On a Tuesday afternoon at Tolton High School, the Mizzou men’s basketball team scored a significant win with the commitment of Aaron Rowe, a consensus four-star point guard from the class of 2025. The Columbia native, considered the first recruit for MU coach Dennis Gates’ 2025 class, announced his commitment during a live ceremony.
Rowe’s talent is widely recognized, as major recruiting services consistently place him among the top prospects in his class. Rivals and On3 rank him as the 25th player nationally, while 247Sports rates him as the 20th prospect, and ESPN places him at No. 19 overall.
Despite stiff competition, Mizzou successfully secured Rowe’s verbal commitment. Kansas State and Tennessee were formidable contenders in the race for the promising point guard, who had narrowed his options down to three schools.
Rowe’s journey has been notable, having recently returned to Tolton after a season at Link Academy. During the 2021-22 campaign, he started for the Trailblazers, contributing to their Class 4 state championship appearance. Subsequently, he transferred to a Branson-based school, where he clinched a national high school championship in 2023. Now back at Tolton, Rowe is anticipated to rejoin the Trailblazers by January 10.
The commitment comes at a crucial time for Mizzou, which is set to lose point guards Nick Honor and Sean East II due to their final year of eligibility. True freshman Anthony Robinson II has been stepping up for the team in the early games of the season.
Coach Gates and his staff have been making waves on the recruiting front, securing one of the best classes in the program’s history for 2024. The class includes talents like four-star point guard T.O. Barrett, who, coincidentally, also attended Link Academy.
The 2025 class is off to an impressive start, with Rowe’s commitment adding further strength. According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, he holds the fourth spot among point guards in his class, trailing only five-star combo guard Jasper Johnson, another Link product who visited MU in November, for the top spot in the state.
