Mizzou men’s basketball signs No. 2 class in the nation

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Mizzou men's basketball coach Dennis Gates didn't get handed any surprises on the first day of the national signing period, on Wednesday. Five Tiger commits put pen to paper for MU's No. 2 ranked recruiting class.

It is officially the highest ranked class in school history.

Gates' 2024 group rates higher than most of the blue bloods, including North Carolina and Kansas. The only class higher than Mizzou's is Duke.

One of the nation's top centers was the first signee announced, on Wednesday. Peyton Marshall was the first play to officially join the 2024 class. The 7-foot center places as high as the No. 49 recruit in the nation by On3.

The St. Louis-native played in Georgia during high school. During his junior season, he helped his team to a state championship run, recording 11 points in the title game. He also received an honorable mention to the all-state team.

Marshall will come in as one of the nation's top-10 centers in 2024 class.

"Peyton is a dominant interior presence who is a great finisher and has tremendous touch around the rim," said Gates said in a press release. "He is also a physical player and does a good job of drawing contact and capitalizing from the free-throw line. Perhaps most impressively, however, Peyton is the best passer in the 2024 class, regardless of position and school. His court vision and his ability to quarterback the team for his size is unmatched."

Next up - one of the top versatile guards in the country, T.O. Barrett put pen to paper with MU.

Barrett ranks the No. 88 recruit in the nation by 247sports. In his junior year, he helped lead his team to its second-straight state championship, at the Class 6A level. The 6-foot-5 guard averaged by 15 points and four rebounds per game in that season.

He now plays for Link Acadmey in Branson, Missouri. He averaged about nine points, five rebounds and nearly three assists per game as part of the Nike EYBL circuit.

"He embodies our eight core values and is an ultra-competitor who is a proven winner in his career. He has great size for his position plus a tremendous basketball IQ with elite decision-making skills and versatility," Gates said.

After Barrett, 7-foot-3 center Trent Burns became the third signee of the day for Coach Gates.

"The combination of shooting and shot-blocking at Trent's height is not something easy to find," Gates said. "He fits our system and our five-out offense that we want to run perfectly. Trent has also shown a lot of potential this summer and is somebody we feel like can be a sleeper of our class. His strong family values fit within our eight core values at Mizzou and we look forward to seeing the impact he will make on campus."

Burns was a member of Houston Hoops on the Nike EYBL circuit and helped the team earn a bid to the annual Peach Jam Tournament. He averaged nearly seven points, about four rebounds and one block per game.

As a recruit, Burns has jumped as high as the No. 65 recruit in America.

Gates had another Top-50 recruit sign on Tuesday, as well. Marcus Allen is the No. 39 recruit in the nation, according to On3. Before he played one season at AZ Compass Prep, Allen posted about 18 points and 7 rebounds per game as a sophomore.

The 6-foot-7 wing was also invited to the Pangos All-American camp in June and the NBPA Top 100 Camp in July. He averaged about 10 points, four rebounds and two assists in the Nike EYBL circuit, as well.

"Marcus will be a strong addition to our program," Gates said in a press release. "He has a unique build and size for his position – with measurables of a 6-11 wingspan and a hand size of 10.5" – that makes him a strong college and professional prospect. His defensive IQ is elite and will be an anchor for us on that end of the court. We've grown really close to him and his family during our time at Mizzou and are looking forward to officially welcoming him to CoMo and making him part of our community."

Finally, Gates picked up his final signature on Tuesday evening, from four-star Annor Boateng. He is the highest ranked recruit to sign with Mizzou since Columbia-native Michael Porter Jr. in 2017. He ranks as high as No. 21 nationally.

Boateng was named the Gatorade Arkansas Basketball Player of the Year. He led his high school to the Class 6A quarterfinals in his junior season, a averaging about 16 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block per game.

The 6-foot-5 guard has also already surpassed 1,000 career points, before his senior campaign. Boateng was a first-team all-state selection in 2023.

Boateng also played for the Arkansas Hawks in high school, where he averaged about 23 points and eight rebounds per game, shooting 55 percent from the field and 39 percent from 3-point range. Like Allen, he was also invited to the NBPA Top 100 Camp over the summer.

"Annor Boateng is an outstanding player and person on and off the court," Gates said. "We look for champions in the classroom, on the court and in the community and Annor is a perfect example of that kind of all-around student-athlete. One of the most complete guards in the country and a playmaker on both ends of the floor, Annor is physically gifted and a three-level scorer who excels in multiple facets of the game. He is also a tremendous leader and we're thrilled to welcome him to our Mizzou family."

The previous high for Mizzou's recruiting classes was No. 4 in 2017.