Mizzou Men’s Basketball inks nation’s top-ranked recruiting class

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Mizzou Men's Basketball has inked the nation's highest-rated recruiting class.

On Thursday, head coach Dennis Gates signed the final member of ESPN's No. 1-ranked recruiting class in the country, which consists of three top-100 prospects: Jason Crowe Jr. (No. 5), Toni Bryant (No. 14) and Aidan Chronister (No. 83).

"They have done a tremendous job in allowing me to build a relationship with them. The one thing that I look at is how they fit with our culture, how they fit with our guys, and it's been seamless," Gates said in a postgame press conference on National Signing Day. "I think ultimately our guys, the main recruiters, are the guys in our program and the culture that exists. I'm thankful for the guys that are in this class, being able to have a number one class in the country. At this stage, I don't know when it has happened at Missouri."

You can learn more about each of Mizzou's signees in the list below.

JASON CROWE JR.

The 6-foot-3, 169-pound point guard hails from Inglewood High School in Inglewood, California. According to ESPN, Crowe Jr. is considered a five-star prospect, the No. 5-ranked recruit in the nation and the country's best player at his position. He's also the program's highest-ranked prospect since Michael Porter Jr. in the Class of 2017. The nation's premier scorer is just 328 points shy of breaking California's state scoring record, sitting at 3,331 career points after just three seasons of high school basketball. Crowe Jr. averaged 35.3 points, 6.1 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game over 27 games in his junior campaign.

"We couldn't be more excited to officially welcome Jason Crowe Jr. to Mizzou as we have developed a great relationship with him and his entire family during the recruitment process," Gates said in a press release. "He's a special player and already prepares every day like a pro. His work ethic is unmatched, his discipline is unmatched and his performance on the court is unmatched. J2 has tremendous support at home as his entire family embodies our core values. You don't become the nation's top scorer and be on pace to shatter the California scoring record by talent alone, though, and it's his approach to the game and preparation that separates him from others. On the court, J2 is as smooth as a player as there is. He is extremely crafty with a high basketball IQ that allows him to score in any situation. There aren't many players at any level that are as skilled of a scorer as he is and we can't wait to welcome him to our Mizzou family next season."

TONI BRYANT

The 6-foot-9, 210-pound power forward hails from North Tampa Christian High School in Tampa, Florida. According to ESPN, Bryant is considered a five-star prospect, the No. 14-ranked recruit in the nation and the country's fourth-best player at his position. He averaged 21.0 points, 11.8 rebounds, 6.5 blocks, 2.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game last season, shooting 66% from the field and 43% from three-point range.

“Toni is a gifted talent who can be a dominant forward at Mizzou,” Gates said. “We have had success with players that share his skillsets like Kobe Brown and Mark Mitchell and we think he can be the next forward to flourish within our system. Offensively, Toni plays above the rim, can run the floor and shoots the ball well for his size. On the defensive end, he is a top shot blocker and can rebound the ball with the best of them. He is already a force to deal with but we think his best basketball is still in front of him.”

AIDAN CHRONISTER

The 6-foot-6, 175-pound small forward hails from Rogers, Arkansas. According to ESPN, Chronister is considered a four-star prospect and the No. 83-ranked recruit in the nation. He averaged 9.6 points,2.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game at Sunrise Christian Academy last season, ranking third in three-pointers per outing (2.5) and seventh in three-point percentage (36.8%) in the EYBL Scholastic.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Aidan to our Mizzou family as he was a priority for us early in our tenure here,” Gates said. “He is a seamless fit in our system as he has great size and length and plays the game the right way. He spreads the court with his elite shooting ability, cuts and moves really well and is a great decision maker and passer. We look forward to Aidan joining our program and helping us contend for titles at Mizzou.”