Annor Boateng: Behind the Recruitment & Expectations of Missouri Basketball's Ghanaian Star

Headlining the Tigers' incoming freshman class with versatility and strong heritage, Annor Boateng is set to inject life into Missouri basketball, and as it turns out, his recruitment came down to more than just the sport itself.

Apr 13, 2024; Portland, OR, USA; Team World’s Annor Boateng (4) dribbles a ball during the third quarter of the Team World vs. Team USA game to close out Nike’s annual Hoop Summit. / Photo provided by Mizzou Athletics

Note: This piece was written by Matt Guzman and Chase Gemes for MizzouCentral.com.

Left hand guiding the ball down an NBA floor with a Ghana flag proudly displayed on his chest, Annor Boateng surveys nine other players on a packed-house-kind of Saturday night.

High school basketball season has long-been over, and while some pre-Division 1 players do get the chance to play in front of larger crowds on stages usually reserved for championships, this particular instance has nothing to do with grade school.

Boateng — like the other players on the court — have been labeled. They make up the next incoming class of college-level talent, sitting atop the excitement-inducing expectations ladder. And for the fans filling Moda Center, they’re putting on a show. The first of its kind — for these players, anyway..

While the 18-year-old works his way up court, easily identifiable by his custom-made Nike “Ghana” shoes, he looks to make a play in what — for three quarters — was a close contest. But more than the score, the outcome or the game’s implications, Boateng is playing for a cause greater than himself. He’s Ghanaian.

And he’s proud.

“I'm here to represent not only my last name, but my ethnicity,” Boateng said just a few days prior to taking the main stage at Nike’s Hoop Summit. “My people. My home country. My mom and dad. I'm here to represent … (but) also have a good time.” 

Boateng didn’t scratch the score sheet too many times, but he certainly made an impact for Team World during Saturday night’s closing festivities, boasting a pair of assists to go along with his two buckets and steals on the defensive end. Cooper Flagg and Team USA took a 98-75 victory, leaving Boateng and company with a loss, but also plenty of experience.

In front of over 100 NBA scouts, the entire roster on both sides left an early mark before heading off to their respective locations — all preceding what they hope will turn into illustrious professional careers.

Boateng was just one of 24 players that night, but to him, that was more than enough. He got his chance to represent both his heritage and his basketball skill set, and now has another chance to do so in a college town located in “the middle of the middle.”

Ever the prescient, he’s ready for that chance.

Ready for the Tigers.

“I wouldn't be recruited if I wasn't good enough,” Boateng said, referring to his personal expectations heading into his freshman year. “(It comes down to) realizing that I'm good enough.

"That's really going to help me get to where I want to be.”

A 4-Star Recruit From Ghana

Enter Annor Boateng.

The 6-foot-6 forward out of Little Rock, Arkansas is one of the five incoming recruits coming to Columbia in Missouri’s fourth-best composite 2024 class. He’s headlining the class, and is the highest Tiger recruit since Michael Porter Jr. in 2017.

With that brings plenty of expectations for the 18-year-old. Missouri is coming off one of its worst seasons in program history — where it finished without a win in the Southeastern Conference — so, Boateng will be expected to lead the charge in his freshman year in the program’s quest to get back on track.

Apr 13, 2024; Portland, OR, USA; Team World’s Annor Boateng (4) stands next to Team USA's Cooper Flagg (9) during the Team World vs. Team USA game to close out Nike’s annual Hoop Summit. / Photo provided by Mizzou Athletics

With how south the Tigers’ season went, Boateng certainly had the option to decommit from Missouri and seek out the vast amount of programs that would’ve been interested in his talent. 

However, Dennis Gates and company had a perfect sales pitch that had the forward hooked from the start.

“They talked to me outside of basketball. Like who I was as a person,” Boateng said on Missouri’s recruitment scheme. “What really stood out to me is that they even made me play my instrument when I was there.”

That instrument is the saxophone, which Boateng started playing back in sixth grade. He started with the alto saxophone, but branched out to the tenor saxophone once he reached the high school level. 

Music has always been one of his favorite passions outside of basketball, which is vastly important to the type of person he is.

“No other school had ever shown interest,” Boateng said. “They knew I played an instrument but they never showed an interest like that, which really set them apart. It just showed like ‘Hey, we’re here for you. We’re really invested in who you are.’”

The direct interest Gates showed towards Boateng created an early natural bond between him and the Tigers, and one that will carry over into a highly-anticipated freshman season. He will be a strong presence at either the shooting guard or small forward position, bringing physicality, high athleticism and aggressive defense. He fits the mold of a player who can be at the forefront of a program’s future, especially if he can develop his offensive game to become a better 3-point shooter and floor-spacer.

Apr 13, 2024; Portland, OR, USA; Annor Boateng (4) puts up a shot over Cooper Flagg (9) during Team World vs. Team USA. / Photo provided by Mizzou Athletics

As made clear by the system Gates has instilled at Missouri over the last two years, he wants his lineup to be filled with playmakers. That means from point guard to the center, each player needs to be able to create offense for himself and for his teammates, with a preference to be able to run the floor. Although it’s something Boateng has shown the capability of doing in high school, it will need to be expanded on at the college level.

“Overall what they want me to improve on is my guard assets,” Boateng said. “Being able to be a better ball handler, read pick-and-roll, become a knockdown shooter. Little things like that."

Most freshmen can’t be expected to adjust to the college game and immediately be a top player in their respective conferences, but Missouri's class will make up most of its 2024-25 lineup. 

