Highly Touted Mizzou Basketball Target Reveals Thoughts on Program

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Daniel Schmidt | Last updated Jun 26, 2025 8:00 AM ET

After finishing with a record of 8-24 and having no conference wins two years ago, the Missouri Tigers and head coach Dennis Gates have rebounded nicely from rock bottom. A solid 2024-25 campaign helped to lay the vision for the future, and that future includes contending and landing top talent that has eluded them for years.

The 2026 recruiting cycle will be one of the biggest in Gates' time at Mizzou. The class is flush with talent and Missouri has an opportunity to build for a deep run in March Madness if they can land some of the top flair. One of those players that the Tigers are targeting is five-star power forward Toni Bryant from Zephyrhills, Florida.

The Tigers have been recruiting Bryant for over a year now, offering the young five-star back in May of 2024. Earlier this week, Bryant spoke with Travis Branham of 247Sports about his recruitment and gave his thoughts on each of the schools at the top of his list.

“Coach (Dennis) Gates is one of my favorite head coaches for sure. I am probably most excited to get out there," Bryant told Branham. "I am just excited to see the campus. All of the assistants, Coach Gates, they all get out to see me as much as they can, so that’s the school that shows the most love.”

5⭐️ Toni Bryant has scheduled visits to Arizona, Florida State, North Carolina, Missouri, NC State, and Michigan.

The 6-10 forward and top-15 overall recruit is also eyeing two more blue-blood visits.

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Bryant's comments on the Tigers are notable. Gates and his staff have spent their time in Columbia trying to rebuild the program back to it's once dominant place, and the comments made by Bryant point towards the culture within the program being stronger than ever.

Mizzou hasn't landed a five-star recruit in almost a decade, with the last being when Michael Porter Jr. and Jontay Porter joined Cuonzo Martin's 2017-18 squad. If Bryant were to commit to Mizzou, he would become the second highest ranked prospect in program history, behind only Porter Jr.

The Tigers will get plenty of additional looks at Bryant between now and when he visits campus in the fall. He is set to play for Tre Mann Elite in the Pro16 AAU circuit before completing his senior year.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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