Sophomore Missouri guard will miss the rest of the season due to a left leg injury, the program announced. Boateng was injured in a Jan. 31 game against Mississippi State, where he fell and had to be taken off the court by medical staff.
The team also confirmed that Boateng underwent surgery.
The incident was a frightening one. As Boateng went up for a powerful dunk attempt, he lost his footing and fell hard backward, remaining on the floor for several moments. The scene was unsettling for everyone in the building, from players and coaches to the fans in attendance.
“I don’t think it (Boateng’s injury) slowed us down,” guard T.O. Barrett said following Boateng’s injury and the win. “I know me personally, kind of messed me a little bit mentally, just seeing my brother go down like that and you can see the pain on his face. … But ultimately, we kept pushing through, we stayed together.”
This season, Boateng was averaging 2.7 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 0.3 steals per game, while playing 11.5 minutes per game. He was shooting 31.8 percent from the field, 25 percent from the three-point line and 50 percent from the free-throw line. He’d made 15 appearances for the Tigers and started four games.
Boateng had faced some injury issues to start the 2025 season and did not make his first game appearance until Nov. 20 against South Dakota. His two best outings of the season came against South Carolina State and Cleveland State, where he scored 12 and 10 points, respectively.
For a four-game stint, Boateng was inserted into the starting lineup. That was short-lived after Missouri lost 91-48 to Illinois and Boateng finished with only one point in 15 minutes while going 0-for-5 from the field. Dennis Gates was actively looking for more from Boateng, though his minutes were decreasing as SEC play progressed.
“There’s different guys that I need to step up, Annor Boateng being one of them,” Gates said in a virtual press conference shortly after Boateng was removed from the starting lineup. “Ultimately, I just believe he is a difference-maker for us, as long as he’s using his instincts and not trying to be perfect. Sometimes, kids just try to be too perfect and Annor Boateng has been trying to be too perfect.
With Boateng out for the season, look for a potential boost in minutes for Sebastian Mack. Other than that, the main rotation of guards will likely see the court for extended periods of time.
Missouri takes the floor next at noon on Saturday, Feb. 7 to play the 11-12 South Carolina Gamecocks in Columbia, South Carolina.
