Will Missouri Tigers Basketball Be Better In 2015?

We are beginning a brand new segment called ask Truman’s Tales. This is an opportunity for Mizzou fans to sound off and/or ask questions about the Missouri Tigers sports teams and vent your frustrations out too. We’re here for you. Here’s this week’s question:

Dear Truman’s Tales,

After such a horribly disappointing season this year, the status for the Missouri Tigers basketball team’s future certainly feels grim. Do you think this team stands a chance at improving things next year? Will Mizzou be better or worse in 2015-16?

-Daniel, Columbia, MO

Great question, Dan. It’s a unanimous feeling amongst all of Mizzou Nation about the future of the program: is this the start of dark period, or can this thing be turned around in the near future? Looking ahead to next season, it’s hard to see how things can go much worse than it did in 2014-15.

The Tigers are a team that lacks player personnel, plain and simple. That’s been the issue. In 2014-2015, the team was made up of players assembled mostly by the terrible recruiting efforts of Frank Haith.

Feb 18, 2015; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Montaque Gill-Caesar (13) dribbles as Arkansas Razorbacks forward Moses Kingsley (33) looks on during a game at Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas defeated Missouri 84-69. Mandatory Credit: Beth Hall-USA TODAY Sports

Some of the young players did show promise. I think you can expect guys like Gill-Caeser, Wright and Williams III to be key performers next season and beyond.

The team played, all things considered, decent defense, thanks to the teachings of its coach. For the offense to turn around, well, that will take bringing in a lot more talent in the coming years, but it’s completely doable.

With Kim Anderson and company leading the charge, I think you can expect this team to improve in bringing in quality talent. As recruiting continues to go in a more positive direction, there’s no reason to believe that those woeful offensive numbers won’t turn around. With the maturation of the players from this past season, there’s plenty of opportunity to get those numbers up even next year.

That being said, this team is still young. And its coach will only be in his second year as a head coach at the Division I level. Given that, you can expect a bumpy road next year. But perhaps that bumpy road does start becoming a little more successful—a little more enjoyable for Mizzou fans to ride down.

These things take time. Fans of the Missouri Tigers must be patient. Very patient.

The fact of the matter is, this was a historically bad year for the team, it can’t be turned around quickly. But give Kim Anderson the time he deserves. I still have a good deal of faith in this regime that things will begin trending upward in the next couple of years.

Anderson’s hire maybe have been a somewhat polarizing one. And I still don’t even know where I lie on the “approval” meter of the choice. But he deserves the time to try and make this thing a quality product again.

Still, I don’t see things changing much next season. They will better. (It’s hard to be worse). They will win a couple of more games. And they will lose games in a closer fashion. And I think their games will be more fun to watch.

Remember how horribly painful to watch this team was during the 13-game losing streak. I don’t think it will be that bad. But near the bottom of the SEC is certainly possibility again in 2015-16.

Again, though, remember that this is going to take time, so be patient.

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