DeAndre Gholston, guard

Tre Gomillion, guard

D’Moi Hodge, guard

Ben Sternberg (walk-on), guard

The four senior guards combined to make 66 starts, play 2,248 minutes and post 1,018 points, 285 rebounds, 158 assists, 136 steals and 23 blocks. Together, they made up the grand majority of the team’s production on the wings.

Hodge was the team’s leader in 3-pointers, steals and blocks. Gholston provided dribble penetration and clutch shot-making on offense. Gomillion was one of the team’s most versatile defenders. And Sternberg played an essential role in instilling Gates’ vision for the program’s culture. Replacing what all four seniors brought to Missouri will be Gates’ toughest challenge this offseason.

PLAYERS WITH ELIGIBILITY LEFT

Tigers with Eligibility
Player Years Remaining

Kobe Brown

1

Noah Carter

1

Sean East II

1

Nick Honor

1

Isiaih Mosley

1

Kaleb Brown

2

Ronnie DeGray III

2

Mohamed Diarra

2

Mabor Majak

2

Jackson Francois

3

Aidan Shaw

3

Kobe Brown is arguably the biggest question mark in this group. The senior forward has started getting some NBA Draft buzz — ESPN’s Jonathan Givony slotted Kobe at No. 44 in his most recent Top 100, which would project Kobe as a middle second-round pick. Kobe at the very least will likely go through the process, participating in the NBA Draft combine and individual team workouts to try to improve his stock in front of scouts. If Kobe isn’t able to rise higher any higher, his decision will come down to which path he values more: staying in the draft and fighting his way for a roster spot or pulling out of the draft and running it back with Mizzou for one more season. The Tigers will know his decision by June 12, the draft’s early-entrant withdrawal deadline, at the latest.

Isiaih Mosley is another X factor in Mizzou’s offseason. The Columbia, Mo., was impactful while he was on the court, averaging 9.6 points per game and earning a spot in the starting lineup during SEC play. But Mosley was limited to just 14 appearances throughout the year due to a personal matter that the team has not disclosed out of respect for his privacy. On paper, Mosley could be Gates’ best answer to filling in some of the holes left behind by the team’s departing seniors. But if Mosley’s availability remains uncertain, it may be best for both parties to move on.

Senior point guards Sean East II and Nick Honor, sophomore guard Kaleb Brown, walk-on freshman Jackson Francois and forwards Noah Carter, Ronnie DeGray III, Mohamed Diarra, Mabor Majak (who PowerMizzou.com reported was on scholarship last season) and Aidan Shaw could enter the transfer portal in theory but don’t seem to have any obvious reasons to do so. The portal window will remain open until May 11, giving them roughly two months to decide.

INCOMING ADDITIONS

Curt Lewis (No. 3, JUCORecruiting.com)

Anthony Robinson II (No. 106, Rivals.com)

Jordan Butler (No. 107, Rivals.com)

Trent Pierce (No. 117, Rivals.com)

Danny Stephens (preferred walk-on)

J.V. Brown (walk-on)

Lewis seems to be a plug-and-play wing for Gates. The 6-foot-5 guard is currently playing for John A. Logan College, the same school Sean East transferred in from and where MU assistant coach Kyle Smithpeters was a head coach at for a decade. Lewis, playing under Logan College's new head coach and Kyle's brother, Tyler Smithpeters, has helped the Volunteers reach the quarterfinals of the NJCAA national tournament. He's averaging 13.9 points per game this season and shooting 49.2% from outside, showcasing the skills Gates appears to like from his off-the-ball guards.

One or all of the freshmen could emerge as major difference-makers for the Tigers as rookies, though Gates may elect to ease them into the college level as he did with Aidan Shaw, who averaged 10.6 minutes across 32 games this season. Robinson will provide depth at the point guard spot while Butler and Pierce will do the same in the frontcourt.

WHAT TO EXPECT

By adding six newcomers, Mizzou isn’t able to retain all of its current players without going over the scholarship limit, meaning at least one incumbent player will either have to be taken off of scholarship or move on to a new team.

Gates and his staff have already reached out to several players currently in the transfer portal, as noted in PowerMizzou.com’s 2023 Mizzou Hoops Transfer Tracker. As of Tuesday, there were 616 NCAA Division I basketball players in the portal. The needs of the team will come down to which players choose to play elsewhere. As noted above, wings will be a priority, particularly ones that are able to shoot from deep. But, for instance, if Kobe Brown ends up deciding to go pro, the team will likely look to add another big to the roster.

There’s also the possibility Missouri makes one more addition to its 2023 signing class. Four-star forward Jarin Stevenson took an official visit with the Tigers earlier this month and is considering reclassifying to play in college next season. Stevenson said he doesn’t plan to make that decision until after his AAU season is over, meaning a potential commitment wouldn’t come until later this summer.

None of Mizzou’s players have announced their decisions to leave — or to stay. But the Tigers have plenty of work to do before finalizing their roster.

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