Mizzou lands two signees on McDonald’s All-American Game roster for first time ever
Dennis Gates and the Mizzou basketball program have been on a yo-yo this season on the court, with huge wins over Florida, Kentucky and Auburn, as well as embarrassing losses to both Illinois and Alabama. The Tigers are squarely on the bubble, but the foundation of Gates’ program is bright.
And no two players exemplify that more than the top two players in their heralded signing class. Both Jason Crowe Jr. and Toni Bryant rank among the top 20 prospect nationally in 2026, a level of talent Missouri hasn’t signed from the high school ranks in years.
On Monday, that duo cemented their status as elite prep players when they were named to the McDonald’s All-American Game rosters alongside 22 more of the best recruits in the country. Out of those 24 players, 22 rank among the top 35 players in the country, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking.
Crowe, a 6-foot-3 guard from Inglewood (Calif.) is the No. 11 prospect in the class, while Bryant, a 6-foot-10 forward, ranks eight spots behind him at No. 19. Both signed with the Tigers in November, and along with four-star wing Aidan Chronister currently give Missouri a top-5 recruiting class.
They also mark the first Missouri signees to earn McDonald’s All-American honors in the same class for the first time in program history. The last Tigers player to participate in the game was Michael Porter Jr., who actually won MVP honors. His career in Columbia was marred by injuries, as he only played in three games as a freshman before leaving to go to the NBA.
Tigers bringing dynamic players to 2026 roster
Gates and Co. are hoping for a much better result when Crowe and Bryant hit the floor next season. The former is one of the premier scorers in the country, averaging 44.1 points per contest, and recently breaking the California high school career scoring record. He was also Rivals’ top performer last month at the renowned Hoophall Classic.
“Crowe showed deep shooting range, but he also had a slick handle and advanced footwork on the ball. In 29 minutes played, Crowe took 37 field goal attempts and 14 free-throw attempts to reach his 48, but anyway you slice it 48 points is 48 points, and it is something no one else has been able to do,” wrote Rivals national analyst Jamie Shaw. “The Missouri commit also added 7 rebounds and 6 steals. He was 17-37 from the field, 4-11 from three, and 10-14 from the free throw line.”
Bryant, meanwhile, is one of the country’s best rebounds and interior defenders. Shaw wrote this about him after a standout performance after the Tarkanian Classic in December.
“Bryant showed that he can be at his best when his game is streamlined and he is playing close to the basket,” Shaw wrote. “Bryant, “Listed at a lengthy 6-foot-10, he has a real advantage over most high school bigs with his length and athleticism. He is a real run-and-jump athlete who is already mature in his frame; that is is difficult for many bigs to match up with him, who are oftentimes some combination of not as big, not as strong, or not as athletic. When Bryant focuses on playing to his advantages, he produces in a big way. He produced at the Tarkanian Classic, finishing with a game-high 22 points in a head-to-head win against No. 1 center Arafan Diane and following that up with a 24-point outing on Day 2. The tools have always been in place, and the production is starting to find some consistency.”
