Mizzou basketball is open for business as transfer portal season begins
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Transfer portal opens as Mizzou basketball faces six roster departures.
- Staff could target McCubbin, Vaaks and guard Jalen Haralson in portal.
- Center depth becomes priority after Phillips’ exit; Anton Bonke fits.
The transfer portal for men’s college basketball opens Tuesday, and with a roster that has already seen six departures through either graduation or entry into the portal, Mizzou men’s basketball coach Dennis Gates will have to begin the process of assembling a new team.
The Tigers’ 2025-26 portal class was a mixed bag. Center Shawn Phillips Jr. and Jayden Stone became integral to the roster, combining for 51 starts. But despite the consistency those two provided, three of the five portal acquisitions struggled to see the floor.
Forward Jevon Porter suffered a season-ending injury in a home win over Bethune-Cookman in mid-December. Guard Sebastian Mack struggled to find minutes in the rotation following the emergence of T.O. Barrett as a starter. He touched the floor for the final time as a Tiger in late January during a blowout loss on the road to Alabama.
Forward Luke Northweather returned home to join Mizzou for his junior season. The alum of Blair Oaks also struggled to find the floor, with the Alabama game marking his final regular-season appearance.
The portal presents an opportunity to wipe the slate clean. Here are some players Gates and his staff can target come Tuesday to complement the historic freshman class coming to Columbia next season.
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A name that comes up as a perfect fit for the Tigers is sophomore guard Tate McCubbin. The Columbia product played at Battle High School before spending two seasons at Austin Peay. His father, Todd, is the current executive director of the Mizzou Alumni Association.
He started 31 games in his sophomore season, averaging 9.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. McCubbin produced from the outside, shooting 34.6% on 185 attempts from 3-point range. His size and versatility could provide a much-needed boost to a team that struggled finding a consistent threat from 3 and help on the boards throughout the season.
Mizzou earned a nail-biting 89-84 victory over Southeast Missouri in its home opener. The Redhawks’ strongest performance came from junior guard Luke Almodovar. He had 24 points in 34 minutes, including a 5-of-13 performance from 3-point range. Almodovar’s 14.1 points per game will make him a sought-after target for high-major programs.
Tim Fuller ties
Before returning to Mizzou to take on the role of general manager, Tim Fuller spent two seasons on the coaching staff at Providence with Mizzou alum Kim English as head coach. With English being let go following the end of the season, a number of Providence players have hit the portal.
The most sought-after target of the group is freshman guard Stefan Vaaks. The native of Estonia was named to the Big East Conference all-freshman team after averaging 15.8 points and 3.2 assists. Vaaks shot 35% from 3-point range, adding to his versatility.
Joining Vaaks in the portal is fellow freshman Jamier Jones. The Florida native was also named to the Big East all-freshman team after averaging 11.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists. The two were bright spots on a Providence team that struggled in its second consecutive losing season.
With the departure of Phillips, Mizzou will have to reestablish depth and experience at the center position. Sophomore Anton Bonke left Providence after limited minutes in Year 1 but emerged as a force this season at Charlotte. He averaged 10.6 points along with 8.3 rebounds. Bonke, a native of Vanuatu, could provide even more size at 7-foot-2. His size would complement Trent Burns as his minutes increase next season.
Former target
Mizzou made an offer to Notre Dame freshman Jalen Haralson as far back as July 2022. After leading the Irish in points and assists in a disastrous season, Haralson has entered the portal.
He averaged 16.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Against Mizzou on Dec. 2, Haralson finished with 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting in a 76-71 victory for Notre Dame.
Given an already established relationship with Gates, he could be someone the Tigers aim to bring in when the portal opens Tuesday.
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