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Jason Crowe Jr., the No. 5 overall recruit in the 2026 class, has committed to the Missouri Tigers. Crowe Jr. is the second-highest ranked recruit to commit to the Tigers in modern recruiting history.
The 6-foot-3 combo guard out of Inglewood (Calif.) was heavily recruited by schools including Kentucky, Arkansas, USC, Washington, and more, but Missouri snuck in to complete this massive recruiting coup.
“Just the coaching staff with coach [Dennis] Gates and all of the other coaches believing in me,” Crowe Jr. said of why he picked Missouri. “Even though they came in late into the recruiting process, they gave me the keys and told me I have to work hard, and the team will revolve around me.”
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Crowe Jr. and his father, Jason Crowe Sr., both have connections to the Missouri staff that go back years during his father’s playing days. Those connections helped Missouri get its foot in the door, but it was the relationship that Gates personally developed with Crowe Jr. that sealed the huge recruiting win.
“Those guys really came and welcomed me with open arms and treated me like family,” Crowe Jr. told 247Sports. “Just basically, they came to me late, they came to me at USA Camp, and then I knew I had to keep my eyes on them because it was the first call. It was a general call, it lasted about 30 minutes… not every other coach I felt like the first call was like family. I opened up to (Gates). We were talking about USA Camps, what I was doing on my day to day, joking around, and so that’s when I knew I wanted to go to them, after that.”
Crowe Jr. is the second-highest ranked recruit to pick Missouri in modern recruiting history, behind Michael Porter Jr., the No. 2 overall recruit in the 2017 class.
Crowe Jr, a five-star guard, is arguably the best scorer in the country and is knocking on the door of becoming the all-time leading scorer in California high school basketball history.
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His scoring will make a major impact for the Tigers the moment he steps on campus, and while that garners the attention, he is also a great passer with vision who can create for others.
“I am just trying to work hard every day, bring some wins, and hopefully make the Missouri fans happy,” he said of what he will bring to the Tigers’ basketball program.
On Thursday night, his ‘Commitment Eve’, Crowe Jr. put on a clinic against Brad Beal Elite playing through the pain of an injured ankle.
He poured in shots all over the court, showed his effortless range on his jumper, broke defenders down off the bounce, and also showcased his vision and passing ability on his way to scoring 36 points and dishing out five assists.
