T.O. Barrett is moving on, and Mizzou’s backcourt is suddenly looking a little barren.
Barrett, who was Missouri basketball’s starting point guard for most of last season, confirmed Monday via a post to his personal Instagram account that he intends to enter the transfer portal when it opens at midnight Tuesday.
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Barrett was the last remaining returning guard with playing experience on the Mizzou roster, as fellow point guard Anthony Robinson II and combo guard Sebastian Mack each previously announced that they will enter the portal.
Now, the only returning backcourt that the Tigers have on the 2026-27 roster is local product Aaron Rowe, who redshirted last season without seeing any game action. Of course, Mizzou also has incoming freshman and five-star guard Jason Crowe Jr., who is a top-10 national prospect.
Barrett, listed at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, took over for Robinson as the Tigers’ starting and primary point guard on Jan. 24. The Oklahoma City native made significant progress in his sophomore season and had some highly encouraging early returns in his increased role, including a fabulous career-high 28 points in a win over Tennessee.
But his high-speed, aggressive approach to running the point led to inconsistent performances and mistakes. He was often turnover prone, struggled to score the basketball away from the rim and had several no-show performances in the final few games of the Tigers’ season.
Barrett played 52 games for Missouri over two seasons. As a sophomore, he averaged 8.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.1 turnovers per game.
His decision to leave changes the math on Mizzou’s portal window.
Guard, all of a sudden, has become a massive priority for Dennis Gates and his staff for next season.
Crowe can run the point and, with Robinson and Barrett now both leaving, that seems like an increasingly likely outcome for the Tigers next season.
Still, Mizzou almost certainly will chase a player who can take on some ball-handling duties and another backcourt player who operates in more of an off-ball role.
Missouri, depending on a medical hardship waiver decision for Jevon Porter, likely will have six spots available to use in the transfer portal and remain below the NCAA’s 15-player roster limit.
Filling needs in the frontcourt remains a priority for Missouri, but depth has suddenly taken a massive hit ahead of the portal opening.
The transfer portal officially opens Tuesday, April 7 and will remain open through April 22. Teams can still sign players who have entered the portal after the April 22 entry deadline.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Mizzou basketball point guard T.O. Barrett will enter transfer portal