Missouri Tigers complete top-ranked basketball class with final marquee signing
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Missouri completes the nation’s No. 1 2026 recruiting class by signing Jason Crowe Jr.
- Crowe, a consensus five-star guard, brings elite scoring and high basketball IQ.
- Gates pairs Crowe with Bryat and Chronister to reshape Missouri’s roster and offense.
Missouri Tigers men’s basketball coach Dennis Gates has completed his nationally top-ranked class of incoming players for the 2026-27 season.
Mizzou on Thursday announced the official signing of the class of 2026’s premier scorer, guard Jason Crowe Jr. of Inglewood, California. Gates and the Tigers boast the country’s No. 1-ranked recruiting class for 2026-27.
Crowe, a 6-foot-3 guard, was a consensus five-star recruit. He was ranked as high as No. 3 (via 247 Sports) in various expert ratings; ESPN ranked him No. 5 nationally.
Crowe becomes the Tigers’ highest-ranked recruit since NBA lottery pick and eventual league champion Michael Porter Jr. (ranked second in the class of 2017).
And Gates sounds thrilled to have landed Crowe, as quoted in a news release issued by Mizzou Athletics on Thursday afternoon. Crowe was Gates’ first pledge for Missouri’s 2026 class.
“We couldn’t be more excited to officially welcome Jason Crowe Jr. to Mizzou as we have developed a great relationship with him and his entire family during the recruitment process,” Gates said. “He’s a special player and already prepares every day like a pro.”
Gates brings Crowe into a 2026 class that on Wednesday officially welcomed top signees Toni Bryat and Aidan Chronister.
“His work ethic is unmatched, his discipline is unmatched and his performance on the court is unmatched,” Gates said of Crowe. “... On the court, (he) is as smooth as a player as there is. He is extremely crafty with a high basketball IQ that allows him to score in any situation.” Crowe was the top scorer on the Nike EYBL circuit over the summer, averaging 23.6 points in 11 games. At the elite-level Peach Jam in Georgia, he averaged 26.5.
The Inglewood, California native enters his senior season of high school hoops — he plays for his dad, head coach of the Inglewood High varsity program — on pace to shatter his home state’s scoring record.
With 3,331 career points, he has just 328 to go.
As a junior, Crowe averaged 35.3 points a night for Inglewood while dishing 6.1 assists and grabbing 4.0 rebounds per game. He has also taken part in multiple USA Basketball camps.
This story was originally published November 13, 2025 at 5:38 PM.