Missouri wasted no time showing what this new-look group can do.
In its season opener, Mizzou steamrolled Cleveland State 111-50, and the headline was impossible to miss: the Tigers’ 5-star freshmen looked every bit the part. The 100-point barrier, which Missouri reached only twice last season, was never in doubt once the game got rolling.
Jason Crowe Jr. and Toni Bryant were the center of it all, combining for 38 points, nine rebounds and four blocks. Both made strong first impressions in their debuts, but Bryant was the one who grabbed attention early inside Mizzou Arena.
The big man from Tampa made his presence felt right away with rim protection and, unexpectedly, corner threes. By halftime, he already had 11 points, three blocks and a 3-for-4 mark from the corner. Against a Cleveland State team that didn’t match Missouri’s athleticism, Bryant looked like a force.
The Tigers didn’t need long to seize control. They opened with a 15-0 burst in the first four minutes, a fast start fueled by the freshmen’s energy and shot-making.
Crowe showed a different kind of polish. His first basket as a Tiger came on a smooth step-back three, and he finished 4-for-7 from deep. He also proved he can handle contact, drawing a foul between two Vikings forwards in the first half and finishing the and-one.
One of the questions entering the season was how Crowe would look as a passer, and he finished with two assists. Missouri’s top distributor was Mark Mitchell, who piled up 10 assists.
The fifth-year forward had five assists in his first six minutes and reached his career-high 10th assist on a feed to Crowe for his third three of the night. Mitchell’s night was a reminder not to overreact to exhibition games; he fit the moment and became the connector Missouri needed.
The Tigers were sharp across the board, shooting 60.9% from the field and 45.2% from three on 29 attempts. That perimeter number matters, especially with few proven shooters on the roster entering the season.
Crowe and Bryant flashed from long range, and BYU transfer Kennard Davis Jr. added another layer, going 4-for-6 from three and finishing with 19 points. He often handled secondary playmaking duties when Crowe was off the ball or out of the action.
Trent Pierce had a rougher night from outside, hitting just 1 of 6 threes, but he still gave Missouri something with a perfect 4-for-4 effort inside the arc in 19 minutes.
Bryson Tiller and Jamier Jones also chipped in with work in the paint. Tiller was steady from mid-range, while Jones kept finding ways to get downhill.
Cleveland State had little to hang onto after this one. The Vikings shot 32.8% from the field and 12.5% from three, and the game quickly turned into a long night.
Missouri now turns to a much earlier test, facing Saint Louis at the Enterprise Center at 6 p.m. this Friday.
In Other News...
Missouris Bowl Outlook Is Taking Shape With Bigger Questions Still Ahead
The bowl picture is starting to come into focus across the SEC, and Missouri is part of the early conversation as ESPNs Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach laid out projected College Football Playoff matchups and bowl pairings for 14 league teams based on current standings. Eight SEC teams have already locked up bowl eligibility with six wins, while South Carolina and Florida still have a path to clinch it with wins ahead, giving the conference a clearer sense of where everyone stands as the season moves toward its final stretch.
For Missouri, the projection is another reminder that the Tigers postseason destination is beginning to take shape even as the bigger questions around the league remain unsettled. Arkansas and Vanderbilt were left out of the analysts bowl projections entirely, underscoring how much can still change in the SEC race, and how quickly one result can alter the path from here. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzous New-Look Roster Just Gave Tigers Fans A Reason To Believe
Missouris season opener offered an early look at how quickly the Tigers revamped roster can come together. In a 111-50 win over Cleveland State, five-star freshman Jason Crowe Jr. led the way with 23 points, and fellow freshman Toni Bryant added 11 points and two blocks as the newcomers made an immediate impact. Several four-star transfers and returning players also chipped in, giving the Tigers a balanced first impression that matched the buzz around the roster overhaul.
For a program trying to turn a fresh mix of talent into something more than a collection of names, the opener was a promising start. Missouri looked deep, active and far ahead of the usual early-season learning curve, which is exactly the kind of first step fans wanted to see. The bigger question now is how that early chemistry holds up once the schedule tightens and the competition gets more demanding. [Read more 🡒]
Eli Drinkwitz Is Pushing A CFP Change Missouri Fans Will Notice
The first College Football Playoff poll of the 2026 season put Missouri at No. 18, a spot that keeps the Tigers in the conversation but still leaves plenty of work ahead. It also gave Eli Drinkwitz another chance to talk about the postseason structure he wants to see, and he did not sound interested in a system where a committee keeps making the biggest calls.
Drinkwitz is backing a move to a 24-team playoff with more automatic bids for conferences and play-in games instead of relying so heavily on selections. There is already a tentative agreement for that format to arrive after 2032, but the formal details are still being worked out, which means Missouri fans are watching both the rankings and the broader playoff debate with real interest. [Read more 🡒]