Finally, a dunker!

As you may have heard, John Tonje became the first portal-hopper to join on with Mizzou for next season after his commitment announcement on Monday.

First things first, I’m glad to finally have a dunker who can create his own jams for next year’s Revue. Thank you, thank you, it’s been a challenging time for me.

Second, I forgot how exciting it is to get a transfer as opposed to a high school recruit. The latter is exciting, but comes with the knowledge that you probably won’t be seeing the best of them for 2 or 3 years. Transfers, however, are fully formed. You know what you’re getting. And while they’re not all automatic stars (unless they play at Mizzou, that is), they’re more-or-less finished products. And sometimes, that’s exactly what a team needs.

So it’s safe to say our wonks are big fans of this pickup. Sam will have more in a forthcoming roster math piece, but sufficed to say, the work to manage this roster seems to be in service of creating one that is better equipped for a deeper run next March.

Let’s check in on what else Missouri is doing in the portal. As a reminder, you can always check our up-to-date portal tracker. Keep it bookmarked, why don’t you?

Do you think Mizzou needs any rebounding help? I’m not sure, but it can’t hurt to have some more guys on the interior, right?

The big name to tumble into the portal on Monday, however, is one with which Mizzou fans will feel intimately familiar. Just a few years after spurning Cuonzo Martin and the Tigers for the baby blue of North Carolina, St. Louis boy Caleb Love is looking for the next place to rest his weary head.

Love is a bit of a controversial figure in Chapel Hill. While undoubtedly gifted with supreme talent, Love is also the streakiest of players, one who can single-handedly win or lose your team a game. No doubt he’d have interest in Mizzou if they have interest in him. But does Dennis Gates’ system need an inefficient, ball-dominant scoring guard? Doesn’t feel like the most obvious fit, but perhaps in the right scheme his NBA potential will be realized?

Yesterday at Rock M

• In which former Colorado State Ram John Tonje becomes the first transfer to join Dennis Gates’ squad for the 2023-2024 season
• In which Karen recaps the first two games of Mizzou’s series against No. 21 Auburn
• In which Mizzou got itself a new offensive line coach!

More Links:

• MIZZOU SPORTS AIN’T OVER YET, TELL ‘EM DG

• Want to see some more Dree Gholston highlights in black and gold? Make sure you catch some or all of this week’s Team Skills and 3X3U Championship, where he’ll be competing. You can catch that on ESPN2 on Wednesday at 6:30 pm.
• Mizzou Track & Field is running wild into the USTFCCCA rankings, checking in at No. 20 just ahead of South Carolina.
• Former Tiger star DeMarkus Acy appears to be signing with the Ontario Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League, according to his Instagram.

• Mizzou Men’s Golf is within striking distance at the (breathes deeply) Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate.
• BAH GAWD, IS THAT KELLY BRYANT’S MUSIC??

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