Missouri Loses Two Key Players Just Before Season Opener

Missouri’s CJ Gunn has been ruled ineligible by the SEC.

Tigers starting center Jaylen Carey has been suspended indefinitely.

Both decisions came down less than 48 hours before Missouri’s season opener Tuesday night against Cleveland State.

Coach Dennis Gates confirmed the developments to CBS Sports on Monday.

Gunn’s case had been under dispute for weeks.

The SEC ruled him ineligible after he received $524 for playing three games in the Canadian Elite Basketball League in May.

Gunn signed a professional contract after enrolling in college.

That is the trigger under the SEC’s new rule.

The league passed the rule this summer.

It bars any basketball or football player from returning to the SEC if they signed a pro contract after enrolling.

Gunn is a four-year player.

He spent his last two seasons at DePaul before transferring to Missouri.

Gunn had to pay back the $524, Gates said.

The league’s decision came to a head on Monday as Missouri’s deadline to formally submit its roster to the SEC approached.

No appeal is available.

Gunn is also not eligible to be drafted into the G League.

The G League draft was held in October.

The SEC’s ruling was finalized too late for Gunn to enter it.

Gunn was not expected to start for Missouri.

He was expected to be a depth piece on a team with Top 25 ambitions.

The SEC’s ruling on Gunn came down to his “post-enrollment” status.

That is the same standard the league applied to LSU’s RJ Luis.

Luis left college after 2025 and tried to play one final season for coach Will Wade.

The SEC denied him under the same rule.

Gunn’s situation is notably different from Luis’s.

But the SEC held firm on its stance.

The league likely did so not just because of the rule itself, but to reinforce a message to LSU.

If Gunn were given an exception, LSU would have understandably tried to do the same.

That could have brought yet another lawsuit in the process.

The Gunn news was not the only roster problem Missouri faced.

Projected starting big man Jaylen Carey is indefinitely suspended.

Gates told CBS Sports that Carey’s violation would not jeopardize his standing with the team.

The sit-out is not expected to be long.

But it is unclear if Carey will be able to return in time for Friday’s game against Saint Louis.

That matchup is one of the week’s most anticipated nonconference games.

Missouri will open its season Tuesday against Cleveland State without Gunn.

Carey’s status for the Saint Louis game remains unresolved.

The SEC’s firm interpretation of its eligibility rule cost Missouri a useful reserve.

Carey’s absence could further test the Tigers’ frontcourt depth.

The SEC rule was passed in the summer of 2026.

It applies to both basketball and football players.

The rule states that any player who signs a professional contract after enrolling in college cannot return to play in the SEC.

This includes contracts with leagues like the Canadian Elite Basketball League.

The rule was designed to prevent players from testing the professional market mid-career and then returning to college competition.

Gunn’s case is a direct application of that policy.

He signed a pro deal, played three games, and received a small payment.

The league determined that this made him ineligible, regardless of the amount.

The $524 figure is notable because it is far below what most professional contracts pay.

Gunn had to repay the money, but the ruling still stood.

The timing of the decision — less than two days before the opener — left Missouri scrambling.

Gates received word from the league office on Monday.

Missouri’s roster submission deadline to the SEC was Monday evening.

The ruling came just before that deadline.

Gunn’s college career is now effectively over.

He cannot play in the SEC, and he missed the G League draft.

His options for professional basketball this season are limited.

Carey’s situation is different but equally disruptive.

He was projected to start at center for Missouri.

His suspension is indefinite, meaning there is no set return date.

Gates has said the suspension is not expected to be long.

But he has not specified what Carey did to trigger the suspension.

The university has not released additional details.

Carey’s absence leaves a hole in Missouri’s frontcourt.

The Tigers will rely on other big men to fill the gap against Cleveland State.

Cleveland State is not a marquee opponent, but Missouri cannot afford to overlook any game.

The Tigers have Top 25 aspirations this season.

Losing two players before the first game is a setback.

The Saint Louis game on Friday is a much bigger test.

Saint Louis is a strong nonconference opponent.

If Carey cannot play, Missouri’s frontcourt depth will be severely tested.

The SEC’s ruling on Gunn has broader implications.