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Missouri Tigers men's basketball has been on a major upswing since the offseason hire of coach Dennis Gates after a 12-21 season under Cuonzo Martin in 2021. 

And on Tuesday, Gates and Co. made another major stride toward becoming an elite program in the SEC again, as talented 2023 Compass Prep (Chandler, AZ) forward Trent Pierce announced on social media that he has committed to Mizzou.

This marks the second commitment for Gates in the class of 2023 after Florida State University School (Tallahassee, FL) guard Anthony Robinson II announced on June 30 that he would be taking his talents to Columbia.

Pierce, a 6-8, 180-pound forward, had announced his final six choices on July 5, saying on social media that he was down to Mizzou, Oklahoma State, Florida, Illinois, Oklahoma, and Minnesota.

Pierce's June 29 visit to Mizzou was his most recent and turned out to be his last. The Tigers offered him on July 7 and he didn't waste much time making his decision.

Now with his second real strike in recruiting as head coach, Gates will look for another big hit in the months leading up to the season as he tries to convince players why Mizzou is the place to be in a tough SEC conference. 

He's already hauled in some impressive talent in the transfer portal this offseason, with the biggest name being Missouri State transfer guard Isiaih Mosley. The Tigers also secured commitments from Clemson guard Nick Honor, Northern Iowa forward Noah Carter, and two of Gates' former players at Cleveland State, Tre Gomillion and D'Moi Hodge.

This article first appeared on Missouri Tigers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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