Mizzou Basketball forward Trent Pierce battled through an injury and didn't play in any of the Tigers' first 13 games. Still, he made impact as an off-court leader while sidelined and is averaging career-highs in his return, leading him to be named Missouri's third team captain.
Missouri basketball forward Trent Pierce was entering his third season with the Tigers looking to take a major leap.
The junior forward increased his points per game from 1.8 to 6.7 rebounds per game from 1.2 to 3.2 and all areas of shooting percentage by 12 or more marks between the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 seasons. He started 19 of his 33 games and flashed potential as a 6-foot-10 perimeter threat perfectly-crafted to be a modern forward.
Head coach Dennis Gates had high hopes for him after a promising offseason.
"Anthony Robinson II and Trent Pierce here as third-year recruits is important because they get to pass along your culture." Gates said. "You get to see their development."
Mar 19, 2025; Wichita, KS, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Trent Pierce (11) prepares to shoot the ball during a practice session at Intrust Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn ImagesBut Pierce's development laid on no public eyes, as he was glued to the bench for the team's first 13 games of the 2025-2026 season with a non-disclosed lower-leg injury. His name was withdrawn from the stat sheets for two months, and fans only saw Pierce donning street clothes at Mizzou Arena.
For those on an outside perspective, Pierce had not made an impact in his highly-anticipated junior season. He wasn't named a team captain despite being tied for the longest-tenured Tiger and had zeroes across the stat sheet.
But internally, Pierce was taking unprompted strides as a leader warranting an honor he would soon receive.
"I wanted him to focus on his growth, his mental, his emotional development while this injury was pulling him away from the team," Gates said. "He naturally still led, even without the title (of captain).
"I didn't have to say 'You're captain' for him to initiate team building opportunities, for him to invite guys to his apartment, dinner, meals, whatever it is, together."
Those are the qualities of a leader — or better phrased, a captain. Missouri already has two team captains in starting point guard Anthony Robinson II and leading scorer Mark Mitchell, but the Gates has named three team captains in previous years.
Jan 10, 2026; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Trent Pierce (11) shoots for three as Mississippi Rebels forward Corey Chest (1) defends during the first half at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn ImagesMissouri alum and current Denver Nugget Tamar Bates was the last to be named captain last season despite Jeremy Sanchez and Caleb Grill holding the title before him. Pierce now follows the trend, as Gates has named him a team captain.
"Trent was going to be a captain regardless,' Gates said. "I just delayed (the announcement) this year to allow him to focus on himself. And it paid dividends and allowed him to have the impact that he's having the first stretch of conference action."
Pierce's impact has been nothing short of massive. He's averaged 10.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game while maintaining 54.5 / 46.2 / 66.7 shooting splits, shattering his previous career-highs across the board in a newfound role.
That newfound role placed Pierce on the bench, yet playing a career-high 24.6 minutes of which he's made the most of. Pierce poured in 18 points including five triples off the bench against Auburn and put together an energetic 9-point performance on the road against LSU.
"Coming off the bench, I'm able to bring a spark, bring energy," Pierce said. "Sometimes offense might not be flowing, or we're not getting stops we need. And I feel like when I go in there, that's something I bring."
Jan 14, 2026; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Trent Pierce (11) leaps over Auburn Tigers forward Keyshawn Hall (7) during the second half of the game at Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn ImagesHe is playing the best basketball of his career at a crucial time for the Tigers, helping them to a 3-2 start in a brutal Southeastern Conference schedule. While Gates originally referred to Pierce as an "SEC starter" during interviews about his injury recovery, Pierce's role has been on the bench — yet he is still a starter in Gates' eyes.
"20-plus minutes are still starter minutes," Gates said. "And he's doing a great job of playing starter minutes. ... it's just a matter of his minutes going from 20-25, to 30, and he has to get in-game conditioning for that."
His role will continue to be important for the Tigers as their SEC schedule ramps up in difficulty. Missouri's 3-2 start in the conference is one of many factors proving that any team can both win or lose any game in the league — nothing is guaranteed.
"This league, thus far, it has been proven to be tough," Gates said. "Everyone thought at some point, when you look at the rankings, that there would be a top heavy team. This banner can go to anybody.
Pierce will play his first game as a publicly-announced captain Tuesday night as Missouri hosts No. 21 Georgia at 8 p.m.