COLUMBIA, Mo. 鈥 Has Missouri found its next 3-point shooter? Maybe, though the Tigers鈥 latest transfer portal addition is especially difficult to decipher.
Mizzou men鈥檚 basketball picked up a commitment from combo guard Jayden Stone this week, bringing in a perimeter presence to fill the program鈥檚 second-to-last available roster spot.
For a team in need of shooting and wing options, the 6-foot-4 veteran guard could bring that 鈥 but an extended injury and unique past stop add some unpredictability to what MU is getting.
Stone, who hails from Perth, Australia, is technically a transfer from West Virginia, where he spent this past season. He only ever played for the Mountaineers during an exhibition game, however, before suffering an unspecified upper-body injury during a preseason practice. Then-WVU coach Darian DeVries ruled Stone out for the season in February, allowing the player to receive a medical redshirt and the added year of eligibility he鈥檒l use at Missouri.
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Stone鈥檚 last season on the books was 2023-24, his second at Detroit Mercy after starting his career with two seasons at Grand Canyon. In 2023-24, Stone played nearly 36 minutes per night for a Detroit Mercy team that went 1-31, beating only IU-Indy to avoid a winless season.
The Titans turned to Stone as their offensive focal point during that dismal season. He took more than 17 shots and nine 3-pointers per game, averaging 20.8 points. He shot 42.2% from the field and 31.2% from deep 鈥 neither of which is an especially impressive clip.
Perhaps that was a reflection of the degree to which Detroit Mercy struggled and how much attention opponents were able to give Stone as he picked up a much bigger role than he鈥檇 had in past seasons.
In the 2022-23 season, Stone averaged 31.4 minutes per game across 13 appearances, shooting 49.2% from the field and 51.9% from 3. While that鈥檚 less than half of a full season, those are the kind of shooting numbers that present intrigue about what he can do from the perimeter.
And with Tamar Bates and Caleb Grill gone, the Tigers need guards who can operate in that area.
As things stand, Mizzou has 14 players on the roster for the 2025-26 season. Coach Dennis Gates could add one more, and it would be surprising if a coach known for putting a premium on deep rosters didn鈥檛 fill his. But it鈥檚 late in the portal window and unclear what is left in the budget for acquisitions 鈥 plus, Gates was noncommittal last week about how much he鈥檚 willing to add to this team.
鈥淚鈥檓 not going to add unless it helps us,鈥 he said. 鈥淎m I looking to add? I鈥檓 always looking to add. But am I going to compromise what we have coming back? Absolutely not. If it fits, then great, but I don鈥檛 want to stunt the development of our guys returning.鈥
Stone鈥檚 fit will round out Missouri鈥檚 crop of guards. Anthony Robinson II and T.O. Barrett will be the primary point guards, with true freshman Aaron Rowe backing them up.
Sebastian Mack, a UCLA transfer, and Stone will be the off-ball guard options, though both have some ball-handling ability. Annor Boateng could be in the mix here, too, though his position is perhaps better described as small forward than shooting guard.
While Mizzou is still light on proven 3-point shooters, it looks increasingly versatile from a lineup standpoint.
A core player like power forward Mark Mitchell already gives Gates a way to tinker with size 鈥 he can be the power forward alongside a more traditional center like Arizona State transfer Shawn Phillips Jr., or play as a smaller center with a wing like Trent Pierce, Jacob Crews or Jevon Porter on the floor too.
The guard rotation has options now, too.
Gates could roll with two point guards on the floor at the same time, which he鈥檚 favored in starting lineups over the last couple of seasons, and play Robinson and Barrett together. Mack or Stone could join that group as the 3.
Or, with one point guard on the floor, some combination of Mack, Stone and Boateng could play the shooting guard and small forward spots. Maybe Gates tosses another forward into the mix and plays only two guards.
But with five rotation-caliber options across the two or three guard spots, one chunk of Mizzou鈥檚 roster looks complete.
Now, with one open spot, it鈥檒l come down to the Tigers鈥 remaining resources and ability to scout the fading stages of the portal for another bigger perimeter presence, if that is the direction Missouri wants to go to round out the offseason.
