CJ Gunn’s path to the floor for Mizzou remains unresolved, and the calendar is working against the Tigers.
The preliminary injunction hearing that would have allowed Gunn to play in the 2026-27 regular season was canceled Tuesday, and there is no new date set. A Boone County judge did extend Gunn’s temporary restraining order until Monday, Nov. 2 at 5 p.m., which comes one day before Mizzou opens the regular season against Cleveland State.
For now, there’s no clear explanation for why the hearing was called off. What is clear is that Gunn’s status is still uncertain as the Tigers head toward the opener.
Gunn arrived from DePaul this offseason after putting up 13.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.
Meanwhile, there was a positive note out of Mizzou football on Ahmad Hardy’s recovery. On his return to practice, Drinkwitz said: “He practiced yesterday - I would say it was a good day.
And then the real trick was how does his body respond after going through that, and can he do it in back-to-back days? I’m happy to report that he did practice again today, and I thought it went well.”
On the basketball side, Mizzou’s wing group is drawing attention of its own. Pierce and Chronister may not dominate the headlines, but both have a clear place in the mix.
Pierce brings steadiness, experience and leadership as a four-year Tiger who knows Gates’ vision inside and out. Chronister offers a different kind of punch, with 3-point shooting that can flip a game quickly.
Pierce returns for his fourth season, while Chorister comes in as a 4-star recruit from Fayetteville.
There’s also reason for confidence in Mizzou’s defense. The overhaul of the two-deep created plenty of questions, but Corey Batoon has helped turn that unit into something far stronger than expected. The defense has climbed into the Top 30 in most impactful areas, and the coordinator’s work has stood out.
That said, the roster still has issues to solve. The offense has talent, but the interior remains thin, and that could matter against the size and depth in the SEC.
Tennessee is the kind of team that can expose that problem, especially because getting stops becomes much harder without enough quality size inside. Rick Barnes has a long track record of making it work, and Mizzou will face a tough road test in Thompson-Bowling Arena in mid-January.
As for the football season, the picture stays blurry. The good signs are there: the defense has been strong, Austin Simmons might be really good, and Ahmad Hardy is back.
The warning signs are there too: special teams have been inconsistent, run blocking may be a problem, and explosive plays have been an issue. For now, though, there’s at least room to sit with the uncertainty and let the season reveal itself.
Not knowing is sometimes what makes everything fun.
In a separate SBN Reacts survey, readers were asked when Ahmad Hardy will return, and the response offered one guess: probably around the Kentucky-Oklahoma stretch.
In Other News...
Eli Drinkwitz Sounds Alarm On What Missouri Could Be Facing Soon
Eli Drinkwitz is already looking past Missouris current run and toward a transfer portal window he believes could reshape college football in a hurry. Speaking during the SEC teleconference, the Tigers coach said the next portal period may be the most volatile in the sports history, with more players expected to enter than ever before.
Drinkwitz pointed to the growing role of agents in players decisions as a major reason for the coming turbulence. For Missouri, and for every other program trying to build a roster in a rapidly changing landscape, the warning is less about one offseason than the new reality of roster management. [Read more 🡒]
Austin Simmons Brings One Mindset Into Mizzou's Arkansas Test
Austin Simmons has tried to keep Missouris Week 9 trip to Arkansas from becoming something bigger than it needs to be. The Tigers quarterback said his approach is to treat it like any other football game, with the focus staying on execution and following the plan rather than getting caught up in the moment. It is a simple message, but one Missouri can use as it continues navigating a road test in a conference stretch where composure matters just as much as talent.
The setting gives that mindset some weight. Missouri has handled itself well in recent road action, while Arkansas comes in with some momentum after a recent conference win, which should make this another sturdy SEC measuring stick for the Tigers. For Simmons, the challenge is less about rhetoric than whether Missouri can carry that steady approach into a game where the details tend to decide everything. [Read more 🡒]
Missouri Special Teams Have One Focus Before The Arkansas Rivalry Game
Brunno Reus has spent Missouris bye week doing what punters rarely get much credit for: drilling the details that can change field position in an SEC game. After a strong start to the season, the Tigers specialist took a hard look at his first-half performance and pointed to his own mechanics as the main place to sharpen up, especially on the punt drop and on those shorter kicks that can turn into tricky moments if the timing is off.
Reus also has been working closely with kicker Blake Craig, keeping the communication open as Missouri fine-tunes its special teams heading into the Arkansas rivalry game. For a team that has leaned on hidden-yardage edges all season, the Tigers know the cleanest version of that unit matters even more now, and Reus appears focused on making sure his part of it is ready. [Read more 🡒]