Mizzou hoops faces these 5 questions as Cuonzo Martin and his Tigers near season opener
The Missouri Tigers men’s basketball team should be a known commodity at this point. It brings back nearly every contributor from last year and the same coaching staff.
But there are some intriguing pieces in MU coach Cuonzo Martin’s fourth year with the program. And, of course, the Tigers will open play amid the COVID-19 pandemic and all of its accompanying uncertainty.
With Mizzou beginning its 2020-21 campaign Wednesday against Oral Roberts, here is a look at five questions the Tigers will face this season.
1. WHO CAN MIZZOU CONSISTENTLY RELY ON?
Mizzou is loaded with players who could potentially find a role, but it’ll be interesting to watch whether Martin will keep the rotation tight or expand it.
The wings, especially, offer plentiful options with Mark Smith, Mitchell Smith, Javon Pickett, Torrence Watson, Ed Chang and Kobe Brown. The three ball-handlers will be Xavier Pinson, Dru Smith and Drew Buggs. The center spot is all Jeremiah Tilmon, with potentially a healthy dose of Parker Braun, or maybe Jordan Wilmore for spot minutes.
But that’s way too many rotational bodies on a nightly basis. The Tigers also need to figure out who they can rely on for a full season.
Dru Smith was the lone player who started every game last season, but he dealt with some consistency issues. Pinson emerged last season as a dynamic playmaker, but the junior needs to show he can do that for the entire season. Tilmon will likely be a focal point, though in a different role than as the guy down low in the paint.
Other options include a healthy dose of Mark Smith, Pickett, Buggs and Brown. But with so much depth, it’ll be crucial for the Tigers to find their playmakers.
Mizzou will also need to show it’s the same team that finished last season on a 5-4 run — not the team that started SEC play 2-7. It’s promising that later in the season the Tigers pushed the pace more, leading to easier points. There was a switch to attacking north-to-south, and MU went away from repeatedly feeding the post player once Tilmon went down.
That’s all to say there were positive signs of improvement from a Mizzou squad that looked lost for stretches last season. But who will emerge alongside Dru Smith? The answer is paramount to the Tigers’ success.
2. CAN MU MAKE IT BACK TO TOURNAMENT?
It’s the No. 1 pressing issue within the program after the Tigers missed the cut the past two years. Of course, there was no March Madness last season because of the pandemic, but the Tigers were firmly on the outside looking in (barring an improbable run in the SEC Tournament).
When Martin took the MU gig, he had the task of leading a once-proud program back to competitiveness. It worked in Year 1, when the Tigers went 20-13 and qualified for the NCAA Tournament, but injury-riddled seasons have since been the rule.
That leaves Martin with an important year ahead, if one likely angled toward longer-term goals. Martin’s contract all but ensures he cannot be fired until May 2021 — and the buyout would start at $6 million. The Mizzou athletic department is struggling financially because of the pandemic, meaning an expensive buyout is probably off the table no matter what.
Simply put, it’s in the best interest of everyone at Mizzou to hope this season’s squad finds its stride.
3. WHAT ROLE WILL COVID-19 PLAY?
Until health officials deem otherwise, COVID-19 is going to affect the season — especially early. Some games will likely be either postponed or canceled, leading to head-scratching standings and teams playing differing numbers of games.
While the non-conference portion of teams’ schedules won’t affect the SEC standings, once the conference season is underway even a one-week stoppage would wreak havoc on scheduling. Basketball’s different from football in this way, too: significantly smaller rosters could be decimated by a single COVID-19 positive case and subsequent contact tracing.
Florida already had to pause all basketball activities because of COVID-19. The Gators won’t play their non-conference games this week.
Expect a wacky season in which the main goal for all teams will be simply making it to the NCAA Tournament in March (unless, of course, the Tournament is moved back). The Mizzou football team has needed to adjust on the fly because of COVID-19, and the basketball team will likely endure similar tribulations.
4. CAN MIZZOU FIX ITS LINGERING ISSUES?
It’s easy to pinpoint a top issue for Mizzou’s offense and defense last season.
On offense, the Tigers were one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the country. Their 29.7% percentage ranked 326th nationally, allowing opponents to clog the paint defensively. Mark Smith, who shot 37.1% on threes, was the lone Tiger to crack 30% with at least five attempts. Just about every Mizzou player’s shooting regressed.
Eager for optimism? Martin said Dru Smith looks ready to take that next step as a shooter. And Mark Smith should continue to produce. If contributors such as Pinson, Mitchell Smith and Kobe Brown can add to their percentages, MU has a chance to at least be adequate enough to keep defenses honest.
On defense, the 2019-20 Tigers just couldn’t stop fouling. Their other numbers — like stopping field goals and forcing turnovers — were at least above average, as expected of a Martin-coached team. But once teams could exploit Mizzou’s propensity for fouling, they got to the line easily and often.
There were other issues, too. Mizzou turned it over constantly despite playing at a slower pace. But the Tigers’ struggles primarily derived from those two issues. Martin said last season, and this preseason, that his team has worked to address those weaknesses. We’ll soon see how much they’ve improved.
5. CAN TILMON TAKE THE NEXT STEP?
Last season was supposed to be Tilmon’s time. Martin and Mizzou were ready to feature him as the offensive focal point, feeding him in the post often for scoring opportunities. The foul troubles that plagued his underclass years had gotten better.
Then he got hurt. He returned midway through the SEC season and re-injured himself, but he seemed to be getting back into playing shape late ... and then the season ended prematurely.
Tilmon went through the NBA Draft process this summer and was able to get some helpful feedback from scouts before opting to remain in school. Their advice: hit the trail three, run the floor more and rebound consistently.
Expect to see more of those things this season from Tilmon, who’s plenty athletic. At his best, he’s protecting the rim — without fouling — and influencing the game even when he’s not scoring. Teammates have praised his leadership ability this year as he enters his senior season.
Perhaps a re-calibrated mindset won’t hurt as Tilmon looks to put it all together.
This story was originally published November 23, 2020 at 5:00 AM.