Mizzou Basketball Season Preview: The Freshmen

A look into the Tigers' five freshmen for the 2024-2025 season.

DeSale's William Gibson (22) drives on Little Rock Central's Annor Boateng (12) at Thursday's 2023 Chad Gardner Law King of the Bluegrass holiday basketball tournament at Fairdale High School. Dec. 21, 2023 / Matt Stone/The Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Missouri basketball brought in one of its highest-rated classes in the program's history and with the season only days away, are nearly ready to hit the hardwood for the first time. 

From different spots in the country, ranging from Arkansas to Missouri to Georgia, head coach Dennis Gates expanded his reach to hit on a variety of different positions across the map.  

The group of five freshmen were all four-star recruits or higher depending on the service, all capable of contributing in various ways. Here's a peek into what each could provide for the Missouri Tigers in the 2024-2025 season. 

Annor Boateng, G

Boateng was consensus ranked the highest of the five recruits, ranked No. 33 in composite rankings. From Little Rock, Ark, Boateng provides a physical blend of power, fluidity and verticality to a Missouri team in need of an explosive athlete. 

It feels as if Boateng never stops moving and hustling, as his motor and intensity will be a namesake for him. He's shown he can score on multiple levels, significantly improving his three-point shot. He averaged 18.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.4 at Little Rock Central High School, displaying his versatility on multiple levels. 

Missouri has plenty of wing talent of different skill sets and player types, but the intensity at which he plays the game should get him onto the court early. As the Tigers' best recruit in the class, he may be leaned on to not only play at a high level, but lead the other talented newcomers.

Peyton Marshall, C

Marshall is a massive paint presence, listed as 7-foot, 300-pounds. He is still raw offensively as far as scoring in multiple ways, but his overbearing physical presence makes life a little easier for him. 

Even for someone his size, he plays with an impressive court-running motor. He can easily move around the floor and often does not stop doing so. Again, because of his size, he's hard to score against. It's always a challenge to back him down, and it often does not happen, especially at the high school level. 

The Tigers also have plenty of depth at the center position with the addition of South Carolina transfer Josh Gray and freshman Trent Burns. Gray appears to be the man for the starting job, but the opportunity is there for someone to secure minutes, especially if Marshall can meaningfully put points on the board. 

Marcus Allen, F

None of the Tiger freshmen specifically excel as scorers and Allen is no exception to that rule. He has yet to show he can be an overly efficient scorer but might already be one of the Tigers' best defenders. Ranked as the third highest Tiger commitment of the class from Miami, Allen prides himself in his defensive intensity. 

His ability to cut into passing lanes jumps out on his high school film, as does his on-ball defending. He has a 6-foot-7, 220-pound frame that allows him to do so and when he can master his offensive craft, will be a complete player. 

Trent Burns, C

Burns is another extremely massive center the Tigers have added to its roster. This will be the second year in a row with a 7-foot-5 center, after the departure of Conner Vanover last season. They play similar roles, having a thin frame and uncoachable length with an inconsistent offensive game. 

Burns, as one could imagine, is an excellent shot-blocker. The instincts are there and his length plays a part, but he knows where to be and when to jump to complete the rejection. His height also allows him to excel as a rebounder. He will need to bulk up to improve in that area because larger opponents can out-physical him. 

Bulking up might be an issue for Burns because his mobility makes him such an intriguing player. Like a recent modern mold of professional centers, like Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren, their ability to handle the ball, space the floor, and shoot makes them unique challenges to guard. Burns has the same frame and raw skill set to do so, but polishing that in college has notoriously been difficult. 

T.O. Barrett, G

The lowest-rated recruit of the Tigers 2024 class was still rated as a four-star recruit. A native of Oklahoma City, Barrett is an intriguing combo guard. He might struggle to break into the Tiger rotation this season, but with the right development, could be Missouri's guard of the future. 

His playmaking as a 6-foot-4 guard is what makes him so interesting as a point guard. He did a good job not turning the ball over at Link Academy and slowly became an efficient scorer. He averaged only  3.9 points per game on 50% shooting in limited minutes, showing he could do something in the small amount of time he played. 

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