Indiana's non-conference schedule for the upcoming 2026-27 college basketball season includes a matchup against the Missouri Tigers on December 18. The Tigers won 20 games and were a No. 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament last season, and they are garnering plenty of hype this offseason.
That hype continued to build this week when it was reported that head coach Dennis Gates is positioned to add yet another 5th-year player to his roster. After bringing back star forward Mark Mitchell, Missouri is now set to add CJ Gunn via the transfer portal. With both Mitchell and Gunn in the mix, Indiana's meeting with Missouri in December just got a whole lot tougher.
Former Hoosier CJ Gunn transfers to Missouri, will face Indiana this season
Hoosier fans know Gunn well, as he spent two seasons at Indiana to begin his collegiate career. He put forth a standout career at Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis, and was part of Indiana's 2022 recruiting class.
During his time in Bloomington, Gunn appeared in 49 games (all off the bench) under head coach Mark Woodson. He averaged 3.1 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game while playing 10.7 minutes per contest. Gunn transferred to DePaul after the 2023-24 season, and saw a bigger role with the Blue Demons. Over two seasons there, he appeared in 64 games with 44 starts and averaged a steady 13.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game.
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Following his collegiate career, Gunn participated in pre-draft workouts with the Pacers and Warriors but ultimately went undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft. He signed with the Calgary Surge of the CBA, and appeared in two games before being released.
So how exactly is Gunn eligible to return to the college ranks? Well, that whole situation remains a giant mess and still has some doubt. According to 247Sports, Gunn is currently a plaintiff in a Dallas County lawsuit in Texas where he was granted a temporary restraining order to enter the transfer portal on August 27. He played four seasons in four years, and never signed an NBA contract and never appeared in an NBA Summer League game, which helps his case toward gaining eligibility.
Gunn's situation is the latest in a long-running series of chaotic events when it comes to eligibility for the upcoming 2026-27 season. Court battles across the country have led to non-stop confusion, and the NCAA seems to have little clarity surrounding eligibility right now. So while it's not 100% set in stone that Gunn will be on the roster, it certainly seems to be in the works.
The late roster additions of Mitchell and Gunn make Mizzou even more dangerous heading into the new season. Mitchell was among the SEC's best players last season, as he averaged 18.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. For his efforts, he earned Second Team All-SEC honors. After such a strong season, Mitchell is primed to be among the conferences best players once again in 2026-27. Gunn coming back also creates more problems for Darian DeVries and company.
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