Dennis Gates Evaluates Commit Jason Crowe Jr., Explains Relationship

Crowe Jr. will play in the Norm Stewart Classic at Mizzou Arena on Saturday night.

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 | Katie Goodale / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Missouri commit Jason Crowe Jr. will play in his first game in Columbia, Missouri, Saturday night in the Norm Stewart Classic. Crowe's Inglewood team playing against Principia at 8:30 p.m. at Mizzou Arena.

Crowe is the second-highest rated commit in program history, only behind Michael Porter Jr. He's expected to only play one year with Missouri before declaring for the NBA draft, but has the potential to elevate the program in that one year.

He'll be chasing history in his Mizzou Arena debut, as he's currently just 71 points away from breaking the California state record for most points in a high school career. He's scored 50 points in each of his last two games.

"People look at what he has to do for his high school team to win, and think that's all he can do," Missouri coach Dennis Gates said of Crowe in a press conference. "He can do more than score. He can pass his behind off. He sees the game a different way."

Part of that different vision Crowe Jr. plays with comes from his father, Jason Crowe Sr., a longtime connection of Gates. Crowe Sr. was one of the final cuts for the Los Angeles Clippers' roster when Gates was an intern for the team.

"His dad is a basketball guy," Gates said of Crowe Sr., who had a 14-year professional playing career. "He's a basketball junkie."

Because of this connection, Crowe Sr. frequently watched Gates' Missouri teams. That connection made for an easy way for Gates to slide into the recruiting process. Gates also had an advantadge over other coaches by way of that established relationship.

"When you have that in a recruiting process, because there are similarities, it's like you don't even talk about Missouri (basketball)," Gates said of his early conversations with Crowe Sr. "We just talk and reconnect. You have to understand to pass along your son, your child, to a coach when you were the one that put the ball in his hand at the early age, and that's who he has been coached by. That is a detailed transition that you're not going to trust everybody with."

That made the step of building a relationship with Crowe Jr. himself even easier. Gates joked that he racked up thousands of flight points on his trips to California to watch Crowe Jr. play and practice. He saw Crowe Jr.'s daily routine, watching him put in work at 5 a.m. in the gym.

"They've (Crowe Jr.'s parents) done a great job of allowing me to get to know their son and have our own individual relationship, and I can't wait to coach him," Gates said. "I know what he brings to the table. I know what he brings to the team."

In addition to Crowe, the two other commits in Missouri's class of 2026 will also play in the Norm Stewart Classic on Saturday. Aidan Chronister's The New School team will take on Toni Bryant's Zephyrills Christian Academy squad at 7 p.m.

The double-showing of the three top-100 prospects will be the first glimpse for Columbia into what the trio could do together in the same building next year.

"It's tremendous to be able to have these guys here being supported by the fans that they'll be playing in front of," Gates said.