Mizzou’s 2026 recruiting class makes Columbia debut in Norm Stewart Classic
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The historic 2026 recruiting class that Mizzou men's basketball coach Dennis Gates spent years cultivating, made its Columbia debut, on Saturday night.
The three members that make up the Tigers' top-ranked recruiting class took the hardwood at Mizzou Arena for the annual Norm Stewart Classic.
Five-star prospects Jason Crowe Jr. and Toni Bryant were in attendance, as well as four-star Aidan Chronister. In fact, Bryant and Chronister's teams actually went head-to-head.
In that battle between future teammates, Chronister's New School Academy came out on top in a 52-48 victory over Zephyrhills Christian Academy. In the win, the future Tiger forward earned the game's MVP award with a 25-point outing, which included five 3-pointers, as well as seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Meanwhile, Bryant finished the game with a double-double, 12 points and 12 rebounds.
Directly following that game, Crowe Jr., who is the nation's third overall prospect and highest-rated recruit Mizzou has gotten since Michael Porter Jr., took on the top-ranked team in all of Class 3 in Missouri: Principia.
The five-star guard didn't come out with the win in his Mizzou Arena debut, but still accounted for more than 60 percent of his team's points in the loss. Crowe Jr. ended up with a game-best 41 points, along with four rebounds, two assists and one steal.
