T.O. Barrett Signs with Men’s Basketball

The Missouri men’s basketball team added a top versatile guard as its second member of the No. 2 Class of 2023 on Wednesday with T.O. Barrett (Edmond, Okla.) officially joining the Tigers by inking his National Letter of Intent.

A proven winner throughout his high school career, Barrett ranks as high as the No. 88 recruit in the nation by 247 Sports. Barrett is coming off a season where he led Edmond North High School to its second-straight Oklahoma State title, winning the championship at the 6A level.

“T.O. is a player that really fits in our program well,” said Whiten Family Men’s Basketball Head Coach Dennis Gates. “He embodies our eight core values and is an ultra-competitor who is a proven winner in his career. He has great size for his position plus a tremendous basketball IQ with elite decision-making skills and versatility.”

A 6-foot-5 guard, Barrett keyed the Huskies to their second-straight crown last season with 15.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. Named to The Oklahoman Super 5 Second Team and a first-team all-state honoree at the 6A level, he led Edmond North in the title game with 17 points and three steals.

Now playing for Link Academy in Branson, Missouri, Barrett averaged 9.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists for MOKAN Elite as part of the Nike EYBL circuit, helping the team advance to the Peach Jam Tournament.

“T.O. is a tough and physical guard with good size and athleticism,” said Link Academy head coach Bill Armstrong. “He’s an extremely hard worker who is going to give everything he’s got every day. He is a lockdown defender who can guard multiple positions and rebounds extremely well.

“T.O. is a valuable member of our program through the mature approach he brings to every workout, every practice and every game. His effort and attitude are second to none. He’s an ultimate team player who is going to help us win a lot of games and put us in a position to defend our National Championship. We are all excited about the opportunity T.O. has to move on and play for our in-state university. We feel he will bring his winning ways to the Tigers and become an ambassador for both Link Academy and Mizzou!”

Barrett joins Peyton Marshall as the second signee of Mizzou’s second-ranked class in the nation – the highest-ranked class in school history. The duo is joining a program that won 25 games and its first NCAA Tournament victory in 13 years during Gates’ first season leading the Tigers in 2022-23.