Annor Boateng arrived at Missouri with plenty of noise around him. When he committed in the fall of 2023, Mizzou fans had every reason to be excited: the Tigers’ 2024 recruiting class sat atop the national rankings, and Boateng was the headliner in a group that included five 4-star players.
The problem was that the promise never really settled into a steady role.
As a freshman, Boateng spent most of his time buried behind more experienced transfer wings. He appeared in only 17 games and logged just under 8% of the available minutes.
That made his sophomore year feel like the moment when things could finally click. There was real belief he could become a regular part of the rotation, maybe even crack the starting five.
For a brief moment, it looked that way. In the exhibition game against Kansas State, Boateng flashed exactly why he drew so much attention in the first place, scoring 15 points on 5 shots from the field and knocking down six free throws in seven tries.
He and Anthony Robinson were the clear standouts that night, and it was the kind of performance Mizzou fans had been waiting to see. It just never really repeated itself.
Not long after that exhibition, Boateng was injured in practice and missed the first five games. Missouri treated it mostly as a precaution, with the early slate loaded with easier matchups.
Once he returned, the staff eased him back in gradually. He eventually reached a season-high 22 minutes against Bethune-Cookman, but by then the Tigers were already in a different place.
Missouri’s early-season struggles, including embarrassing losses to Illinois and Kansas, forced Dennis Gates to change course once SEC play arrived. Boateng got pushed out of the main rotation. He didn’t play against Florida and saw only five minutes against Kentucky.
The on-court results didn’t help his case either. Boateng looked uncomfortable in the stop-and-start rhythm, and his efficiency suffered.
He had trouble finishing at the rim and ended the season shooting just 37.5% from inside the arc. According to Synergy, he was only 9-22 at the rim.
Even then, the crowd still seemed to lean in every time he made something happen. When Boateng hammered home a putback dunk to put the Tigers up 15, the building responded.
The very next possession brought a chance for another highlight, with Boateng racing into a wide-open lane and everyone expecting another emphatic finish. Instead, he slipped on the way up, turned the ball over, and was taken off on a stretcher.
It was a brutal turn, especially with a chance in front of him to salvage some momentum.
That left his future murky. Boateng has now gone through two straight seasons of stunted development, and he hasn’t been visible in Missouri’s promotional material competing on the floor.
The injury was never fully disclosed beyond being a left leg injury, and no public timeline was ever set for his return. Maybe he’ll be ready this year and force his way back into the mix.
People around the program are still pulling for him. He’s described as a great kid and a good student, and the talent is still there. The question now is whether he can finally put it together on the floor.
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