Mizzou Basketball: Returning players bring leadership to Missouri Tigers

The Missouri Tigers have hyped up their incoming freshman trio for months leading up to the season, but their returning players bring experience and leadership.

After seeing the Missouri Tigers play an exhibition match against Central Missouri, it’s quite obvious that the Tigers are a young team. True freshman Kobe Brown cracked the starting lineup and even led the team with 12 points.

Dru Smith also tasted his first bit of action in a Mizzou uniform. Alongside him and Brown were sophomores Xavier Pinson and Javon Pickett, with the paint held down by junior Jeremiah Tilmon.

The Tigers looked sloppy for a majority of the game, which can be expected in a season opening exhibition against a Division II school.

It is obvious that the few returning players for Missouri will play a huge role this season.

Pinson, as expected, started as Mizzou’s lead guard. While he had some turnovers early on, he did a great job of staying composed and running the offense. Pinson didn’t force shots and he found many open shooters. This composure can help the Tigers play at their own pace and not get caught up in trying to out-run more athletic opponents.

Sophomore Torrence Watson came off the bench and impressed on both sides of the ball. He knocked down shots and was a pest on defense. Coming off of a record-setting freshman year, Watson should be a three-and-d wing for Mizzou.

Mark Smith missed time last season due to injury, and he may need to shake a little rust off before he is back to his old ways. The combo-guard connected on his first 3 against the Mules, but he went ice cold after that.

Possibly the two most impactful returners for Missouri, Tilmon and Pickett, exemplified their value against CMU.

Tilmon leads a somewhat shallow front court for Mizzou. He drew tons of attention on the block, giving shooters more space. While the foul trouble was still an issue, Tilmon is in line for a big year.

Pickett, however, almost seemed like a completely different player. While still being a hard-nosed defender, the sophomore showed more confidence on the offensive end. He had no hesitation on catch-and-shoot 3s and he was relentless while attacking the basket.

Freshmen Mario McKinney, Kobe Brown and Tray Jackson all received minutes in the scrimmage, but each had a handful of sloppy mistakes. This is where Missouri’s returning players must step in.

Last year the Tigers lost many winnable games by blowing leads in the final minutes. The returning players now must bring leadership and composure in those moments.

Look for Pinson to slow the game down while Watson and Mark Smith torch the nets from downtown. If Tilmon can avoid fouls, he should dominate in the post for Mizzou.

The Tigers open their season at home on Wednesday, Nov. 6 against Incarnate Word.