First impressions are everything. Missouri will hope to make a good one this weekend when five-star forward Toni Bryant comes to campus for an official visit.
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The Zephyrhills, Fla. native has been one of the most sought-after recruits in the Class of 2026, ranked as the No. 13 prospect in the cycle and the No. 3 power forward. Bryant’s received over 20 offers from D1 schools, primarily high majors, and has lined up several visits for this year. Here’s how 247Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein described him after watching Bryant play for Tre Mann Elite on the Puma PRO16 circuit this summer:
“Bryant has some glaring physical tools and signs of developing two-way versatility, but is still in the relatively early stages of putting it all together, despite being older for his grade (he turns 19 in November of his senior year). He’s athletic, mobile, has good positional size, and typically plays with the motor necessary to maximize those tools. He runs the floor very well, gets above the rim with ease, can jump off on or two feet, is an emphatic finisher, major lob threat, and active offensive rebounder (2.1 per game in Pro 16 play). He’s even put on noticeable muscle mass in recent months.
“Then there are flashes of inside-out tools. He’s willing to post, can go through the lane with a single bounce, and has some developing face-up touch. The problem is he can try too hard to prove that skill and is rarely a quick decision-maker on the perimeter, so he can be a ball-stopper and not always as outright productive as his tools suggest (13.3 points and 5.8 rebounds in Pro 16). Defensively, it’s a similar story. His size, mobility, quickness off the floor contesting shots, and ability to cover the court give him obvious potential, but his positioning, decisions, and consequent reliability are a work in progress.”
While Bryant has already taken visits with Arizona, Kansas and USF this year and is most recently coming off an official with North Carolina this past weekend, none of those programs are currently considered to be serious contenders in his recruitment. 247Sports National Basketball Analyst Travis Branham reported on Friday that, at the moment, it mostly appears to be a two-team race between Mizzou and NC State.
Things can always change — Bryant’s trip to see the Tar Heels could shake things up. He’s got an additional visit with the Jayhawks scheduled for this fall and might add another with Florida State. But heading into this weekend, with the forward set to be in CoMo while the town’s buzzing during the Border War, there is smoke that the Tigers are leading. It wouldn’t be completely surprising to see Bryant shut things down early and focus on his top schools later this month.
MU already has the No. 5 player in the nation locked down in Jason Crowe Jr., who committed in July. Adding another five-star would give the black and gold two in a class for the first time since 2017, which featured the Porter brothers. If Missouri secures a class with those two, plus its other main targets in the cycle (Tristan Reed, who visited this past weekend, and Aidan Chronister, who will visit Sept. 20 along with Crowe), head coach Dennis Gates will have earned the Tigers’ highest-rated recruiting class in the internet era.
There’s a clear need for more forwards on the roster, with Mark Mitchell, Jacob Crews and Jevon Porter all expected to exhaust their eligibility this season. Bryant’s been made a top priority by Mizzou’s staff and could very well immediately step into a significant role should he land with the team. This weekend might go a long way toward a potentially historic recruitment.
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