Mizzou Hoops Player Review: T.O. Barrett

If T.O. Barrett had entered nan transportation portal aft his freshman season, I uncertainty location would beryllium galore who would person blinked. After each he only saw action successful 19 games, seldom played much than a fistful of minutes erstwhile he did play, and was sitting down Anthony Robinson II connected nan extent chart. That’s usually erstwhile you spot a feline bounce.

But Barrett stuck it out, believing he could spot a larger domiciled arsenic a sophomore, and he did spot a larger role.

The first 19 games of nan twelvemonth Barrett came disconnected nan bench, but averaged 18.4 minutes per game, but only chipped successful 5.9 points a contest. But pinch Robinson struggling, Dennis Gates turned to Barrett successful an effort to ressurect their fledgling NCAA Touranment hopes, and Barrett delivered. Over nan last 12 games, Barrett started each 12 while averaging 28.9 minutes, and 12.4 points per game. Mizzou went 7-7 complete that span, but they picked up 4 quad 1 wins complete that span, which was capable to unafraid them a tourney berth.

Much of T.O.’s crippled was known earlier his breakout. He’s not a shooter, but astatine 6’4 and 200 pounds, he’s a powerful driver. He’s adept astatine getting his assemblage into nan defender and creating capable angles and abstraction to get his changeable off.

But pinch his accrued domiciled his ratio suffered. On nan play he changeable 52.2% from wrong nan arc, but complete nan past 14 games that percent was conscionable 46.6%. And he knocked down conscionable 7 3 pointers, pinch 6 of them coming successful conscionable 3 games. So for 14 games, Mizzou had a non-shooting threat who was struggling to decorativeness astir nan rim astatine times.

Not ever though. When T.O. was connected he could beryllium electric. I doube fewer will hide his epic 28 constituent nighttime against Tennessee, starring nan Tigers to a must person triumph successful their quest for nan NCAA Tournament. Barrett overpowered nan smaller UT guards, and he pounded them for 12 makes connected 17 attempts, each wrong nan 3 constituent arc. And conscionable 2 of those were moreover extracurricular nan paint. But that was nan TO experience, erstwhile things were going arsenic they were against Tennessee, he could beryllium scintilating.

Here were his 2FG makes and attempts successful nan last 14 games:

You tin spot erstwhile T.O. was higher successful usage and effective, Missouri usually won. In peculiar they hit OU, Texas A&M, and Tennessee. Three of nan astir important wins connected nan season, and T.O. was there. But down nan stretch, he struggled, Mizzou struggled, and nan wins didn’t travel along.

After nan play it seemed deed aliases miss whether Barrett would return. He left, past he was possibly back, past he was gone again, past he committed to Vanderbilt. Barretts beingness style will beryllium missed successful nan backcourt, but assemblage hoops now isn’t for illustration that of moreover a 4 years ago. The financials didn’t lucifer up for either statement and Barrett had to find a caller home.