The rest of the class includes Peyton Marshall, Marcus Allen, Trent Burns and T.O. Barrett, all players with high upside that can make an early impact. They’ll need veteran presence to help out, which has been started in the transfer portal through the acquisition of Jacob Crews.

Sharing a similar age makes bonding with teammates a whole lot easier for collegiate athletes, which already began for Boateng with Marshall years ago.

“I’ve known Peyton prior to when he committed there,” Boateng said. “We played against each other since middle school … and I think we were on the Georgia Stars. We even went to Italy and I spent a lot of time with him for two weeks and got to know each other. It was a great bond to know somebody going there.”

Beyond just Marshall, Boateng has made sure to connect with all of his future teammates to start developing relationships quickly so that the team can be connected as soon as practices and games begin.

“We even created a group chat so all the recruits are in there,” Boateng said. “We’ve been able to talk, get a feel for each other and connect on a personal level. Overall, I feel like the recruits we have coming in … it’s going to be a great class.”

That class is getting the keys to the program for the foreseeable future, with all of the opportunity to showcase their talents under the watchful eye of Gates. Caleb Grill and John Tonje — two players from last year’s roster that were shelved with injuries — seem to be locks as returners, but the focus is on developing the 2024 class.

It won’t be easy with the added pressure to win already stamped on them, but finding success in the SEC was never going to be an “easy” task. Rest assured, Boateng and the rest of Missouri’s freshmen class are set to face that pressure and hit the ground running as soon as they reach campus.

After all, Boateng has done it before.

Proven Champion, But Higher Ambitions

Annor Boateng is a high-school champion.

Hailing from Little Rock Central, where he and the rest of the Tigers — yes, he's even used to the mascot — put together a 27-win season complete with three playoff victories en route to a title, Boateng is used to being at the forefront of a collective.

What he brings on the court is a mixture of offense and defense, and given his status as Missouri's top recruit, things looked a little bit different at the high-school level versus what he's going to have to grow accustomed to in the SEC.

But high school or not, a win is a win. A title is a title. 

And earning one to round out his grade school campaign was certainly an experience Boateng won't soon forget.

"It was great. Honestly," the forward said. "Especially to be in my senior year, being able to go out with the bang ... It was a great reward for all the hard work I put in. A state championship was always one of my biggest things on my bucket list." 

DeSale's William Gibson (22) drives on Little Rock Central's Annor Boateng (12) at Thursday's 2023 / Matt Stone/The Courier Journal / USA

As Boateng transitions to being a rising college star in one of the toughest conferences, however, he'll likely need to refresh that list with new goals and new expectations — some of which have already been laid out. 

For that, he can thank Gates. 

"He definitely has high expectations for me," Boateng said, describing the dynamic between himself and his future coach. "He expects a lot out of me. ... He believes in me, (even) after just having a few conversations with me, and even the stuff that I do now, he knows I can do more. 

"He's always pushing me to become a better version of myself."

A two-lane road awaits Boateng and Gates. While the 18-year-old incoming freshman is beginning to embark on a journey of improvement, so, too will Gates and the rest of the Tigers. After achieving — or, to be blunt, underachieving — a feat not been touched since 1907, there is clearly some work to do for Missouri. 

Boateng will be big for that effort, but he can only do so much with the skill set he has now, which is where Gates comes in. In fact, Boateng's freshman season is likely to be defined by his bond with Gates and how much he can take away from the veteran coach.

Luckily, he's already on that path.

"I see him as like, I wouldn't say like a bigger brother, but an uncle," Boateng said when asked to describe his early bond with Gates. "I really appreciate that from somebody like him because there's not many people that keep it real (with)in your circle."

Gates is certainly to be the first to inform Boateng of his needed improvements, just as he is likely to yell at him during a game in the name of tough love. That's basketball, and Boateng knows it. As does Gates. 

But Gates also knows he can't dismiss the woes that his squad faced just one year after securing a first-round victory in the Big Dance. He can only improve on them.

"I think most importantly, (I learned) how to continue to have consistency through all of our obstacles," Gates said. "The thing you can always go into next year with is ... (to) play up close and personal. Our guys fight. They give the very best, and that's the identity of our program.

"I'm excited about this class simply because (they're) a very versatile class. They're great kids, great people, and they want to be here." 

Boateng, being a proven champion himself, has the needed skillset and more than a qualified-enough resume to join the Tigers' fight against winless-ness next season. 

But his ambitions are higher. His capabilities are vast. 

He has a mindset worthy of leading a collegiate team. 

"(Boateng) is an unbelievable young man," Gates said, focusing on aspects outside of basketball to express his praise for his incoming freshman. "I'm excited about him. I challenged that young man to play the national anthem at one of our games. That's one of the things that I think you should look forward to."

Apr 13, 2024; Portland, OR, USA; Team World’s Annor Boateng (4) dribbles around a defender during the Team World vs. Team USA game to close out Nike’s annual Hoop Summit. / Photo provided by Mizzou Athletics

Annor Boateng might be the first Missouri recruit to take the floor twice in one night if he does indeed bring out his saxophone for the National Anthem. He might be the first — at least according to Gates — Missouri recruit to play for the World Team at Nike's Hoop Summit. 

In other words, there are many ways in which Boateng sets himself apart. And this season, with all of the pressure on him and his teammates to put together a better season than the one the Tigers are coming off of, he'll be looking for one more.

Just one.

"I'm just (going to) keep my head down and remember to work hard," Boateng said. "I'm there for a reason ... I should remain who I am and remember to be a leader."