With the departures of forwards Kobe Brown, Ronnie DeGray III and Mohamed Diarra, Mizzou has been searching for an experienced post to replenish its frontcourt depth for most of the offseason. Head coach Dennis Gates finally found his big man as Connor Vanover announced on his Instagram that he'll be joining the Tigers next season.
The 7-foot-5 center had the best statistical season of his career playing for Oral Roberts this year, ranking second in the nation with 3.2 blocks per game and averaging a personal-best 12.7 points and 7.2 rebounds. Vanover was named to the All-Summit League First Team, helping the Golden Eagles go 30-5 overall and 18-0 in conference play, win the Summit League tournament championship and receive an NCAA tournament berth.
Prior to joining Oral Roberts, Vanover began his college career at California in 2018-19, where he posted 7.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game and cracked the starting lineup as a rookie. The Little Rock, Ark. native transferred to Arkansas the next season to be closer to home but had to redshirt the 2019-20 season due to the rules in place at the time. The next year, Vanover started all but two games for the Razorbacks, averaging 6.3 points, 4.5 boards and 1.8 blocks, contributing to a run to the Elite Eight in March. Vanover assumed his role as the team’s starter again in 2021-22, but played in just 15 games before falling out of the rotation, leading to his departure to ORU.
Vanover's commitment comes after he took an on-campus visit in Columbia on Wednesday and Thursday this week. He is set to play an important role for the Tigers as the only upperclassman aside from Mabor Majak that’s listed as taller than 6-foot-8 on the roster. Vanover secured 23.5% of available defensive rebounds last season, ranking 82nd in the country per KenPom, which should be especially useful for a Missouri team that finished second-to-last in the NCAA in the metric. Vanover is also a willing 3-point shooter, attempting 2.9 treys per game for his career and making them at a slightly below-average 32.1% clip. The spacing Vanover provides should fit well within Gates’ perimeter-focused offensive scheme.
Mizzou may be finished with transfer portal additions after the addition of Vanover, with 18 players on the roster, some of whom will likely have to come off scholarship — Majak was originally a walk-on but was put on scholarship during the season after the Tigers only used 12. Missouri began summer workouts this week and will look to keep up the program’s momentum after going 25-10 and reaching the second round of the NCAA tournament last season.
Stay up to date on all the Mizzou news with your premium subscription
Talk about this story and more in The Tigers' Lair
Make sure you're caught up on all the Tiger news and headlines
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video and live streaming coverage
