Blue Springs’ Kevin Puryear is a ‘starter’ off the bench for Mizzou

The challenges from Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin to Kevin Puryear never stop.

Martin wanted to “relax” Puryear by bringing him off the bench for the last three games — but he said Puryear must still act like a starter. Puryear must still want to be a starter.

Even when Puryear had his best game yet coming off the bench this season — 12 points and a season-high 10 rebounds in Mizzou’s 59-55 win over No. 21 Tennessee on Wednesday — Martin had an immediate teaching point. Puryear had leaped toward a Volunteer making a desperation heave before the game finished, and his coach wasn’t happy.

“Kevin, you jumped at that shot,” Martin recalled saying to Puryear just after the win. “We were up four. What if he had made it and you had fouled him?”

This was the third game in a row that Martin started freshman Jontay Porter over Puryear. Martin won’t commit to keeping his lineups this way, but the move has worked.

After an 11-for-34 shooting stretch over six games, Puryear has made a solid 6 of 11 shots from the field in the last three games coming off the bench. More impressive: He has converted all 17 of his free-throw attempts during five conference games, including two crucial ones with seconds remaining against Tennessee to seal the win.

“I have a tremendous amount of trust in coach Martin and what he wants,” Puryear said. “But my job is to just go in there and play as hard as I can play.”

After Missouri’s slow start Wednesday, the junior from Blue Springs scored six points during a 11-4 run midway through the first half. He spun into a layup that tied the game at 21-21 with around 6 minutes left in the first half.

He recorded his first double-double of the season against the Volunteers to help snap Mizzou’s 19-game losing streak against ranked teams.

“Whether he’s starting or not, he’s a starter and a key player,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said. “We felt coming in he was a key guy. … We were right.”

Puryear’s 10th rebound was the one the hard-nosed Martin will like the most when he looks at the film. A few minutes into the second half, Puryear hustled to a corner and saved the ball from going out of bounds. Missouri quickly turned it into a Jordan Barnett three at the other end, the Tigers’ first three-pointer of the evening.

After the three, Puryear ran down the court with his arms extended to his sides, like he was gliding.

Puryear said before this season that he welcomed Missouri’s heralded newcomers, who took attention away from him. He had enough of it during two seasons of losing while playing for Kim Anderson.

After games, the Blue Springs South grad often wore a hood over his head to dinners with his family.

Puryear has felt more relaxed coming off the bench during the Tigers’ last few games. But Martin, pushing Puryear for more, does not want the forward to be content. The coach never is.

This story was originally published January 18, 2018 at 1:02 AM with the headline "Blue Springs’ Kevin Puryear is a ‘starter’ off the bench for Mizzou."