What Skylar Jones de-commitment means for Mizzou women's basketball

Missouri women's basketball took another hit Thursday when four-star point guard and ESPN top-100 recruit Skylar Jones announced she was de-committing from MU.

This comes a day after MU lost backup point guard Katlyn Gilbert to the transfer portal.

Now, Missouri's guard rotation is without depth and without a player to develop behind assumed starter Mama Dembele. Jones signed with Missouri last November.

Here's what Jones' de-commitment means for MU women's basketball.

Missouri's high-rated recruiting class takes a major hit

One of the biggest reasons for optimism with Pingeton this season was the recruiting class she had signed. It included Jones, as well as Jefferson City forward Hannah Linthacum, Grain Valley star Grace Slaughter and Quincy native Abby Schreake.

Slaughter and Jones were ranked in ESPN's top-100 recruit rankings, giving MU building blocks for the future. With Jones' de-commitment, MU's class loses some major luster.

Jones was billed as a player that could score on three levels, defend multiple positions, boast a high basketball IQ and was consistent at hitting from the foul line. She would have fit in well in lieu of Lauren Hansen who shot very well from the free throw line for MU.

That guard play would have rounded out MU's recruiting class with Slaughter's all-around offense, Linthacum's post play and Schreake's offensive abilities.

Instead, Missouri will have to move on without the promise that Jones had.

Mizzou is now without its point guard of the future

Mama Dembele is an athletic guard, but Jones had a higher ceiling.

Her presence gave MU a point guard for the future three years, and now that presence won't be at Missouri. Pingeton will need to find another prospect to fill that role.

Dembele is an upperclassman. She's a veteran that has been the Tigers' starter, but Jones' ceiling offered the promise of a player that would have solidified that point guard position for years to come. It stings even more considering how Gilbert's transfer leaves MU with only one true point guard on the roster.

Jones brought everything coaches look for in a future point guard. Missouri now has to find a piece that can play in its system beyond this season.

Pingeton's transfer portal task is now much bigger

Pingeton earned her first commitment of the offseason this week in Massachusetts' forward Angelique Ngalakulondi. It finally represented a step in the first direction for MU.

Missouri's job is now even harder.

The Tigers not only need to find a backup point guard, but they also need to find a player that can fit into their long-term future like Jones did. This is much easier said than done.

There aren't many four-star guards left to recruit, if any. The number of transfer portal guards who can play effectively in the SEC is also fleeting as the top players have begun to commit to the contending programs and the next tier of players have begun to sort out where they'd like to play.

Pingeton needs to find a shooter and point guard in the portal now. The portal closes on May 11. There will be more entrants into the portal, to be sure.

Missouri has to bank on more shooters and point guards being available by the time the portal closes.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: What Skylar Jones de-commitment means for Mizzou women's basketball