Mizzou signs pair of in-state prospects, previews Mississippi Valley State
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Mizzou has officially inked two talented high school basketball recruits for its 2025 recruiting class. Columbia's own Aaron Rowe and St. Louis native Nicholas Randall are staying home, signing with MU on opening day of the early signing period.
Rowe is rated as a four-star prospect by ESPN, Rivals and 247 Sports. The current Fr. Tolton Catholic High School and former Link Academy standout is ranked as highly as the No. 53-best recruit in the nation. As a freshman, Rowe helped lead the Trailblazers to a second place finish in the MSHSAA state tournament and, as a sophomore, was a part of Link Academy's 2023 GEICO National Championship run.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled that Aaron has decided to stay home, remain in CoMo and be a part of our Mizzou family,” head coach Dennis Gates said in Wednesday's press release. “He was a priority for us from day one as one of the top point guard prospects in the country. He is a cerebral point guard with elite quickness and athleticism who can create for his teammates. With him being a homegrown player here in Columbia, we’ve really gotten to know Aaron over the last two-plus years. He is already a familiar face within our program and we can’t wait for him to officially don the Black & Gold.”
ESPN and Rivals also consider Randall to be a four-star talent, and according to On3's industry ratings, the Compass Prep prospect is listed as the No. 116 overall recruit in the country. Before taking his talents to Arizona's Compass Prep for his senior season, Randall helped lead Vashon High School in St. Louis to three consecutive state championships. The Missouri Basketball Coaches Association also crowned Randall the Class 4 Player of the Year in 2024. He averaged 10.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks as a junior last year.
“Nicholas is a player that we’ve built a strong relationship with since we first stepped foot on campus,” Gates said in the press release. “He is a perfect fit for our system. His ability to shoot and pass at his size makes him a special player. What truly makes him elite, however, is his IQ, how he sees the game and his ability to communicate. He is a proven winner at every level and was a key piece of three state championship teams and he will only continue to grow at AZ Compass Prep. With the signing of him and Aaron, we made an emphasis to close down the border and add the best talent in the state of Missouri.”
Amid Wednesday's early signing period, the Tigers are also preparing to play Mississippi Valley State at Mizzou Arena on Thursday. MU is searching for a third consecutive win after defeating Howard and Eastern Washington in its first two home games of the young campaign. With three games under its belt, Gates is encouraged by how his team is playing in several areas but also wants to see some improvement in others.
"The things we have to improve on, when you look at our stat sheet, is a more positive assist-to-turnover ratio, a more positive rebounding margin, continue to execute on the free throw line, but also, when it comes down to the second half, I think we got to continue to do a better job of putting two halves together. Those are areas that I think we can learn from and continue to grow," Gates said at Wednesday's press conference. "I'm encouraged by our style of play. We can play in different styles of play, and I say that in a half-court setting because we have the strength, athleticism and ability to get to the free throw line. Also, we have the shooting ability, where you guys saw throughout these guys' careers, you can have any guy get hot from Marques Warrick to Caleb Grill to Jacob Crews to Trent Pierce and even Tamar Bates. I think those are the five guys that can really get stuff done."
Mizzou's head coach is also impressed with the growth he's witnessed from Anthony Robinson II in his sophomore season. Robinson II is leading the team in assists and steals with 12 assists and 6 steals through three games, and he's also tied for third in the program in scoring, averaging 12.3 points per game. However, the Florida native has not just grown as a player, he's also starting to develop as a vocal leader of the program.
"Being here last year, I've kind of started to figure out what Coach Gates wants me to do and wants the team to do, so me being here last year, just being able to vocalize what he wants," Robinson II said. "Just being a point guard, my leadership is picking up every step and just taking little steps forward has been key for me."
The Tigers are scheduled to host Mississippi Valley State on Thursday, Nov. 14 at 6:30 p.m.
