After Dennis Gates led Missouri to a 25-10 record, an appearance in the semifinals of the SEC tournament and a win in the first round of the NCAA tournament in his first year with the Tigers, the head coach’s expectations are higher for year two.
Gates has stayed busy this offseason to ensure the team stays competitive. Here's who Mizzou lost, who the program brought in and how the roster might shake out for 2023-24.
DEPARTURES
Kobe Brown (Declared for NBA Draft)
Ronnie DeGray III (Transferred to Wichita State)
Mohamed Diarra (Transferred to NC State)
DeAndre Gholston (Graduated)
Tre Gomillion (Graduated)
D’Moi Hodge (Graduated)
Isiaih Mosley (Looking to turn pro)
Ben Sternberg (Graduated)
Together, this group comprised three team captains, three players who were already familiar with Gates’ system, an All-SEC First Team selection, the Tigers’ top three scoring leaders, as well as their leaders in rebounds, steals and blocks.
In addition to losing the intangibles that the players brought — such as laying the cultural foundation of the program or buying into the roles they were assigned — Mizzou also lost the production of the group, which accounted for more than half of the team’s totals in nearly every statistical category.
The Tigers’ losses being substantial necessitated Gates to bring in another large transfer class for the second year in a row and will have the team leaning heavily on the players who stuck around.
RETURNERS
As much as Missouri lost, the team should benefit significantly from the number of players it retained. According to KenPom, with DeGray, Kobe and Kaleb Brown as the only returners on last year’s squad, the Tigers ranked 328th in the country bringing back just 17.8% of its minutes. This season, the team is bringing back 43.4% of its minutes, which would’ve ranked 175th in the NCAA, squarely in the middle of the pack.
East and Honor should bring continuity at the point guard position and help ease newcomers into the system. Honor started every game for Mizzou last year and was particularly efficient at taking care of the ball, posting a 3.1-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. He was also one the team’s most accurate shooters, nailing 39.9% of his outisde shots. East had a higher assist rate than Honor, but wasn’t as good at minimizing his turnovers — Gates once called him “the best risk-taker” the team had as a passer. East didn’t have a good year from beyond the arc, but was an adept finisher around the rim. The pair of guards also combined to rack up 111 steals, using their speed to pressure opposing ball-handlers on defense.
Carter had a bit of an up-and-down year, but seemed to hit a stride down the stretch of the season, scoring at least 10 points in seven of his last eight games. It partially had to do with his precision from deep — though the forward shot 32.2% from long-range throughout the season, he sank 39.4% of his triples during the final eight games. But Carter also displayed good touch from the post, dropping in 65.6% of his 2-point shots. After transferring in from Northern Iowa last year, Carter was named a captain-in-training and could take on a larger leadership role this season. If his hot scoring streak carries over into next season, there’s a possibility he could supplant Kobe Brown as the team’s leading scorer.
Shaw got his feet wet as a freshman, averaging 10.6 minutes per game, but wasn’t asked to do too much beyond cleaning the glass and throwing down dunks. With most of the Tigers’ frontcourt moving on, Shaw could take a leap in his development as a sophomore.
Francois, Majak and Kaleb Brown didn’t see significant minutes last year, but should the team run into a pinch, it’ll be useful for Gates to have players who already have a year in his program under their belts for him to turn to.
TRANSFERS
Tamar Bates (Indiana)
Jesus Carralero (Campbell)
Caleb Grill (Iowa State)
Curt Lewis (John A. Logan College)
John Tonje (Colorado State)
Connor Vanover (Oral Roberts)
Even with the number of returners the Tigers have, Missouri’s transfers are still in position to soak up a lot of playing time and, in some cases, assume starting roles. It’s clear Gates sought out plug-and-play transfers who had a high level of experience and wouldn’t need much time to adjust to new surroundings, as Carralero, Grill, Tonje and Vanover are all entering their final year of eligibility.
