July 15, 2025; North Augusta, South Carolina, USA; Oakland Soldiers Jason Crowe Jr. (5) dribbles as Team Final RJ Smith (3) defends during the Oakland Soldiers and Team Final game at Nike EYBL Peach Jam at Riverview Park Activities Center. The Oakland Soldiers won 86-75. Mandatory Credit: Katie Goodale – Augusta Chronicle/USA TODAY NETWORK Missouri landed five-star guard Jason Crowe Jr., a consensus top-five player in the Class of 2026.
Crowe, a 6-foot-3 lefty combo guard from Inglewood (Calif.) High School, widely was considered a cinch for Southern California until Missouri and Kentucky entered the picture earlier in the summer. The Tigers made their initial scholarship offer in June. Kentucky also was a contender. Crowe’s father was a teammate of current Wildcats assistant Jason Hart.
“Coach (Dennis) Gates is a phenomenal coach and person, and his staff are great people,” Crowe said. “Our first conversation happened during the USA tryouts. He was really genuine. We talked about family and connected on a meaningful level. Coach Gates is a family-first person. On the court, he’s high-energy and competitive.”
Crowe is first in scoring in the Nike EYBL with an average of 23.6 points per game. He would become the highest-rated recruit to attend Missouri since Michael Porter Jr. (2017) and Linas Kleiza (2013) should he remain committed to the Tigers for the next year.
–Field Level Media
