College basketball season is back, and this could be an exciting year in Columbia if a Tigers team packed with size and talent can reach its ceiling.
Our first look at the 2026-27 Mizzou team is here.
Missouri basketball, ranked just outside the top 25 in both the USA TODAY coaches and AP polls in the preseason, will play its first of two exhibitions on Friday, Oct. 23, when it travels to Manhattan, Kansas, to face Kansas State.
There’s no need to put too much stock into the final scoreline in MU’s exhibitions. More than anything, they’re tune-up tests for coaches and players in game conditions. The Tigers will try out some lineups and looks, then keep some and dismiss others once the real games roll around.
But, this is still our first real look at an MU team most fans and people close to the program are reasonably excited about.
The official beginning of the Tigers’ season is less than two weeks away, with Mizzou set for a Nov. 3 game against Cleveland State at Mizzou Arena.
So, here’s what we’re watching for at Kansas State:
Is Jason Crowe Jr. as good of a passer as we think?
We’re fascinated to see what Crowe, Mizzou’s top-rated recruit since Michael Porter Jr. and the all-time leading scorer in California high school history, looks like in live action.
From the conversations we’ve had, Mizzou — and Crowe — want the rookie to be a rounded point guard. That doesn’t mean he won’t go shot hunting or, in Gates’ words, be “passive” finding his spots and shooting the basketball. He’s got the green light, and Crowe will shoot the ball a lot.
But, we keep hearing about how good of a passer the freshman is. At the Tigers’ pro day earlier in October, he passed the eye test.
It’ll be a different test when Crowe is tasked with reading defenses he’s not familiar with and coming up with the right calls. How often does he distribute? How often does he go shot-hunting? What’s the balance between assist attempts and field goal attempts?
We’re excited to watch Crowe for the first time.
Who is the backup PG?
Kennard Davis Jr.? Aaron Rowe? Cord Stansberry?
When Crowe is off the court, who is Mizzou’s primary ball-handler?
Crowe can’t play 40 minutes a night. If we have to guess, Davis — a BYU transfer from St. Louis — seems like the player the Tigers might run at the one. He gives the Tigers length at the position and shapes up as a strong defensive option. He has played some point guard in the past, dating back to his time at Southern Illinois. Gates said when he recruited him out of the portal that his intention was to use him as a combo guard.
At least in the preseason and some early nonconference games, Rowe and Stansberry also could get some run.
Does Mark Mitchell play?
As of Oct. 21, Mark Mitchell is eligible to play. There are still steps and hurdles to clear until he is fully eligible to play in the 2026-27 season.
Will he suit up in the exhibition? We’ll see. We don’t see any legal reason why he can’t. He is, after all, eligible after receiving a temporary injunction against the NCAA in a Kentucky court on Oct. 16.
Another prospective Mizzou player, CJ Gunn, is not expected to play at Kansas State.
As part of his motion for a temporary restraining order against the NCAA, the would-be, fifth-year guard offered to use a one-for-one suspension and sit out three games for the three matchups he played with the Calgary Surge, a professional outfit in Canada. His TRO was granted, and his hearing in Boone County for a preliminary injunction against the NCAA is also Friday, Oct. 23.
More: Prospective Missouri basketball guard CJ Gunn granted TRO against NCAA in Boone County
More: Mizzou basketball’s Mark Mitchell gets temporary eligibility win in court
Does 5-star freshman Toni Bryant look like a starter?
This is the first chance we’ll get to see Bryant, another five-star freshman, take on high-major competition.
At 6-foot-10 and 215 pounds, he looks noticeably bigger compared to his senior year of high school. At Mizzou’s pro day, the athleticism and length that made him an intriguing prospect was on display. Bryant also looked confident from the perimeter in the scrimmage.
Gates said he’s a Day 1 starter. If Bryant starts, one of these three players will not: Trent Pierce, Mark Mitchell or Bryson Tiller. That’s three experienced players who (if Mitchell does indeed become permanently eligible) we expect to be primary pieces in the Tigers’ rotation.
Now, starting doesn’t necessarily mean Bryant is going to play the biggest share of the available minutes. Tiller, Mitchell, Pierce, Jaylen Carey, Nicholas Randall and Trent Burns are all fighting for time in the frontcourt. That’s a big and versatile group.
When the lights come on, how ready does Bryant look for the speed of the college game?
“I've come here and I work every single day. I'm a hard worker and I want to get better,” Bryant told the Tribune on Oct. 19. “So, it wasn't a surprise when he said I was starting.”
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: 4 things we’re watching in Missouri basketball's exhibition at K-State