Some teams just don't provide a very good gauge for how far along Mizzou is. It's especially hard when two of Mizzou's primary players don't even play. Early on, I thought Missouri looked terrible. Pressey was throwing up bricks from outside (0-5 from 3), Missouri Southern was outrebounding a much taller Missouri squad, Rosburg continues to look overmatched by Division II players and general sloppy play from the team as a whole. I was happy to see the team start the second half with a little defensive intensity, but even then...it was a mixed bag.
Alex Oriakhi
Oriakhi sure did not impress in this game. He didn't rebound, he turned the ball over and showed no touch on the offensive end. I am really hoping that he can provide a solid inside presence this season, but this game sure was not a good sign.
Laurence Bowers
Bowers looked better this game than he did against Northwest Missouri State. He played more within the flow of the offense and was more active on the boards. That was encouraging to see.
Phil Pressey
Flip stunk. But we know enough about him not to be concerned.
Earnest Ross
Ross also disappointed me in this game. I was hoping that he would be a solid mid-range player, but he seems content to float around the perimeter looking only for 3-pointers. I watched him on defense and he seems to do a pretty good job, but I never got a good feel for him and he's not near the rebounder that he was touted to be. He did have 6 assists in this game though which shows that he's a pretty well-rounded player in that he can do a lot of different things to help the team win.
Tony Criswell
I really really like Criswell's game. He's the mid-range player that this team needs. He moves and plays like he's 6'4", but he's a 6'9" bruiser who is a great ballhandler and has a really nice touch on the offensive end. Right before halftime, he had a nifty steal and then led the break the other way and made a great pass. Criswell is definitely going to be a part of this rotation. He finished the game with 13 points shooting 63% from the field, 3 rebounds, 2 steals and no turnovers. I'll take those stats any day of the week.
Ryan Rosburg
Not ready.
Stefan Jankovic
Jankovic obviously scored some points today, but I'm not wild and crazy about his game. I actually think his potential is that of Josh Kroenke, as a 3-point specialist. He's a little wild and doesn't have the strength yet to bang with the big bodies that are going to be down low during the meat of the season.
Negus Webster-Chan
I saved the best for last. If anything good came out of this exhibition game, it was the arrival of Webster-Chan. I loved the way he ran the point as Pressey's backup. I loved how steady he was. He didn't showboat. He didn't gamble for steals on defense. He was all business and was super-solid at getting the job done. He played the most mature game of all the Tigers, yet is only a freshman. I had somewhat written him off based upon what I saw at Mizzou Madness and the first exhibition game, but I finally saw what the coaches have been raving about. He ran the point way better than what we saw from Bell in the last game. He is extremely versatile and based upon today's performance is going to be one of those players who can be counted on to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Jankovic had the big dunk in the game, but what got me off my feet was the bounce pass that made it happen.
Overall Thoughts
Three thoughts, all of which are slightly negative but highlight the things this team needs to work on:
- Defense. This was a weakness last year and I don't yet see an improvement in that area. Last year I kept thinking that teams were making a lot of "hail mary" type baskets, but that trend continued all the way through the Norfolk State game. At some point, there has to be a correlation between the success of those "hail marys" and the defense that is being played. That trend continued in today's game.
- Rebounding. Mizzou had a huge size advantage today and still let Missouri Southern (yes...Missouri SOUTHERN!) get tons of second-chance points.
- Efficiency. This is mostly an indictment of Pressey as he played pretty wild today throwing lots of ill-advised passes. Missouri wasted lots of possessions in today's game with low percentage shots and bone-headed turnovers. Unfortunately for us fans, we were spoiled last year with a ridiculously efficient offense that played within itself and was unselfish almost to a fault (much like our frustrations with the QB play from our football team of late after having NFL-caliber QBs for the previous 5 years). Pressey really needs to become a leader in this regard and limit the wows for the sake of the good of the team. Pressey is an incredible talent and doesn't need to be flashy to be good. He obviously has some flash (which is fun), but what this team needs right now is for him to be steady and get the job done.
- Okay, I lied. One other thing: we have yet to see this team play with Michael Dixon. I am a huge Dixon fan and sincerely believe that he is the best player on the team. My hope is that his presence in the line-up will alleviate some of my concerns. He is an extremely efficient player due to his ability to finish plays, to get to the free throw line and to make those free throws. I look forward to seeing how he interacts with the rest of this team.
Next up: SIUE on Saturday.
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