Trying to keep track of all the basketball recruiting

There’s a lot going on as Missouri tries to put together its 2020 class. Coaches are traversing about the country checking in on 2021 and 2022 recruits. It’s Friday now, so I’m going to do my best to give you all a rundown on where we are with as many names as I can get to before I collapse.

2020 — The board is both expanding and retracting

Caleb Love: The Tigers’ top remaining target is taking a trip to North Carolina this week. If you’ve been paying attention, this is the visit to worry about. It’s long been thought that the Tar Heels were the most likely destination for Love, but there’s no doubt the Tigers have come on strong in their efforts of late. I wouldn’t expect a commitment this weekend, but here’s to hoping some Carolina missteps puts Missouri in the lead. (we can hope, right?)

Davion Bradford:

Bradford wrapped up his trip to Columbia last week and it came and went without a commitment. To be clear, one was not expected. The Tigers are still in good shape with Bradford, with Kansas State probably on equal footing. However, movement from each school certainly shows the uncertainty of recruiting.

John Hughley: The 4-star big from Ohio has been on Mizzou’s radar for a while, but he’s already taken a visit to NC State and heads to Miami this weekend. He’s also being hotly pursued by Pitt and Kansas State. Mizzou is fighting for an official visit, so it’ll be interesting to see if they get one.

Ryan Kalkbrenner: Yeah, the ship has sailed on that one. Let’s move on.

Jordan Wilmore: According to verbalcommits.com, Missouri offered the unranked enormous human being the other night. Wilmore is either 7’3 or 7’4, depending on which site you’re checking. I’m not sure how serious the courtship is, and I would think the primary targets are Bradford and then Hughley, but Missouri really wants a big in the class so making sure you can get one seems at the forefront of this decision.

Obviously, the ideal class is Love and Bradford, but Missouri is working on its contingency plans. So, keep an eye on North Carolina this weekend, and if there’s any movement on the Bradford front, we’ll be there to work it out.

2021 target list expands, and the 2022 list is starting to trickle in

Maybe the biggest news to kick this off is the upcoming unofficial visit of top 100 4-star wing Tamar Bates. Bates is one of my favorite targets in the 2021 class because he checks a lot of boxes for what (I think) would fit really well in the program. That, and he’s really good. Missouri hasn’t offered Bates yet, but I’d expect him to pick one up soon.

I’m honestly shocked Kobe Bufkin hasn’t received a scholarship offer at this point. Of the Michigan targets, Bufkin was the one who stood out to me the most. Perhaps it was the rumor that he’s not leaving The Mitten, but Missouri hasn’t yet pulled the trigger. That could all change soon.

Then, there was this:

Anton Brookshire is another player who fits the longer term mold of Missouri’s approach. He’s an in-state player, rated as a high 3-star combo guard, and could be who the Tigers need in a year where it might be tough to pull players out of Michigan, and the crop of targets in St. Louis isn’t elite.

Other 2021 players who got visits from Missouri the last few weeks:

• #16 ranked PG Kennedy Chandler*
• #24 ranked WING Matthew Cleveland*
• #25 ranked CG Malaki Branham*
• #43 ranked PG Hunter Sallis*
• #49 ranked WING Bryce McGowens
• #92 ranked CG Kobe Bufkin
• #95 ranked CG Ahmad Bynum*
• #117 ranked WING Tamar Bates
• #121 ranked CG Jaden Akins
• #122 ranked WING Pierre Brooks
• #153 ranked CG Julian Roper

The news on 2022 is limited, but we do know 5-star wing Mark Mitchell is heading to Missouri this weekend with Tamar Bates. Joining them is rising 2022 post Tarris Reed, from Chaminade. Reed might be the next big prospect out of St. Louis, and Mitchell IS the next big prospect out of Kansas City.