Missouri basketball gets its big. Here's how Connor Vanover can help the Tigers

Missouri basketball head coach Dennis Gates has his big man. Former Oral Roberts center Connor Vanover announced Sunday evening that he is committed to MU out of the transfer portal.

The seven-foot, five-inch Vanover began his career at Cal before transferring to Arkansas before ORU. He started 34 games for the Golden Eagles last season.

How Connor Vanover helps Missouri Basketball

Vanover gives Gates his long-awaited experienced big, something the Tigers were sorely lacking throughout last season. Kobe Brown had to handle much of the rebounding load for Missouri before Mohamed Diarra came on toward the end of the season.

The new addition won’t be among the biggest players in the SEC, weighing in at 227 pounds. However, he adds an element of height that the Tigers simply didn’t have during the 2022-23 season.

Vanover averaged 7.2 rebounds per game for the Golden Eagles, along with 3.2 blocks per game at the other end. His rebounding high came against Western Illinois, when he grabbed 14 boards.

Gates has also made clear that any portal additions were going to have to fit into the system he prefers, featuring strong defense and an emphasis on shooting the three. Vanover has proven himself willing to take those shots, especially for someone of his height, making 32.4% of his 142 attempts from beyond the arc last season.

His willingness to take some of those shots could help space out the floor for the Tigers, further helping the cause against some of the SEC’s elite bigs.

Vanover made 51.7% of his total field goal attempts in 2022-23, the best percentage of his career. Last season was his first with the Golden Eagles after playing the previous two in Fayetteville.

He joins the Tigers with that SEC experience from his time with the Razorbacks. He averaged 16.7 minutes per game his first season with Arkansas, before taking the court in just 15 in 2021-22 and leaving after the season.

Coming out of high school at Findlay Prep in Nevada, Vanover was a three-star prospect according to 247Sports and started his career at Dennis Gates’ alma mater in Berkeley. He was also rated as a three-star portal prospect by 247.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Connor Vanover transfer to Missouri basketball from Oral Roberts