Kaleb Brown almost left Missouri basketball. The Huntsville native entered the portal during the offseason, looking for a place where he could find more time on the court.

.He looked around, surveyed the options. He even posted a picture on a visit to Texas-San Antonio.

Then, he rejoined the Tigers.

“He had a reflection,” MU head coach Dennis Gates said at SEC media days in October. “He sat there, looked in the mirror, with open arms our staff, our program received him back.”

Brown was Alabama’s 5A player of the year in 2021, playing for his father, Greg Brown, at Lee. He helped lead the Generals to a state championship that same year.

When it came time to pick a college, he followed his brother Kobe, now with the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers, to Missouri, playing for then-head coach Cuonzo Martin. He and Kobe stuck around through the transition to Gates before last season.

Missouri went on a run in Gates’ first season, surprising everyone except those inside the organization, finishing fourth in the SEC and making it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. After the season, Kobe Brown got picked in the first round, while Kaleb entered the portal.

The 2022-23 campaign had seen Kaleb pick up frequent DNPs. He finished with 11 appearances, down from 27 his freshman season, and nine points.

It made sense that he would look around.

“Kaleb Brown’s senior year was the COVID year in high school,” Gates said. “His freshman year was post-COVID year, which is two transitions that caused difficulty in getting your feet underneath you in a moment where you’re in a new environment. Obviously he went through a coaching change. Those three events happened”

But he’s back now. The Tigers open the season Monday against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Gates has singled out Brown as one of their most improved players.

He’s lost a bit of weight, dropping from 250 on last year’s roster to 245 for 2023-24. According to his teammates, he’s been working on improving himself all-around.

“He’s changed his body,” MU guard Sean East said at media days. “He’s changed his mindset. He’s gotten better. He’s been in the gym every day and he’s become more of a leader, and it’s just been a beautiful thing to see.”

The 6-foot-7 Brown has been shooting the ball better. According to Gates, he’s improved his assist-to-turnover ratio in practice, one of the MU coach’s favorite stats.

“He’s been playing really good basketball,” Missouri forward Noah Carter said. “Facilitating the ball really well, he’s been shooting the ball really well.”

In his limited action last season, Brown showed off the ability to defend, something both his coach and teammates emphasized has further improved during the offseason.

After losing his brother, along with a plethora of contributors, including D’Moi Hodge, Tre Gomillion, DeAndre Gholston and more, Missouri was only too happy to welcome Brown back into the fold when he decided to bring his portal sojourn to an end.

“When he had a nurturing coaching staff, nurturing moment, people that’s going to tell him the truth, his teammates, all others, you see a kid that went through a process,” Gates said. “But now on the other side of it, you see more maturity on and off the court. You see someone with great time management skills, someone that cares, that is a year older in a system and program.”

Missouri has a large roster this year, and Brown’s role could largely be determined on how far he has come during the offseason. But he’s entering the season “10 toes down” with the Tigers, in the words of Noah Carter, and looking to make an impact.

“I’ve seen a great basketball player, but also a great person continue to evolve,” Gates said. “Maturation. Maturation, I saw a kid get through a COVID senior year, a COVID return year, a coaching change. I’ve seen that take place. Maturation is what stands out the most. I see that in detail in his basketball game.”

Missouri and Arkansas-Pine Bluff are scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. CT Monday at Mizzou Arena. The game will be aired on SEC Network+.