The portal’s final call.
The transfer portal’s entry deadline is drawing near. Men’s college basketball players must enter their names into the portal database by midnight on Wednesday, April 22. After that entry date, teams are still able to sign players who have successfully submitted their transfer paperwork, thus transfer news will probably continue to come in for a few more weeks.
However, most of the gamers on the platform are those who can sign.
The majority of Missouri basketball’s frontcourt needs have been met by the three players the team has signed thus far. Mizzou’s newcomers include Providence wing Jamier Jones, Kansas forward Bryson Tiller, and Tennessee big man Jaylen Carey.
Guard depth must now be the Tigers’ main focus because coach Dennis Gates still has three roster places available for the upcoming campaign.
Thus, we believe Missouri should pursue the following five backcourt players who are currently listed on the portal:
Davion Hannah, Alabama
The transfer portal has apparently been accessed by Hannah, who recently concluded his true freshman season with the Crimson Tide. Missouri played a significant role in his high school recruitment from Branson’s Link Academy.
Due to a season-ending medical problem, he was unable to play for Alabama after December 17. He spent 102 minutes on the court in ten different games.
He doesn’t have to be a worldbeater to join Mizzou. Jason Crowe Jr. and Jamier Jones are most likely the Tigers’ backcourt starters.
Hannah would be a fascinating depth article. He produced a 12-point performance against Maryland and a nine-point, eight-rebound performance against UTSA in relatively little play. He also shot 44.4% from three-point range. At six feet six inches, he possesses a great positional size.
He has a lot of potential, so it could be worthwhile to give him a call.
Jalen Cox, Colgate
Cox and Missouri have reportedly shown some interest; according to Sam Kayser of League RDY, the Colgate guard had heard from Mizzou.
If Missouri can entice him away from some fierce competition, including a reported trip to Kentucky, this seems like a perfect fit.
According to CBB Analytics, Cox steals 1.9 times every 40 minutes. Last season, there was a top-five finish in the Patriot League. In addition to pulling down 5.2 rebounds per game, the 6-foot-3, 180-pound player has been named to his conference’s defensive team of the year twice in a row.
He scored 17.9 points on offense by shooting 36.5% from 3-point range, 52.5% from the field, and 85.0% from the free throw line. His assist-to-turnover ratio was more than 2:1, with an average of 5.3 assists.
All in all, that fulfills several requirements.
Jalen Reece, LSU
Joe Tipton of On3 reported on Sunday that Gates is anticipated to pay Reece a visit. According to reports, Texas A&M has also been there.
The 6-foot transfer from LSU recently concluded his rookie campaign. Last season, he had the eighth-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the SEC with 116 assists and 41 turnovers in 32 games.
Towards the end of the season, there was also some interesting improvement in scoring. Over the course of the season, he shot 29.9% from three-point range; but, during LSU’s final eight games, he shot 37.1%. He increased his minutes while scoring in double figures in seven of his last eight games of the season.
Although he will need to demonstrate some defensive improvement and is somewhat smaller than the guards Gates usually targets, his on-ball skills might be sufficient to establish him as a role player.
T.O. Barrett, Missouri
You correctly read that. Technically, this is a portal target because he is in the transfer portal.
Over the past several days, there have been rumors that Barrett may not be done with Mizzou. He deleted all mention of the portal from his social media accounts. He is still able to re-sign with the Tigers despite being in the portal. That is still a possibility, and it might even be a wise course of action for Missouri.
The backcourt starting for Mizzou are most likely set. That answers a significant issue regarding Barrett’s comeback: could he make the developmental leap necessary to start as an SEC guard?
The Tigers most likely no longer require that. We know Barrett can be a handful when he comes off the bench, which is probably what they need. That was demonstrated during the Tennessee game.
His downhill technique coming off the bench is actually rather appealing. He is long and large enough to be an effective perimeter defender.
We would anticipate Missouri welcoming Barrett back if things work well. Familiarity is beneficial.
Christian Harmon, Arkansas State
According to several stories over the past week, Harmon is another player who has received communication from Mizzou.
The floor-spacing choice would be this. According to CBB Analytics, Harmon’s 3-point attempt percentage was 74.7%. This indicates that he attempted three-quarters of his field goals from beyond the arc, which is more than both Caleb Grill and Jacob Crews did for the Tigers the previous season.
We would anticipate Missouri welcoming Barrett back if things work well. Familiarity is beneficial.
Harmon made 243 long-range shots, shooting 34.6% of the time. He was selected for the third team in the Sun Belt Conference.
Harmon is not shy, and Mizzou needs a shooter.
