COLUMBIA, Mo. — College basketball isn’t like the professional game. Finishing last one season doesn’t come with the reward of an injection of fresh young talent for the next.
Yet that’s exactly what’s happening for Missouri men’s basketball. After last season’s winless season of Southeastern Conference play, the Tigers reloaded in a big way: With the fifth-ranked freshman class in the country, according to 247Sports’ ratings.
It’s the kind of novelty in the college sports world that must be a testament to something. Third-year coach Dennis Gates is an established recruiter, so that may be the driving force, but it seems to be something with the players more than the staff in this case.