Missouri’s preseason buzz may center on a freshman, but the clearest sign this team can push forward again might be the player who never left Columbia.
Mark Mitchell is back after a 2025-26 season that flew a little too far under the national radar. He averaged 18.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists, finishing first on the Tigers in all three categories.
Only one other player in Missouri history, Albert White in 1998-99, has done that. For a program trying to build real staying power in the SEC, that kind of all-around production gives Dennis Gates something plenty of teams would love to have: a known commodity.
Mitchell’s value goes beyond the scoring average. He was one of only eight players in the country last season to post at least 600 points, 170 rebounds and 110 assists.
That’s the kind of line that tells you he wasn’t just filling it up in one area. He was touching every part of the game.
That matters even more because Missouri is in the middle of a roster reset. Mitchell is the Tigers’ lone returning starter, which puts a heavier load on him as new pieces settle into Gates’ system.
His consistency will be especially important with the schedule Missouri is staring at. The Tigers are set to play 11 opponents ranked in the preseason Associated Press poll, tied with Arizona for the most in the nation.
The headline-grabber, though, is Jason Crowe Jr. The freshman point guard arrived with enormous hype after a senior season in which he averaged 43.3 points, 5.8 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 3.5 steals, breaking California’s all-time high school scoring record. He also made the preseason Bob Cousy Award watch list, one of only three freshmen among the 20 players named.
Crowe gave Missouri a first look at that scoring punch in its exhibition win over Kansas State. He scored 21 points and added three steals as the Tigers came back from a first-half deficit to win 71-67. Missouri opened the second half with a 13-0 run and never gave the lead back, a quick reminder of how fast this group can flip a game.
For Gates, the real work is turning Crowe and Mitchell into a pairing that makes the whole offense harder to guard. If Crowe becomes a steady creator and Mitchell keeps producing across the board, Missouri has a chance to be a problem.
That’s where the bigger picture comes in. The Tigers went 20-13 last season and earned their third NCAA Tournament bid in four years under Gates.
They also posted double-digit SEC wins for the second straight season, something the program had not done since joining the conference in 2012. That’s progress, plain and simple.
Still, Missouri is trying to prove it can do more than just get there. The Tigers have to show they can handle elite opponents and turn strong regular seasons into something that lasts. With Mitchell providing the floor and Crowe offering the ceiling, Missouri at least has a sturdy place to start.
In Other News...
Missouri Gets A Needed SEC Chance To Fix Its Passing Game
Missouri heads into Week 9 coming off a bye and still looking to clean up a passing game that has not always matched the rest of its profile. The Tigers get a timely chance to reset against Arkansas, with both teams rested and coming off different emotional swings, as Missouri tries to bounce back from its loss to Ole Miss while the Razorbacks arrive after picking up their first conference win against Vanderbilt.
The matchup offers Missouri a useful SEC measuring stick because Arkansas has already shown it can make life uncomfortable for opponents, and the Tigers need this to look sharper on offense than they did in their last outing. There is also a betting angle attached to the game, but for Missouri the bigger issue is more basic: whether the bye week gave its passing attack enough time to find some rhythm before the conference schedule tightens again. [Read more 🡒]
Battle Line Just Lost A Mizzou Tradition Fans Notice Fast
The familiar black-on-black look is off the table for Missouris upcoming meeting with Arkansas, ending a small but noticeable gameday tradition that Tigers fans have come to expect in the Battle Line rivalry. Eli Drinkwitz confirmed Missouri will not wear its dark home jerseys because Arkansas did not agree to the color rush uniform plan, a wrinkle that takes a little of the pageantry out of a series that has leaned into its visual identity in recent years.
Since 2014, Missouri has typically gone with black home jerseys against Arkansas, with the lone exception coming in 2023 when the Tigers wore gold. This time, Arkansas plans to stick with its red home jerseys, leaving Missouri to adjust its look for a rivalry game that still carries plenty of weight, even if one of the more recognizable traditions around it is on pause. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzous Exhibition Loss Exposed A Problem The Tigers Must Fix Fast
Missouris exhibition loss to UNLV served as an early reminder that even in a preseason setting, the Tigers have some cleaning up to do before the games count. With several key players sidelined, the rotation looked a little different than what fans will likely see once the season opens, and the matchup quickly turned into a useful stress test for a group still trying to settle into its identity. The biggest issue was hard to miss: Missouri got pushed around on the glass and had trouble taking care of the ball against a physical opponent.
UNLVs edge in toughness showed up in the places that often decide close games, especially on offensive rebounds and loose possessions. Individual efforts from Jason Crowe and Bryson Tiller offered both encouragement and a reminder of how much room this team still has to grow, with mixed results across the board. For Missouri, the exhibition did exactly what these games are supposed to do, but it also made clear that the Tigers need a quicker fix in the rebounding and ball-handling departments before the real schedule starts to demand answers. [Read more 🡒]