COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri men’s basketball entered the transfer portal window with the best grip strength its money could buy. It’s evident now that holding onto talent was more important to the Tigers than acquiring new versions.
In a time when college basketball overhauls are commonplace for any one offseason, Mizzou bucked convention by prioritizing retention.
As for why, there are two players at the forefront of this philosophy. It’s no secret who the two-man core of MU is heading into 2025-26. Last season ended two months ago, and coach Dennis Gates has already established their preseason branding.
“Mark Mitchell is the top returning points-per-game player in the SEC,” Gates told the Post-Dispatch last week. “Ant Robinson is the preseason defensive player of the year at the point guard spot.”
The first part is factually true. Mitchell finished 18th in the Southeastern Conference last season by putting up 13.9 points per game, but the 17 players ahead of him are off to the NBA draft or schools outside the conference, which makes him the league’s most proven returning scorer.
The second part will probably end up true. Anthony Robinson II, an all-defensive team selection last season, is well-positioned to repeat on that team and perhaps challenge for defensive player of the year at any position.
Having two All-SEC-level players in Mitchell and Robinson ought to be a solid foundation for a program like Missouri. Keeping that duo on board — which is to say out of the transfer portal — was a priority this offseason. In a window of outlandish prices paid out to newcomers by high-major programs, Mitchell may well have netted upwards of $2 million if he transferred, based on the market for some other players. Robinson could’ve landed around $1.5 million.
It’s not like they’ll make nothing at Mizzou, but Gates and Co. were able to keep their two stars in place at a price point that evidently worked out for all involved.
MU’s retention efforts also kept wings Jacob Crews and Trent Pierce in place. The program is optimistic about the developmental strides that both can take. Crews is entering his second season working with the Tigers coaching staff, which prompts hope for bigger gains than could be accomplished going into Year 1. Pierce will be entering his junior season, but there’s hope that he’ll take a “sophomore” leap given that his freshman season was derailed by a gnarly ear infection, making 2024-25 his first real season of contribution.
The likes of Annor Boateng and T.O. Barrett will be entering their true sophomore seasons, which comes with the same second-year optimism, while Trent Burns will be in line to make his collegiate debut.
All in all, those returners put Mizzou second in the SEC for returning minutes, per BartTorvik’s tracking.
A high proportion of returning minutes is by no means a perfect indicator of which programs will find success heading into a season. The four teams with the most returning minutes for 2025-26 are Navy, Purdue, Harvard and Siena, and nobody will argue that’s who will be in the Final Four next season.
Still, MU’s placement in returning playing time rankings is helpful context for its spot in transfer portal rankings. In those tables, the Tigers have taken quite a tumble from one year ago.
Mizzou’s 2024 transfer class was ranked 13th in the nation by 247Sports. The 2025 transfer class is ranked 55th in the nation and 13th in the SEC.
The difference is eye-catching, particularly when considering that the 2024 class was assembled after a winless conference season while the 2025 class came together after an NCAA Tournament appearance.
With MU’s 2025 transfer business more or less concluded — there’s one open roster spot but a decreasing probability it’s used in a significant way next season — it’s now clear how that group will fit with the program.
Sebastian Mack, coming over from UCLA, will be one of the main backcourt pieces. Shawn Phillips Jr., from Arizona State, will be the traditional center when Gates uses one. If Jevon Porter’s jumper and rebounding translate from Loyola Marymount to the SEC, he’ll be a factor. If a year away from the game didn’t set back Jayden Stone, he could be in the backcourt mix, too. Luke Northweather can be a depth piece with some perimeter upside.
Collectively, they don’t need to be stars.
A two-man freshman class of Aaron Rowe and Nicholas Randall probably won’t offer immediate production, but that’s been the trajectory for a while.
This has been, with some degree of hindsight, a very secondary transfer portal window for Missouri. The Tigers brought in secondary pieces, and acquisition itself was secondary to the goal of retaining a core of Mitchell and Robinson.
It showed in the types of players Mizzou signed, in returning minutes and portal rankings, and now in Gates’ frame for the window.
“We have a crew of guys able to complement our nucleus when you look at our portal class, our high school class,” he said.
Mizzou men's basketball coach Dennis Gates speaks with the media on Thursday, March 20, 2025, after a first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Drake. (NCAA/Veritone)
