If you haven’t been paying attention, Matt Wakins, aka DataMizzou, has been publishing player previews on YouTube and RockM.plus now for the last month. Each preview is fully available to the general public, and not just for subscribers. The videos range in length from about 15 minutes to 30 minutes, and they’re chalk full of film breakdown on each player.
I also spent some time talking to Mizzou assistant coach Ryan Sharbaugh going through the entire roster, for a version of what the coaching staff
thinks they have right now.
Below is a link to each preview, a wonderfully indepth look at each of the 14 players on the basketball roster.
Mark Mitchell
Mitchell has already been named to preseason All SEC teams by both the coaches and the media, the former 5-star forward still has room to grow as a player. We break down Mitchell’s game, and his growth in year one under Dennis Gates.
Anthony Robinson
Robinson burst onto the scene last year with his defensive tenacity, and improved offensive game. I still think people around the country are underrating Robinson’s impact for the Tigers, and the kind of step he can take this year to cement Missouri amongst the best in the league.
Trent Pierce
Perhaps the player with the highest ceiling on the team is Pierce, a 6’10 forward, who has the ability to slide up and down the lineup defensively. He’s capable of stretching the floor and being a zone buster when he’s shooting the ball well, and his size and mobility make him a treat to attack the rim on closeouts as well.
Sebastian Mack
Perhaps the most hyped transfer, Mack is a good complement for the Gates system as a fast, defensive minded, attacking combo guard. Moving away from a restricted and down tempo offense could give Mack the rejuvination he needs to break out this year.
Jacob Crews
Crews started the season slow last year, but he came on down the stretch to be of the top players off the bench, as well as a reliable three point shooter. If Crews is able to return to form from the end of last year, Missouri won’t have any trouble spreading the floor.
Jevon Porter
Porter slides into a complementary role after being one of the top offensive options at LMU and Pepperdine each of the last two years. With less to do offensively, Porter will need to be consistent on defense and knock down shots when given the opportunity.
Annor Boateng
If there is one player who can take the lid of the ceiling for this team it’s Boateng, who is fierce and physical in the open floor, but is still working on his decision making in the half court, and his consistency as an outside shooter.
T.O. Barrett
One of the top defenders in all of the freshman class last year, Barrett is a fearless player who simply needs to refine some of his decision making. But he’s tough to move off his spots, and to keep out of the lane.
Shawn Phillips
Phillips has a huge ceiling, but he’s yet to realize it during his three years at LSU and Arizona State. He’s an imposing physical specimen who Missouri is asking to play good defense, rebound, and score around the rim.
Trent Burns
If Burns is able to be healthy this season he could fully transfer the angles of the court on both ends of the floor. Listed at 7’5, he’s a rim protector of the higest order, but still has the mobility to defend away from the rim.
Luke Northweather
Happy homecoming to the Blair Oaks graduate and former Missouri Player of the Year. Northweather played sparingly at Oklahoma for a couple years, plus a redshirt year, but comes back home hoping to fulfill a reserve role and sink a few outside shots in the meantime.
Jayden Stone
Stone is the biggest black box of any player on the roster, mostly due to his poor injury luck throughout his college career. He scored big in his one healthy season at Detroit Mercy, but has yet to show what he’s capable of at the high major level.
Aaron Rowe
The skinny and athletic Columbia native has a big ceiling and potentially a big future, but it might take him some development time before he’s ready for prime time. Rowe projects as a primary playmaker at lead guard, but he’s still on the thin side and may have trouble defending during league play.
Nicholas Randall
A St. Louis native, Randall has been recruited by the Tigers staff since they first got to Columbia. He projects as a playmaking four man, but with so much ahead of him on the depth he may have trouble seeing the floor early in his career. But the staff really likes his upside.
