-Yeah, it's kind of a wonder Mizzou was only down four at the end of the first half given the way the second half went. I don't have any positives.
-This was Tamar Bates' worst game in a long time. He was a no-show offensively and got lost on a defensive possession in a way I haven't seen happen to anyone else - running in circles, not knowing where the ball is and giving up a corner 3. In a game like this, he's usually the one who's fired up and trying to lead the charge. That fire wasn't there tonight. You knew it was bad when he started missing free throws. He's been a huge help for the team all season long. Tonight, he was a pretty big minus.
-The turnover margin got worse for the Tigers and on top of that, the team stopped trying to get back in transition D. Aidan Shaw and Connor Vanover were the only players who didn't cough the ball up. MSU had some fast breaks that looked like they were from an NBA All-Star game. This is a team that even last year's Mizzou team struggled to match up with because how physical MSU plays.
-I counted five times Mizzou had the ball in the paint and got it stripped from them. Teams typically shoot a good percentage on 2-pointers against MSU, but the Tigers were too weak with the ball to make anything happen there. A post scorer will be a position of need going into the offseason.
-I'm not saying they can't get better, but I haven't really seen enough from Jordan Butler and Ant Robinson to convince me either of them should be starters on next year's team. They have their moments on defense, but they've brought very little to the table on offense. I tend to think Butler's closer than Ant is. But keep in mind too, as I said on the podcast this week: they weren't supposed to be playing the minutes they're currently getting. They're having to get thrown into the fire, rather than brought along slowly, because the guys in front of them have underwhelmed in a major way.
-OK I lied, there is one positive: Despite the season going the way it has, I've been impressed with the crowds the team continues to draw. I think there are a lot of fan bases that would've checked out by now.
-If Sisyphus played basketball, he'd be on Mizzou's roster this year. It's gonna keep looking ugly until they get some guys healthy. Again, appreciate those of y'all still reading.
-This was Tamar Bates' worst game in a long time. He was a no-show offensively and got lost on a defensive possession in a way I haven't seen happen to anyone else - running in circles, not knowing where the ball is and giving up a corner 3. In a game like this, he's usually the one who's fired up and trying to lead the charge. That fire wasn't there tonight. You knew it was bad when he started missing free throws. He's been a huge help for the team all season long. Tonight, he was a pretty big minus.
-The turnover margin got worse for the Tigers and on top of that, the team stopped trying to get back in transition D. Aidan Shaw and Connor Vanover were the only players who didn't cough the ball up. MSU had some fast breaks that looked like they were from an NBA All-Star game. This is a team that even last year's Mizzou team struggled to match up with because how physical MSU plays.
-I counted five times Mizzou had the ball in the paint and got it stripped from them. Teams typically shoot a good percentage on 2-pointers against MSU, but the Tigers were too weak with the ball to make anything happen there. A post scorer will be a position of need going into the offseason.
-I'm not saying they can't get better, but I haven't really seen enough from Jordan Butler and Ant Robinson to convince me either of them should be starters on next year's team. They have their moments on defense, but they've brought very little to the table on offense. I tend to think Butler's closer than Ant is. But keep in mind too, as I said on the podcast this week: they weren't supposed to be playing the minutes they're currently getting. They're having to get thrown into the fire, rather than brought along slowly, because the guys in front of them have underwhelmed in a major way.
-OK I lied, there is one positive: Despite the season going the way it has, I've been impressed with the crowds the team continues to draw. I think there are a lot of fan bases that would've checked out by now.
-If Sisyphus played basketball, he'd be on Mizzou's roster this year. It's gonna keep looking ugly until they get some guys healthy. Again, appreciate those of y'all still reading.
