247 Sports analyst Travis Branham puts in a crystal ball prediction for the Tigers.
The recruitment race for 5-star guard Jason Crowe Jr. took a major twist recently.
On Tuesday, 247 Sports basketball analyst Travis Branham logged a crystal ball prediction in favor of Missouri with a confidence level of 7 out of 10. It’s the strongest indicator yet that the Tigers may be pulling ahead in the battle for the No. 6 overall prospect in the 2026 class.
This comes just two days after On3’s Joe Tipton indicated that Missouri had taken the lead in Crowe’s recruitment.
Tipton, who first reported on July 4 that Crowe would make his commitment on July 18, noted a shift in momentum toward the Tigers. Prior to that update, many believed the Kentucky Wildcats held the edge thanks to Crowe’s strong relationship with assistant coach Jason Hart, who recently joined Mark Pope’s staff.
However, Missouri’s momentum seems to be growing, potentially leaving Kentucky in search of other backcourt options in the class of 2026.
Crowe, a 6-foot-3 dynamic scorer from Inglewood High School (CA), has kept his recruitment fairly quiet, without an official list of finalists. Programs like Kentucky, Missouri, USC, Texas, Baylor, UCLA, and Alabama have all offered.
With just 10 days to go until his decision, Missouri appears to be in the driver’s seat, but in the wild world of recruiting, things can change fast.
Kentucky fans, meanwhile, remain hopeful that Hart’s long-standing connection with Crowe can still pay off, but it’s clear that the Cats are no longer favored to win this recruiting battle.