The portal is closed. Here’s who will return for Missouri basketball at every position

The transfer portal is closed for new entries in men’s college basketball.

So, here’s the final tally for Missouri basketball, barring any unexpected late changes: Aidan Shaw, Marcus Allen and Peyton Marshall each have already transferred out or are expected to leave the program.

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Mizzou can still make two additions before next season begins and remain within the expected 15-player roster limit. Tuesday night’s transfer portal deadline was only for new entries, and not the last day that players already in the database can commit to new teams.

Missouri has added four players out of the portal to date, mainly addressing frontcourt needs. Arizona State center Shawn Phillips Jr., Oklahoma forward Luke Northweather, and Loyola Marymount forward Jevon Porter each have committed. The Tigers’ lone addition to the backcourt has been UCLA guard Sebastian Mack.

MU is still expected to add some shooting on the perimeter with a guard or wing with the ability to replace the lost production from graduates Caleb Grill and Tamar Bates.

But, until any newcomers become known, Mizzou has some key returners that it will need to develop.

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Here’s who will return for Missouri in the 2025-26 season, and what is expected from them next year:

Here’s who returns at point guard for Missouri basketball

The Tigers will return Anthony Robinson II and T.O. Barrett with the ability to run the point. With how the roster sets up, both players are likely to take on some combo guard duties and be more active as shotmakers next season, too.

Robinson is one of the marquee returners on this team. His development in Year 2 was significant in a return to the NCAA Tournament. He needs to be ‘the guy’ running the point next season.

That means cutting out the early foul trouble, so that the Tigers can use his turnover-prone defense for longer than the 23.1 minutes per game they got last season. That means becoming a more consistent scorer than double-digit points in just 9-of-21 games after SEC play started. That means continuing to be the driving force, getting to the free-throw line.

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Get any or all of that, and Mizzou may have one of the better point guards in the conference.

Barrett’s year-over-year progression is intriguing, too. For much of last season, he was MU’s most productive and ready-to-play rookie. He broke into the lineup and made his case as a dynamic ball-handler and disruptive defender.

If he can take a Robinson-like leap in his sophomore campaign, that’s a major boost to Mizzou’s backcourt. He’s an active, aggressive defender, which suits Gates’ system. He showed encouraging bursts on offense. Whatever improvement Mizzou can get out of Barrett will help.

Wing/small forward

Mizzou has no returning shooting guards, so we’ll jump ahead.

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We’ll lump Trent Pierce into this category, although he’ll spend some time at the four, too. But, for all intents and purposes, Pierce plays as a 6-foot-11 guard.

Pierce needs to make another leap as a junior. He showed, in flashes, that he can get to the rim with some menacing dunks last season. He was an above-average 3-point shooter — just — from above the break.

According to CBB Analytics, Pierce ranked in the 95th percentile nationwide for attempts per game from the rim and from 3-point range. He creates shots. Now, he needs to be a consistent producer — better than his current 50th percentile conversion rate — at both levels.

Sixth-year senior Jacob Crews is the Tigers’ most experienced returner, and that needs to show. Almost all of Crews’ production came from 3-point range (69.2% of his total shot attempts, per CBB Analytics), which is fine; Mizzou needs shooters.

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Again, though, Crews needs to produce more consistently for MU to succeed. He was in the 51st percentile nationwide for field-goal percentage at the rim and on triples. That has to rise.

Annor Boateng is maybe the most interesting returning player on the roster. He started early in MU’s nonconference but faded out of the lineup. When he signed, he was the most exciting freshman as the nation’s No. 26-overall prospect.

In an ideal world, Mizzou develops Boateng into a starter as a sophomore. If the Tigers can get Boateng to a position where he’s impactful on a nightly basis, that’s as good as a new signing.

Power forward

Mark Mitchell is Missouri’s headline returner, and that’s what Mizzou needs him to be: the centerpiece.

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His talent level is obvious. We saw what he’s capable of in a nine-game stretch in February and March when he never scored fewer than 12 points, including dropping 25 on Oklahoma and 31 on Alabama.

Mitchell has to be the Tigers’ best player getting to the rim, which he was for most of last season. Any improvement on his jumper will be a bonus.

Center

Trent Burns is the lone returner at center after not appearing in a game in his rookie year due mostly to injuries, preserving a redshirt and four years of eligibility. This is a tough one to assess because we haven’t seen Burns in action.

But the ceiling is mighty high.

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There’s Burns’ obvious height advantage. He’s 7-foot-5. But, he’s listed at 235 pounds, which is 25 pounds lighter than MU’s last center: 7-0 Josh Gray. Burns needs to make some offseason strides in the weight room to be a serviceable true SEC center.

And there’s his touted 3-point shooting range, which is part of what makes him a ‘unicorn’ prospect. Is that going to translate to games? Do the Tigers really have a seven-and-a-half-footer who can shoot from deep? If so, watch out.

More: What Missouri basketball still needs to add in transfer portal with window set to close

More: Missouri basketball transfer portal tracker: Here’s who is in, out for Mizzou

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Burns likely isn’t going to post up and bang around down low. He’s tall, but he’s light. That role is likely going to fall on Phillips, who should play the rebounding-first role that Gray did last year.

But, Mizzou could use Burns’ height as a rim-protector and easy-bucket getter. The floor for Burns has to be to get on the court and make an impact in games.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: With portal closed, here’s who’s expected to return to Mizzou basketball