Missouri Rules 2 More Players Out Before Season-Opener to Bring Total to 4; What Do Their Absences Mean and When Will They Return?

The Missouri Tigers, considered a dark horse in the SEC this season, received bad news as they prepare to open the season at home against Cleveland State on November 3. According to CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander, Missouri fifth-year coach Dennis Gates announced yesterday that fifth-year CJ Gunn had been ruled ineligible by the SEC.

Breaking—Missouri guard CJ Gunn has been ruled ineligible by the SEC, Tigers coach Dennis Gates tells @CBSSports, due to Gunn receiving $524 for playing three games in the Canadian Elite Basketball League in May. By letter of the SEC’s rule, Gunn is ineligible to compete.Thread🧵

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) November 2, 2026

Gunn did not suit up for the Tigers this year, as he was granted a temporary court order to play. The 6-7 forward had spent two seasons each at Indiana and DePaul. He then signed with the Calgary Surge of the Canadian Elite Basketball League, appearing in two games, before going undrafted in the 2026 draft. He also signed a Summer League contract with the Golden State Warriors, though he did not appear in a game.

“Gunn is ineligible because he signed a pro contract (also signed with the Golden State Warriors, per the court documents in his recent TRO) and received payment, Norlander tweeted. “Gunn paid back the $524, Gates said. Mizzou has to file its ’26-27 roster to the SEC tonight. No appeal is on the table.”

“Even worse for Gunn: He’s not eligible to be drafted into the G League, which had its draft in October, because the SEC’s ruling was finalized in the lead-up to Missouri’s opener tomorrow,” Norlander continued. “The SEC’s ruling on Gunn came down to “post-enrollment” status, just as it did with RJ Luis.”

Jaylen Carey Suspended For “Violation of Team Rules”

Gates, who has a 75-59 record at Missouri, also said yesterday that Jaylen Carey had been suspended for violating team rules. Carey did not play in either of Missouri’s two exhibition games. According to Devin Hager of On3, no specifics were given about Carey’s suspension or whether he would be reinstated.

Carey was expected to have a major role in Missouri’s frontcourt this year. Carey transferred from Tennessee this offseason with two years of eligibility left. The 6-8 forward was coming off a solid season with the Volunteers, averaging 7.4 points on 48.7% shooting and 6.0 rebounds in 18.5 minutes a game — mostly off the bench, though he did earn a few spot starts. He also produced four double-doubles.

Carey, known for his interior defense, is a physical presence with a strong frame at 255 pounds. Carey is a strong offensive rebounder and a good interior scorer. While he is also a strong screener, he is not efficient around the rim.

Missouri’s Exhibition Slate

Missouri returned seven players from last year’s team that went 20-13 overall and finished seventh in the SEC at 10-8. The Tigers also reached the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive season last year, marking the first time they did so since the early 2010s. The Tigers are 75-59 over the last four seasons with three NCAA berths.

Missouri returns seven players from last year’s squad, though just one starter. Gates, who is 75-59 during his tenure at Columbia, brought in the nation’s No. 8 and No. 17 recruiting classes.

Tonight’s game against Cleveland State is Missouri’s first regular-season game. The Tigers played two exhibition games in October to prepare for the 2026-27 season. They went 1-1 in those contests, winning at Kansas State (71-67) and then falling to UNLV (90-81).

Freshman Jason Crowe Jr., son of Missouri assistant coach Jason Crowe Sr., led the Tigers in the two exhibition games with 23.5 points and 5.5 assists. Bryson Tiller, a consensus top-100 recruit in 2025 and a Kansas transfer, was excellent on the glass (8.5 per game) and at blocking shots (2.5 per game). Mark Mitchell, the Tigers’ leading returnee, did yeomen’s work on the boards in these two games. Seniors Kennard Davis Jr. and Trent Pierce also had decent showings.

The Last Word on Missouri Tigers Enter Season Shorthanded

Missouri enters the season projected to finish between fifth and 10th in the SEC. The main reason for optimism is the Tigers are loaded with talent, with seven consensus top-100 recruits (from 2022-2025). And that doesn’t include Crowe Jr., who has been named to the Naismith Award watch list this preseason.

Missouri is slated to have a high-powered offense once again, finishing ranked 68th in offensive rating last year, with the Tigers led by several experienced scorers, including Mitchell and Davis. The Tigers also project to be versatile and very deep, with lots of length on the wings and upfront.

However, the Tigers do lose some of that length and depth with the suspension of Carey and the injury to 6-11 center Luke Northweather. Northweather, who is dealing with an undisclosed injury, averaged 12 minutes a game off the bench in 20 appearances.

As a result of Northweather and Carey missing time and Annor Boatang being ruled out for the season with a leg injury, there is uncertainty about the Tigers’ defense. While Gunn and Boatang will not play this season, Northweather will return to the court at some point, and Carey is likely to as well, though there is no established timetable. Northweather saw five minutes against Kansas State, though he had just 23 seconds against UNLV before suffering the injury.

Gates said Jaylen Carey was suspended indefinitely for violating team rules and that Luke Northweather will miss the start of the season with an injury. Jamier Jones is good to go vs Cleveland State

— Colin Simmons (@CSimmonsSports) November 2, 2026

On the plus side, Jamier Jones has been cleared to play. Jones had a solid freshman season at Providence and played well off the bench in the exhibition against K-State. But he sat out the game versus UNLV.

As Norlander stated, Gunn is done with college basketball. However, while Gunn can’t get selected in the G-League draft (as it is over), he can still sign with a G-League team as a free agent.