Pourover: It wasn’t perfect, but winning doesn’t have to be

It’s been a while, Mizzou fans, truthful bask it.

I don’t want to propulsion anyone down pinch a reminder of nan caller past, but it’s been since February 19th of past twelvemonth (Alabama) since Missouri won a large game. In truth they only person 3 apical 100 wins since then. South Carolina, Mississippi State, and yes, Minnesota (the Gophers are sitting beautiful astatine 94 successful KenPom currently).

Hope wasn’t moving done nan veins of Tiger fans pursuing nan drubbing astatine nan hands of rivals Illinois and Kansas during nan period of December. I moreover spent immoderate clip asking Blake Lovell connected our astir caller podcast if location was dream for Mizzou pinch nan Florida Gators coming into town. Blake wasn’t ace affirmative astir nan Tigers hopes, and successful his defense, and really nan remainder of us, location wasn’t overmuch grounds things were moving retired for nan astir caller type of nan roster build.

But a batch of feelings tin alteration successful a night. Florida came successful arsenic an AP apical 25 team, nan reigning nationalist champions, they were 12th successful KenPom, and while they haven’t looked for illustration nan preseason SEC Favorite and title contender galore thought they would be… they’re still a bully team.

So astatine halftime, aft Trent Burns sank a 3 pointer to necktie nan crippled astatine 39, colour expert Dane Bradshaw said he thought Mizzou couldn’t person played a amended half.

I return rumor pinch that.

Even extending nan capacity to nan afloat game, nan Tigers played amended than we’ve seen them play successful caller games. But that was acold from a awesome performance. It was a bully one. But they tin beryllium truthful overmuch better.

Dennis Gates and his unit saw nan mismatches they could exploit, namely nan Gator guards, and they hammered them successful nan first half. But if you’re looking for nan cleanest basketball, you’d for illustration to spot amended free propulsion shooting, a small amended defense, amended discourtesy to adjacent things out. All of those things would person ended pinch a much decisive win. Instead we were biting our nails until nan past changeable banged disconnected nan backmost iron.

But that’s nan point astir this year’s Southeastern Conference, it’s not for illustration past year. The remainder of nan convention is arsenic down arsenic nan Tigers are. Maybe nary of them are carrying a 43 constituent lopsided nonaccomplishment connected their resume, but if you get to Selection Sunday nan committee seldom looks astatine nan separator of nan wins and losses. Just who did you beat, and wherever did you hit them? Missouri logged their first quadrant 1 triumph of nan year. And don’t look now but past twelvemonth they were going into their 2nd SEC crippled pinch nan aforesaid number of Q1 wins… conscionable one.

How they won was by getting backmost to nan very basics. A dense dose of Anthony Robinson II, and Mark Mitchell. Those 2 mixed for much than 50% of nan team’s section extremity attempts, and played 35 minutes each. Their 33 points were beautiful important.

Robinson has been engaged much and more, but past nighttime was nan first clip I felt for illustration he was nan Ant we expected to spot this year. 6/9 from 2 constituent range, 2/5 from 3 constituent range, 5 assists, conscionable 1 turnover, and 8 full rebounds. Ant has ever had this successful him, but he’s needed immoderate thief astir him to really excel. Help for illustration a patient Jayden Stone and Trent Pierce.

Getting Stone and Pierce backmost into nan lineup has besides paid speedy dividends. Pierce has been missed truthful acold this season, his 6’10 framework helps connected nan solid but an overlooked facet is his expertise to take sides aggregate positions. Thomas Haugh is simply a imaginable All American and apt 1st information draught pick, and Pierce is 1 of nan fewer players successful nan SEC who tin lucifer up pinch him erstwhile Haugh is playing connected nan wing.

Stone backmost intends different level spacer, but besides acquisition and athleticism connected nan wing. And he’s a bully rebounder.

Gates shortened nan rotation, arsenic if to opportunity he understood nan assignment. They needed to alteration nan communicative astir nan season. And while this triumph doesn’t erase what happened successful December, it does move up nan expectations for really nan SEC play tin go.

With nan remainder of nan convention struggling astir arsenic overmuch arsenic Missouri, it’s near a batch of unfastened avenues to getting your play backmost connected schedule. Now each that’s near is to support doing this again and again, 17 much times. Do that and Missouri is apt backmost successful nan speech for an NCAA Tournament berth.

Study Hall will beryllium coming later.