Latest news with #DennisGates
Reuters
4 days ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Missouri lands five-star G Jason Crowe Jr., No. 4 in '26
July 19 - Missouri landed five-star guard Jason Crowe Jr., a consensus top-five player in the Class of 2026. Crowe, a 6-foot-3 lefty combo guard from Inglewood (Calif.) High School, widely was considered a cinch for Southern California until Missouri and Kentucky entered the picture earlier in the summer. The Tigers made their initial scholarship offer in June. Kentucky also was a contender. Crowe's father was a teammate of current Wildcats assistant Jason Hart. "Coach (Dennis) Gates is a phenomenal coach and person, and his staff are great people," Crowe said. "Our first conversation happened during the USA tryouts. He was really genuine. We talked about family and connected on a meaningful level. Coach Gates is a family-first person. On the court, he's high-energy and competitive." Crowe is first in scoring in the Nike EYBL with an average of 23.6 points per game. He would become the highest-rated recruit to attend Missouri since Michael Porter Jr. (2017) and Linas Kleiza (2013) should he remain committed to the Tigers for the next year. --Field Level Media
New York Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Missouri lands top-10 recruit Jason Crowe Jr. as Dennis Gates' personal ties pay off
NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — In 2002, Jason Crowe was a training camp invitee with the Los Angeles Clippers. That same summer, Dennis Gates had caught the attention of the Clippers coaching staff by working out Quentin Richardson, Corey Maggette and some of the young Clippers stars, and the Clips hired him as a skill development coach. Crowe, who did not make the roster, never forgot the presence Gates had as a 22-year-old new coach. NEWS: 5⭐️ Jason Crowe Jr has committed to Missouri, he tells @TheAthleticCBB On the EYBL circuit he's averaging 23.8 points, 3 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game — Tobias Bass (@tobias_bass) July 18, 2025 'I was able to just watch him, the style of play, the method of coaching, the way he deals with young men,' Crowe said. 'He was a good man, so I was very fortunate he reached out.' Crowe's very talented son, five-star guard Jason Crowe Jr., committed to Missouri on Friday, becoming the second-highest-ranked recruit in Tigers history. He's the highest-ranked since Michael Porter Jr. in 2017. Crowe announced the commitment from the Nike EYBL Peach Jam on his birthday. Advertisement Missouri beat out Kentucky and local schools USC and UCLA for the Inglewood, Calif., product. Crowe, the sixth-ranked player in the Class of 2026 according to the 247Sports Composite, is one of the best shooters in this class and is leading EYBL in scoring at 27 points per game this summer. This is a big addition for the Tigers, who will be a fringe Top 25 team this preseason. Missouri's 2026-27 starting backcourt could potentially be Crowe, Anthony Robinson II (9.0 points, 3.5 assists per game last season) and UCLA transfer Sebastian Mack (9.6 points per game). The Tigers will be losing Mark Mitchell in the frontcourt, but that backcourt is a great starting spot for another Top 25 team. The Tigers have reached two NCAA Tournaments in Gates' three seasons as coach, including a 22-12 record and No. 6 seed this past year (Missouri lost to No. 11 Drake in the first round).
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pros, cons of Denver Nuggets signing Tamar Bates of Missouri basketball to two-way contract
Tamar Bates is off to Denver. The Missouri basketball standout signed a two-way contract with the Denver Nuggets and their G-League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold, shortly after the end of the 2025 NBA Draft on Thursday night June 26, extending Mizzou's streak of sending players to the league under head coach Dennis Gates. Advertisement After going undrafted, the Kansas City, Kansas, native announced that he was signing with the Nuggets organization at a watch party in his hometown mere minutes after the draft ended. He had been vying to become Mizzou's first draft pick since No. 30-overall selection Kobe Brown (Clippers) in 2023. He is the fourth total Tiger to earn an NBA future under Gates, following D'Moi Hodge and Sean East II, who previously signed a two-way contract and Exhibit 10 deal, respectively, with the Los Angeles Lakers. Bates' teammate, Caleb Grill, is expected to sign an NBA contract in the near future, too. Bates began his career at Indiana before transferring to the Tigers ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. He was a team captain and a major reason Mizzou returned to the NCAA Tournament in 2025. Advertisement Here's what Bates brings to the Nuggets, where he will link up with former Missouri player Michael Porter Jr.: Pros of Denver Nuggets signing Tamar Bates after 2025 NBA Draft Bates' size — 6-foot 3¾, 191.4 pounds — isn't head-turning, but his length, with a 6-10¼ wingspan, suits the NBA. The guard also has the shooting chops for the league, boasting a wide arsenal that brought him within a field goal or two of a 40-50-90 shooting mark in each of his two campaigns in Columbia. Bates has excelled at creating good looks from 3-point range, and — increasingly so over his senior season — he showed the ability to drive into the paint and finish at the rim with both force and finesse. According to CBB Analytics, Bates ranked in the top 30% of all Division-I players for corner 3s and in the top 20% for above-the-break 3s. Feb 19, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Tamar Bates (2) celebrates after scoring against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the first half at Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images Cons of Nuggets signing Tamar Bates In a scouting report for The Athletic, Sam Vecenie expressed concerns about how Bates processes the floor. He called