Missouri guard C.J. Gunn is temporarily cleared to play after a Boone County judge granted him a temporary restraining order against the NCAA, according to Eli Hoff of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
That order runs through Oct. 24, and the court will then weigh whether to issue a more lasting injunction. As part of the ruling, Gunn agreed to serve a suspension tied to the three games he played in the Canadian Elite Basketball League in May. Because exhibitions and practices count toward that suspension, he should be available when the Tigers open the regular season.
Missouri coach Dennis Gates said Sunday the program will follow the process as it plays out.
“We're just going to support them as they go through their processes and their appeals and different things like that,” Gates said Sunday. “So we got to honor the court system.
We got to honor where my stance is, and that's supporting student athletes. I think when you're looking at our game.
These student athletes need to be supported.”
Gunn’s on-court production at DePaul was part of the appeal of bringing him in. In 2025-26, he averaged 13.1 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 39.9% from the field and 32.7% from 3-point range.
Gates said the fit mattered just as much as the numbers when talking about Gunn and prospective forward Mark Mitchell.
“I wasn't going to just sign any and everybody. The most important thing is finding guys that fit, and those guys fit our culture,” Gates said of Gunn and prospective forward Mark Mitchell.
“They fit our team. They are great players, and you guys have seen that.
Missouri’s regular season starts Nov. 3 against Cleveland State at 7 p.m. at Mizzou Arena.
Mitchell’s situation is still waiting on a ruling after a hearing in Kentucky in a lawsuit involving athletes suing the NCAA for eligibility in the 2026-27 school year. Gates attended that hearing with Mitchell and was among several people who testified in support of the plaintiffs.
Reports from those in the hearing, including Kentucky High School Sports History on X, said Gates pointed to former Missouri forward Jacob Crews having six years of eligibility as part of his case for Mitchell. The same account also said Gates noted football players can appear in a bowl game and keep their redshirts, while basketball players lose theirs after one minute.
According to those reports, Gates then clashed with the NCAA’s lawyer during a hearing that stretched four hours and 20 minutes and ended at 2:20. The judge said written findings would still be needed before a final decision.
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