Most of y'all probably won't care but I've rewatched the game and have some takeaways (I worked for Mizzou as a manager for 4 years so hopefully that comes with some slight credibility)
Sean East: Looks a LOT more confident. It wasn't even just that his shot was falling. Last season once he'd beaten his man he'd fade more away from the basket a shoot a floater. He was absorbing contact and going through guys to get to the rim in this game. Very encouraging to see.
Nick Honor: Turned the ball over more than you'd like and they weren't very good turnovers either. Forced the ball in some situations but not something I'm concerned about. Loved his aggressiveness trying to score the ball and he's clearly a weapon.
Caleb Grill: This guy is just the kind of guy you want on your team. Even when his shot isn't falling he's skying for rebounds, helping others get open, and making smart decisions. Never was forcing his shot and let the game come to him. I'm not concerned that he was 1-6 from three because his shots were straight on but just short.
Tamar Bates: This kid has a chance to be special. I was most impressed with how fluid his game is. He's a lefty but is very clearly comfortable with his right hand and you could tell there's been some confidence instilled into him. He's a gamer.
Noah Carter: Felt like a relatively quiet game but it's clear he's a stabilizing force for this team. Just a really intelligent player who searches out the matchup he wants and if he doesn't get it, knows not to force anything.
Aidan Shaw: Difference maker. This kid answered the call on Monday night. He was extremely aggressive going for rebounds, was creating extra possessions, and his timing on blocked shots looked a lot better than last year. I'd love to see if his offensive game took a leap but it's still too early to tell. He didn't force anything (common theme with this team) and let the game come to him.
Zeus Carralero: A little disappointed we didn't see more of him. It was fun watching him probe from elbow to elbow while everyone else moved off the ball to get open. He was making some impressive skip passes and seems to have a really good feel for the game. Also moves his feet well on defense when he was switched onto guards.
Kaleb Brown: Yikes. He had a couple of nice passes and they clearly want to use him a bit like they do Zeus as they kept getting him the ball around the high post and moved guys off the ball but he clearly lacks some confidence. The sequence where he was dropped defensively and then fouled a three point shooter for a four point play was really telling and I doubt we so much of him going forward because I believe Tonje will start playing tomorrow (just a hunch).
The Freshmen: Anthony Robinson looked pretty comfortable out there. Needs to work on his defense a bit as he got blown by a couple times but you can tell the pieces are there to work with. Trent Pierce was a tad disappointing but it was his first game and I think he looked a bit nervous. Had a nice blocked shot and he handles the ball well so I'd like to see some more confidence from him. Jordan Butler looks like a stud. Unlike Pierce, he looked very confident out there and played clean defense. I think he will have to step up a bit against Memphis since we're missing Vanover so we'll see if he's up to the task.
Let me know if anyone wants this to be a regular thing. I'm just a dude who happened to be in and around Mizzou basketball every day for four years so I hope I learned a thing or two.
Sean East: Looks a LOT more confident. It wasn't even just that his shot was falling. Last season once he'd beaten his man he'd fade more away from the basket a shoot a floater. He was absorbing contact and going through guys to get to the rim in this game. Very encouraging to see.
Nick Honor: Turned the ball over more than you'd like and they weren't very good turnovers either. Forced the ball in some situations but not something I'm concerned about. Loved his aggressiveness trying to score the ball and he's clearly a weapon.
Caleb Grill: This guy is just the kind of guy you want on your team. Even when his shot isn't falling he's skying for rebounds, helping others get open, and making smart decisions. Never was forcing his shot and let the game come to him. I'm not concerned that he was 1-6 from three because his shots were straight on but just short.
Tamar Bates: This kid has a chance to be special. I was most impressed with how fluid his game is. He's a lefty but is very clearly comfortable with his right hand and you could tell there's been some confidence instilled into him. He's a gamer.
Noah Carter: Felt like a relatively quiet game but it's clear he's a stabilizing force for this team. Just a really intelligent player who searches out the matchup he wants and if he doesn't get it, knows not to force anything.
Aidan Shaw: Difference maker. This kid answered the call on Monday night. He was extremely aggressive going for rebounds, was creating extra possessions, and his timing on blocked shots looked a lot better than last year. I'd love to see if his offensive game took a leap but it's still too early to tell. He didn't force anything (common theme with this team) and let the game come to him.
Zeus Carralero: A little disappointed we didn't see more of him. It was fun watching him probe from elbow to elbow while everyone else moved off the ball to get open. He was making some impressive skip passes and seems to have a really good feel for the game. Also moves his feet well on defense when he was switched onto guards.
Kaleb Brown: Yikes. He had a couple of nice passes and they clearly want to use him a bit like they do Zeus as they kept getting him the ball around the high post and moved guys off the ball but he clearly lacks some confidence. The sequence where he was dropped defensively and then fouled a three point shooter for a four point play was really telling and I doubt we so much of him going forward because I believe Tonje will start playing tomorrow (just a hunch).
The Freshmen: Anthony Robinson looked pretty comfortable out there. Needs to work on his defense a bit as he got blown by a couple times but you can tell the pieces are there to work with. Trent Pierce was a tad disappointing but it was his first game and I think he looked a bit nervous. Had a nice blocked shot and he handles the ball well so I'd like to see some more confidence from him. Jordan Butler looks like a stud. Unlike Pierce, he looked very confident out there and played clean defense. I think he will have to step up a bit against Memphis since we're missing Vanover so we'll see if he's up to the task.
Let me know if anyone wants this to be a regular thing. I'm just a dude who happened to be in and around Mizzou basketball every day for four years so I hope I learned a thing or two.
