With Mizzou basketball whole, here’s how the Tigers can make noise in SEC this season
The three Missouri Tigers who tested the NBA Draft waters — Xavier Pinson, Jeremiah Tilmon and Mitchell Smith — had a unifying message to share last week:
Unfinished business.
Pinson teased it first on Instagram, the rising junior posting a reel that included the sentiment. Tilmon and Smith, both seniors-to-be, followed. By the end of the week, the three announced they were withdrawing from draft consideration to stay with coach Cuonzo Martin’s MU program.
“Coming back for my senior year, I want to finish school, finish strong, get my degree,” Tilmon said in a video. “We’ve got a good group of guys that’s coming in. We’ve got unfinished business.”
The trio’s return solidifies Mizzou’s spot as the SEC’s most experienced team — 11 of the Tigers’ 14 players are upperclassmen — and perhaps a dark-horse candidate. There’s plenty of experience and talent on the roster, but the Tigers’ success will likely come down to fit and health.
Tilmon leads a group of seniors that includes Mark Smith, Dru Smith and Mitchell Smith, along with Hawaii graduate transfer Drew Buggs. Pinson headlines a junior class of contributors alongside Javon Pickett, Torrence Watson and Ed Chang, a junior-college transfer. Kobe Brown and Parker Braun are sophomores.
“After going through this whole process, it’s been great for me,” Mitchell Smith said. “I’m just here to tell you guys I’m going to be back next year. … Next year, we got some stuff we need to get done.”
While the COVID-19 pandemic upended the NBA’s typical evaluation process, the trio was still able to get feedback from the pros in the process. While mock drafts didn’t project that they’d be selected in either of the draft’s two rounds, that process could be invaluable.
“I am thankful that despite the process being limited due to the pandemic, all three guys were able to receive key information that can help them in their respective futures,” Martin said in a statement released by the school. “We’re thrilled to have a deep, experienced squad back for what will be a very exciting season ahead.”
That season, of course, remains in doubt because of the pandemic, though any decision about whether, or when and how, it will be played is still likely weeks away. If the 2020-21 season is played as planned, Mizzou will face a daunting non-conference schedule that includes rivals and stout opponents.
The Tigers’ success will come down to whether they can stay healthy — and that especially applies to their best players.
While Martin has depth at wing and point guard, an injury to a major play-maker throws in wrench in his plans. That happened during Martin’s first year in Columbia, with Michael Porter Jr., and then with Jontay Porter the season after that. And Tilmon went down for about half the SEC schedule in 2019-20.
Mizzou will feature a wealth of ball-handling capability next season thanks to Pinson, Dru Smith and Buggs. All three have shown they can run the offense, so seeing how each fits will be interesting. Pinson plays an attacking style and the other two could complement that.
But Mizzou’s true wealth of depth is arguably on the wings. A mix of Mark Smith, Mitchell Smith, Watson, Pickett, Chang and Brown will all vie for playing time on the perimeter, switching based on matchups. Behind Tilmon at center will likely be Braun, though Jordan Wilmore, Mizzou’s lone freshman, could be in the mix, too.
Because Axel Okongo transferred to Eastern Michigan for his final season, Martin and his staff have one open scholarship spot to fill. They could elect to keep it open or pursue another transfer, one who would likely need to sit out a year per NCAA rules.
This much is known: Mizzou is whole again, and should there be a season, the Tigers will have all the tools to make some noise in the SEC. Experience goes a long way — and Mizzou has no shortage of that.