Mizzou hoops targets in the updated Rivals150
The class of 2023 will represent the first real recruiting class for Dennis Gates as the head coach at Missouri. So far, Gates and his staff have offered 23 players in the class. You can view the full list of offers here.
Last week, Rivals updated the Rivals150 rankings for the class. The update saw several Missouri targets shoot up the ranks or enter for the first time. Here is a breakdown of where each player sho has been offered by Missouri stands, as well as the latest on their recruitment.
Booker made one of the biggest jumps of any prospect in the class, vaulting from No. 37 to No. 2 in the newest rankings and earning a fifth star in the process. It's no surprise, then, that a long list of schools have offered Booker after seeing him play on the AAU circuit this spring, including Missouri. But with the likes of Duke, Kansas, Michigan State and in-state Indiana all in hot pursuit, it would seem the Tigers' chances with Booker are slim.
Collier, too, moved into the top five of the national rankings and continues to have a legitimate case to be the best point guard in the country. We haven't had a chance to catch up with Collier, but his high school coach, Larry Thompson, told us that Missouri assistant coach Charlton Young was recruiting Collier at Florida State and has continued to do so since he teamed up with Gates at Missouri. Collier and Young reportedly have a strong relationship, and Collier has expressed interest in teaming up with Arrinten Page (who we will discuss shortly) at the next level.
Booker made one of the biggest jumps in the Rivals150, but Evans claims the single biggest leap. The California center vaulted an astounding 129 spots, from No. 141 to No. 12 nationally. Missouri got in pretty early with the fast-rising big man, but Kansas has now entered the fray and several other high-major schools seem likely to do so, as well, so Gates and his staff will have their work cut out to land Evans.
Johnson leapt from No. 99 to No. 27 and could be on the verge of earning a fifth star. The 6-foot-5 point guard is thought to be prioritizing Arizona State and LSU at this point, and Gonzaga recently jumped in with an offer, as well, making him look like a long shot for Missouri.
Missouri became the most recent school to extend an offer to High when it did so on May 31. Not long after that, High jumped all the way from outside the Rivals150 to No. 40. High seems to fit the mold of versatile big man that Missouri is looking for. With the Tigers’ interest in High being fairly recent, we don’t know a ton about where his recruitment stands, but he has an impressive offer list that includes the likes of Alabama, Arkansas, Michigan, Texas, Texas Tech and Villanova.
Page is another prospect who leaps from unranked to top-50 thanks to an impressive start to the AAU season. Like Collier, his teammate both in high school and on the EYBL circuit, Page has had a relationship with Young since before he was hired by Missouri. As a result, Page took a visit to Columbia last month. He has also visited USC and Cincinnati and has talked about setting up a trip to Indiana.
Estrella and his Middlesex Magic team have dominated the UAA circuit so far this summer. That has led to a flood of new offers for Estrella, including Kansas and Duke. Gates has been in contact for a while, as Estrella told PowerMizzou in April, but pulling him from the Northeast to Missouri seems unlikely.
Parker is another prospect who has a longstanding relationship with Young and who is high on Missouri as a result. He told PowerMizzou earlier this spring that the Tigers are among the short list of schools standing out in his recruitment. Parker has kept things fairly quiet since, but it wouldn't come as a surprise if he visits campus at some point. Young's former employer, Florida State, might represent the top competition to land him.
Butler is the younger brother of John Butler Jr., who played for Young at Florida State last season and recently decided to keep his name in the NBA Draft. Young and the rest of the Missouri staff have been recruiting Jordan hard, his father, John Butler Sr., told PowerMizzou. He's another prospect to keep on visit watch.
Normand is no longer on visit watch because he took an official visit to Missouri last week. Normand, who earned his fourth star and made his debut in the Rivals150 at No. 76, spoke highly of his time with the Tiger coaches. he's also planning to visit Wisconsin, Texas and Oklahoma State before announcing a commitment in August.
The son of former NBA player and current Denver Nuggets President of Basketball Operations Calvin Booth, Carey runs with Kansas City-based KC Run GMC on the UAA circuit. The younger Booth has picked up a flood of suitors this spring, with 17 new high-major schools having extended offers.
The Columbus-area prospect moved up in the rankings after showing off a versatile game on the EYBL circuit, but it looks like it will be hard for Missouri to lure him from Big Ten country.
Missouri assistant coach Dickey Nutt paid Marshall an in-person visit in April and the Tigers offered him a scholarship shortly thereafter. We haven't yet spoken with Marshall, who jumped into the top 100 after previously being unranked. His other offers include Kansas, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Texas A&M.
The Oklahoma shooter has had a winding recruitment. He initially received a Missouri offer from Cuonzo Martin and his staff and visited Missouri's campus in February. Shortly after Martin was fired, Friedrichsen committed to Oklahoma State. However, last month, Friedrichsen re-opened his recruitment, and Gates and company wasted little time in reaching out. Friedrichsen told us he's in no hurry to commit a second time, but he's definitely a prospect to keep an eye on.
Gardner has kept his recruitment pretty quiet, but the West Coast seven-footer has an impressive offer list that includes Illinois, Kansas, LSU, Texas Tech, USC and others.
Another prospect who was initially offered by Martin and his staff, McBride has continued to hear from Gates and company. The Texas native has family ties to Missouri, as his grandmother lives in Columbia, and he included the Tigers among his top four schools before re-opening his recruitment shortly after Martin got fired. If Gates decides to prioritize McBride, we feel like Missouri could be the favorite to land him.
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