Gates Gives Injury Update on Jayden Stone Before Crucial Illinois Game

Stone has missed the last six games with a hand injury.

Nov 9, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Jayden Stone (17) looks to pass around a defender during a game against the VMI Keydets at Mizzou Arena. | Amber Winkler/MissouriOnSI

ST. LOUIS — Jayden Stone asked Dennis Gates if he could play in Monday's matchup against No. 18 Illinois, but whether or not the trainers will clear the guard to play is another question.

"I got to get with the trainers and talk and see what we can or cannot do," Gates said of Stone's status when speaking to the media Sunday.

Stone has missed the last six games with a hand injury. The original timeline given for Stone had him se to return sometime between Dec. 16 and Dec. 23. His abscense has been felt by Missouri, especially offensively.


He's seemed to make some progress since Missouri's last game on Dec. 14, when he was seen wearing a hard cast. Sunday during a shoot around at the Enterprise Center, Stone was wearing a soft cast that he can take off.

Stone was not participating in the part of practice open to the media, but he was involved in a limited way earlier in the practice, according to Gates.

"Jayden did things today in practice, which was great to see," Gates said. "It's good to see him in drills, participating."

Stone averaged 13.3 points and 2.7 assists per game in his six appearances this season. In Missouri's two losses this season, the biggest problem for the Tigers was a lack of offensive options and poor shot selection.

Against Kansas, Missouri scored just seven points in a pivotal eight-minute stretch in the middle of the game. The Tigers shot 26% on 3-point shots in the game.

Missouri was in deep need of the kind of spark Stone can provide off the bench. He's shot 35.2% on 3-point shots on the season.

Having him return against a high-powered Illinois offense would be a huge plus for the Tigers.

If Stone can't return against the Fighting Illini, it seems like there's still optimism he'd be able to return when Missouri opens SEC play against the defending national champions, Florida, on Jan. 3.

"He's done a great job keeping up with his conditioning," Gates said of Stone. "He's done a tremendous job making sure he's watching film, leading and doing different things like that. ... Now he's not in the cast that's binded to him, so he takes it off and it shoots."

The next step for Stone and the training staff, according to Gates, is to determine if Stone's hand would be ready for the physicality and contact required in a game.

Missouri will take on Illinois in St. Louis for the annual Braggin' Rights game at 7 p.m. Monday. The game will be broadcast on FS1.