Missouri Basketball Looks to Reload Through Transfer Portal

The Tigers need to address key roster holes left by departures ahead of the 2026-27 season.

Apr. 6, 2026 at 8:10pm

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A fragmented, cubist-style painting depicting the frenetic action of a college basketball game, with overlapping geometric shapes in shades of navy, crimson, and gold conveying the dynamic energy of the sport.The chaotic nature of the college basketball transfer portal presents both opportunities and challenges for Missouri as they look to build a contender around their star-studded freshman class.St. Louis Today

With the college basketball transfer portal opening, Missouri head coach Dennis Gates will look to use the portal to fill important roster needs for the Tigers ahead of the 2026-27 season. The team's top priorities include finding a starting center, retaining point guard T.O. Barrett, and adding more 3-point shooting to complement star freshman Jason Crowe.

Why it matters

Missouri has relied heavily on the transfer portal in recent seasons to build a competitive roster under Coach Gates. Losing key contributors like starting center Shawn Phillips Jr. and top 3-point shooters means the Tigers will need to be strategic in the portal to maintain their level of play and support their incoming five-star recruit Crowe.

The details

The Tigers have a hole to fill at starting center with the departure of Shawn Phillips Jr. Redshirt freshman Trent Burns showed promise but lacks consistency, while other backups like Luke Northweather and Nicholas Randall did not see significant playing time. Missouri will likely need to find an experienced transfer to step in at the center position. Retaining point guard T.O. Barrett is also crucial, as he took over the starting job last season and provides valuable experience running the offense. The Tigers also need to add more 3-point shooting after losing several of their top perimeter threats to the portal and graduation.

  • The college basketball transfer portal officially opens at midnight on Tuesday, April 15, 2026.
  • The transfer portal window will close on April 21, 2026.

The players

Dennis Gates

The head coach of the Missouri Tigers basketball team, who has relied heavily on the transfer portal to build a competitive roster in recent seasons.

Trent Burns

A redshirt freshman center for the Missouri Tigers who showed flashes of potential but lacked consistency last season.

T.O. Barrett

The sophomore point guard who took over the starting job for Missouri late in the 2025-26 season and is a key returning player for the Tigers.

Jason Crowe

A five-star freshman recruit who is expected to be the centerpiece of Missouri's team next season.

Shawn Phillips Jr.

The starting center for Missouri last season who has exhausted his eligibility, leaving a hole in the Tigers' frontcourt.

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What they’re saying

“The portal has played an instrumental role in each of Missouri's seasons under head coach Dennis Gates, with top scorers like Mark Mitchell, Caleb Grill, Tamar Bates, Jayden Stone and more all being acquired through the exponentially-rising method of transactions.”

— SI.com

What’s next

Missouri will look to be active in the transfer portal over the next two weeks, with the goal of finding a starting center, retaining point guard T.O. Barrett, and adding more 3-point shooting to complement their incoming five-star recruit Jason Crowe.

The takeaway

The transfer portal has been a crucial tool for Missouri under Coach Dennis Gates, and the Tigers will need to leverage it again this offseason to address key roster needs and build a competitive team around their talented incoming freshman class.