Vanover may be the most obvious candidate in the group to slot into the starting lineup. At 7-foot-5, he joins Majak and the team’s two freshmen forwards as the only players on the roster taller than 6-foot-8. Vanover has competed at the high-major level before, beginning his career at California and spending the next two seasons at Arkansas. He transferred to Oral Roberts last year, helping the Eagles run the table in the Summit League and earn a bid to the NCAA tournament, going 30-5. Vanover should provide immediate upgrades in two areas that the Tigers struggled with the most last season: defensive rebounding and rim protection.
Mizzou pulled down just 37.2% of available defensive boards, which ranked second-to-last in the country according to KenPom. The team blocked 8.2% of opponents’ 2-point attempts and allowed teams to shoot 52.2% inside the arc, which ranked 283rd in the nation. Vanover ranked in the top 100 among all NCAA Division I players by securing 23.5% of available defensive rebounds himself. He was also second among all players averaging 3.2 blocks per game. Add in that Vanover will bring floor spacing on the offensive end as a career 32.1% 3-point shooter and it’s easy to see how he’ll fit into the mix.
Carralero should be another depth piece in the frontcourt and bring an element of playmaking that is uncommon for players of his size. The 6-foot-8 forward from Malaga, Spain, was limited to just five games last year after suffering a wrist injury, but ranked 43rd in the nation with an assist rate of 32.0 during the 2021-22 season. Carralero also ranked in the top 350 in KenPom’s defensive rebounding, block and steals percentages.
The team’s other four transfers will likely compete for the remaining starting jobs on the wings. Grill is the most accomplished of the group, helping Iowa State reach the Sweet 16 in 2022 and starting in 22 games for the Cyclones last year while carving out a role as a 3-and-D player. The 6-foot-4 guard could be given very similar responsibilities in Missouri. Grill scored 9.5 points per game while shooting and above-average 36.8% from outside, proved to be a solid rebounder for his position, averaging 4.0 per game and also displayed active hands, swiping 1.2 steals per game.
Tonje has grown into an effective scorer over the past two years and could be just the same for the Tigers. He was the third wheel for a Colorado State team that reached the NCAA tournament for the first time in nine years in 2022. After the team’s leading scorer, David Roddy, was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies, Tonje took on an even larger role this past year, averaging 14.6 points while shooting 47.3% from the field, 38.9% from deep and 81.5% from the foul line. He also looks to be a strong finisher in transition, where Mizzou thrived last season.
Bates and Lewis are a bit less proven, but could have more long-term upside with each having two years of eligibility left. Bates was a highly-touted prospect coming out of high school, ranked as the No. 34 recruit in his the Class of 2021, but didn’t get much opportunity his first season with Indiana. The Kansas City, Kan. native averaged 6.1 points in 20.1 minutes coming off the bench as a sophomore for the Hoosiers last year while shooting 37.1% from 3. There’s a good chance there is some untapped potential left in Bates’ game and a change in systems might help him reach it.
Lewis had an impressive run in JUCO, earning the NJCAA Player of the Year award and leading John A. Logan College to the national championship. Lewis hit a red-hot 48.3% from beyond the arc while averaging 14.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. East, who was also an NJCAA Player of the Year before transferring to Mizzou, made big impact in his first year with the Tigers. Lewis will look to do the same.
FRESHMEN
Aidan Shaw’s rookie year provided a pretty good template for what to expect from the team’s freshmen this season: play just enough to get a real feel for the college game, but not enough where any flaws or mistakes that get exposed have too much of an effect. The experience Gates now has on the roster will allow him to nurture the Tigers’ young talent without throwing them into the fire before they’re ready.
That doesn’t mean they won’t ever see the court, though. As noted earlier, the team is a tad short on size in the frontcourt, which both Butler and Pierce can bring. Both players can also stretch the floor as well, helping to pull bigger defenders away from the paint.
Robinson will get to learn the ropes behind East and Honor before potentially taking over the reins as the Tigers’ lead guard in 2024. Gates said he considers Robinson to be a three-level scorer and values the aggression he brings on both ends of the floor.
As a preferred walk-on, Stephens likely won't come off the bench much early on in his career but could make his way into the rotation further down the road.
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