Mizzou Basketball: Jordan Wilmore could make immediate impact

New recruit Jordan Wilmore brings a ton of size to the Missouri front court. Even with a deep roster, Wilmore may be able to play meaningful minutes.

Missouri has a few fresh faces joining their basketball squad for next season, but only one joins the team as an incoming freshman. Jordan Wilmore is a 3-star center that brings size and rim protection for Mizzou, and he could make a decent impact in year one.

The Tigers are only losing one player, assuming Xavier Pinson, Mitchell Smith, and Jeremiah Tilmon return to school instead of leaving for the NBA. The only player who graduated was Reed Nikko, leaving a spot to fill at the backup center position.

This is where Wilmore comes in. He brings a 7’3″ presence in the paint while also being a lob target. He slots in perfectly as a rim runner off of the bench, but his skill doesn’t end there.

In this short clip, Wilmore shows glimpses of some offensive skill. While being great in transition, he also has nice touch around the the rim and even knocked down a turn-around jumper.

Where the big man will make his biggest impact, however, is on defense. Wilmore’s huge wingspan helps him reject shots with ease. Head coach Cuonzo Martin may have to work with him to get him to play lighter and quicker on his feet to be more mobile around the paint, but Wilmore has the potential to be an All-Conference defender down the road.

Coming off of the bench, Wilmore could likely see a lot of playing time with transfers Drew Buggs and Ed Chang, along with Mitchell and Mark Smith for example. This lineup spreads out the floor and would leave Wilmore down low with space to operate. If he improves his foot work and post moves, Missouri’s second unit could be lethal.

There shouldn’t be too much pressure on Wilmore to contribute in big ways right out of the gate, but if he puts the work in, he could surprise fans and opposing teams. Regardless, he may be primed for a very successful career at Mizzou.