him a 'catch-and-survery' player, which is evidenced in a negative assist-to-turnover ratio with the Tigers. Advertisement Since Bates won't operate in an on-ball capacity, there could also be some size concerns with the 6-3¾, 191-pound shooting guard. He'll be asked to guard up the lineup, where his length will help, but his weight may sometimes put him at a disadvantage. Tamar Bates' college stats Dec 8, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Tamar Bates (2) celebrates after a play against the Kansas Jayhawks during the first half at Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images In 67 games for Mizzou after transferring in from Indiana, Bates averaged 13.3 points and 2.8 rebounds. With 1.2 assists and 1.5 turnovers per game, he had a negative assist-to-turnover ratio with MU. More: Tamar Bates wrote himself into Border War legend. Here's how the Missouri basketball star did it More: Missouri basketball unveils full nonconference schedule, SEC opponents. Here's who MU plays Advertisement The Kansas City, Kansas, native had a 49.9% clip from the field, shot 39.3% from 3-point range, and was 93.2% from the free throw line. He led the nation with a 94.6% mark from the line as a senior. This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Tamar Bates of Missouri signs two-way contract with Denver Nuggets in NBA
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Missouri basketball lands top-50-ranked player in Class of 2027, before getting 1st 2026 commit
The first player in Missouri basketball's Class of 2027 is on the board, coming before the Tigers logged a pledge in the Class of 2026. Four-star combo guard Scottie Adkinson announced Tuesday that he has committed to Dennis Gates' team, reposting the original report from On3's Joe Tipton to his social media account. Adkinson is a highly ranked in-state pledge in the Class of 2027. Advertisement That means Mizzou now has more players committed in its 2027 class than in its current recruiting cycle. The Tigers are yet to add a player in the 2026 class. Adkinson is currently listed at 6 foot 2, 170 pounds, and plays his high school basketball at Webster Groves in St. Louis. He is playing for MOKAN 16U on the Nike EYBL circuit this summer. The combo guard helped Webster Groves to a MSHSAA Class 5 title last season. The rising high school junior is ranked as the No. 37 player in his class in the recruiting service 247Sports' composite national rankings. He is rated as the No. 3-overall combo guard and as the No. 2 player in the state of Missouri. Missouri head coach Dennis Gates works the sideline against Florida during the first half of their quarterfinal game of the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, March 14, 2025. With the early nature of the commitment — about two years before Adkinson will report to MU's campus as a freshman — the Tigers currently hold the nation's No. 1-ranked class. That is, of course, to be taken with a grain of salt because most 2027 prospects are months away from announcing a decision. Advertisement Indeed, 247Sports lists only Mizzou and Iowa State as Power-conference teams with commits in the 2027 cycle. More: Kyle Smithpeters promoted to become Missouri basketball, Dennis Gates' top assistant More: The 3 best games at Missouri basketball for new Chicago Bulls signee Caleb Grill Rankings aside, it's a promising start for Gates and his staff in a future recruiting cycle. As it stands, Adkinson is the sixth-best recruit in Mizzou history, trailing only Michael Porter Jr., Linas Kleiza, Tony Mitchell, Annor Boateng and Jontay Porter. The Tigers are in the mix for a number of top 2026 prospects, too, including five-star power forward Toni Bryant and four-star shooting guard Aidan Chronister. This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri basketball lands top-50 combo guard in Class of 2027
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mizzou Hoops Lands Commitment of 2027 Top-30 Recruit
Mizzou Hoops Lands Commitment of 2027 Top-30 Recruit originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Missouri Tigers have earned an early start to their recruiting class of 2027 as four-star point guard Scottie Adkinson has committed to the Mizzou squad, according to Joe Tipton. The 6-foot-2 rising junior attends Webster Groves High in Saint Louis, MO. As a sophomore, Adkinson fueled Webster Groves to a 22-5 overall record, 6-0 in district play and they won the Missouri State High School Activities Association Class 5 state title. Advertisement Adkinson is ranked as the No. 26 overall player in the 2027 class, according to On3. He's also the third-best combo guard in the country, the No. 6 point guard and the No. 2 player in Missouri, behind only Link Academy point guard Davin Thompson. The St. Louis native also received offers from Illinois, Iowa, Louisville, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. Adkinson visited Columbia on unofficial visits several times this past year, most recently on June 20, so it's not a huge surprise to see the recruit make an early decision. Missouri's staff has gotten significant face time in with Adkinson since giving him an offer on Sep. 18, 2023, and they made several trips to Webster Groves High School to watch his games and practices. Missouri head coach Dennis Gates works the sideline© Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Regardless of his early announcement, Adkinson is one of the highest-ranked prospects in the country and is one of the best at his position. The 2027 class rankings have only been out for a few months, but he's already made a clear name for himself. Advertisement The Class of 2026 is still the primary focus, though, as multiple recruits are gearing up for official visits during the school year, all of which are rated with four stars at least. Related: Mizzou Guard Caleb Grill Signs with Chicago Bulls This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
