COLUMBIA, Mo. — As the college basketball transfer portal reaches its swell, Missouri got its second pickup of the offseason at a position of need.
Former Iowa guard Tony Perkins has committed to Mizzou as a transfer, he announced Monday morning on his Instagram. He’s expected to have one year of eligibility to use with the Tigers.
As an experienced ballhandler, Perkins could serve as an important replacement for MU’s two outgoing point guards, Sean East II and Nick Honor, or slot alongside a different point guard.
Perkins picked Missouri over the likes of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Indiana and Oregon. He is from Indianapolis.
With the Hawkeyes, he appeared in 126 games across four seasons. This season, he averaged 14 points per game with 4.6 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals.
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The latter stat is particularly important, as Perkins stands out on the defensive end of the floor. Conversely, he does have some limitations as a shooter. He finished under 30% from 3-point range in the recent season, a bit below his career mark. As most players are, he was a better 3-point shooter when in off-ball catch-and-shoot situations, converting 36% of those looks.
A 39% clip for off-the-bounce midrange jumpers sank some of his overall efficiency. He does have familiarity running the pick and roll and seems to be comfortable getting out quickly in transition.
Mizzou already added wing Jacob Crews this offseason.
He and Perkins fit into MU coach Dennis Gates’ four-pronged plan for this transfer portal cycle, a vital one given the 19 consecutive losses that closed out the Tigers’ 2023-24 season.
“The other pieces of the puzzle that we have to attack is obviously point guard play, when we look at Nick Honor, Sean East’s departure,†Gates said.
While Perkins could be the Mizzou player most frequently tasked with bringing the ball up the floor, he might not be the only backcourt option.
Northern Kentucky transfer Marques Warrick, who will be entering his fifth and final season of college basketball, visited MU over the weekend. He’s another multitalented guard who has largely played off the ball, getting most of his looks in transition or spot-up situations.
More likely, though, Warrick — who averaged 19.9 points per game last season — would fit the profile of a different guard spot Gates wants to leverage.
“The other part, I think, is more of a combo guard,†Gates said, “meaning guys that can really get it off the bounce and score.â€
Warrick is in the upper range of guards who can finish reliably at the rim, and his jumper is passable, though his 3-point shooting percentage dipped during his most recent season with Northern Kentucky.
On to the next position.
“You look at our size, meaning big wings, guys that can, with the athleticism, be two-way guys but also be guys that played at a high level,†Gates said, detailing a “hybrid forward spot with more perimeter orientation and things like that.â€
That’s where Crews already slots in. At 6 feet 8, he told the Post-Dispatch he feels comfortable deploying guard skills on the perimeter and using his size to find mismatches closer to the basket as well.
With Tennessee-Martin last season, Crews shot 41.4% from 3-point range, lending credence to the idea that Mizzou will have a wing that brings both size and shooting to the edges of the offense next season.
“And then low post play,†Gates continued. “We still need to throw that ball to a veteran (with his) back to the basket and continue to build on that.â€
That position remains a work in progress for the Tigers. Former Chaminade and Michigan big man Tarris Reed Jr. visited back-to-back national champion Connecticut over the weekend, a tough program for Mizzou, which finished last in the Southeastern Conference, to compete with — even if MU is his home-state school.
Jevon Porter seems to be the likely first frontcourt addition for Missouri. He averaged 16.2 points with 5.9 rebounds and roughly a block per game last season at Pepperdine. He has stood out as an offensive rebounder, grabbing 9.1% of available boards on that end of the floor and scoring reliably on putbacks.
Mizzou has a recruiting advantage with Porter, who is the younger brother of Michael Porter Jr. and Jontay Porter — part of a family connected at many levels to MU and the Columbia hoops scene.
The transfers of Warrick and Porter aren’t locked in, though, so Gates still has work to do when it comes to securing the portal class he wants this offseason.
“Now, you never get every single piece that you want,†Gates said. “You never get that. But if we can get 85% of the stuff that I just explained to you, I really do think we’ll have a great team next year.â€