Top-five recruit Jason Crowe Jr. announced his commitment to Missouri on Friday, becoming the Tigers’ highest-ranked recruit in almost a decade.

Crowe never released an official school list, although Kentucky, USC, Texas and others were all in pursuit of the elite scoring guard.

“Since early July, I have felt a strong commitment to Missouri,” Crowe told ESPN. “And with today being my birthday, I thought it was the perfect moment to make it official.”

For most of the past few months, Kentucky and USC were believed to be the favorites for Crowe. Crowe’s father played with Kentucky assistant Jason Hart and the two remain friends, and USC made him a priority early in the cycle.

But Dennis Gates and the Tigers made a strong push over the past six weeks after offering Crowe a scholarship in June.

“Coach Gates is a phenomenal coach and person, and his staff are great people,” Crowe said. “Our first conversation happened during the USA tryouts. He was really genuine. We talked about family and connected on a meaningful level. Coach Gates is a family-first person. On the court, he’s high-energy and competitive.”

A 6-foot-3 prospect from Inglewood High School (California), Crowe is considered the No. 1 point guard in the 2026 class and is ranked No. 4 overall in the ESPN 100. He becomes Missouri’s highest-ranked commitment since Michael Porter Jr. picked the Tigers in the class of 2017.

Crowe leads the Nike EYBL in scoring, averaging 23.6 points in regular-season play — scoring more than 30 points on four separate occasions.

Crowe is perhaps the best scorer in the class. A left-handed scoring point guard, he thrives in transition. He has a balanced and controlled jumper, whether he’s shooting off the dribble or in catch-and-shoot situations. Crowe possesses an uncanny ability to blow past defenders and complements it with a quality midrange game and capable shooting from deep. He also converts well from the free throw line and gets there frequently.

His passing vision is noticeable off his penetration and his ball-screen reads are strong, even though he can get loose and casual with the ball at times.

Crowe is the first commitment in Missouri’s 2026 class, although the Tigers are also in pursuit of fellow five-star prospect Toni Bryant.

“The University of Missouri is a college town that takes great pride in its sports teams,” Crowe said. “Without an NBA team nearby, the focus is on school, basketball and being part of a close-knit community. I am excited to go there and be an impactful player.”