Gordo: Missouri makes good first impression as Robinson, Pierce shine at Memphis
The Missouri Tigers will be less terrible at basketball this season. Monday night's 83-75 loss at Memphis made that clear.
This team won't go 0-18 in the Southeastern Conference again this season.
Can the Tigers rebound in coach Dennis Gates' third season and battle back into the NCAA Tournament chase? That's asking a lot. The SEC is even tougher this season, so there's much work to do between now and Missouri's next big tests, against nonconference tests against Kansas and Illinois.
But the season opener offered glimmers of hope.
Much of the preseason optimism around the program centered on the proven talent of the incoming transfers and the high upside of the impressive freshman class. Gates did an excellent sales job after last season's fiasco.
Yet it was the encouraging play of two incumbents Monday night that offered the strongest signs of improvement.
Guard Anthony Robinson II and forward Trent Pierce arrived with much fanfare in the 2023 recruiting class. Pierce was ranked as a Top 60 recruit by ESPN, making him the highest-rated prospect the program signed since 2017.
For various reasons, neither Robinson nor Pierce made much of an impact as freshmen last season as Mizzou staggered to a 8-24 finish.
Robinson averaged just 3.9 points and 1.0 assists in his 30 games while playing 13.3 minutes. He shot just 9-for-44 from 3-point range while experiencing a difficult adjustment to the college game. The passing of his grandmother back home made the transition from Tallahassee to Boone County even tougher.
The 6-foot-10 Pierce played in just 21 games, averaging 1.8 points and 1.2 rebounds. His season was marred by an inner ear ailment that eventually required a surgical procedure.
Both looked like much different players at Memphis.
Robinson played aggressively while filling the stat sheet with 16 points, seven assists, four rebounds, three steals and just one turnover in 27 minutes. He triggered fast breaks with his defensive play.
He attacked physical Memphis players off the dribble. He got to the free-throw line, something the Tigers didn't accomplish enough last season.
Robinson's confidence boiled over when his exuberant reaction to a 3-point jumper made in front of the Memphis bench drew a technical foul. But as the coaches say, it's easier to tone down a player than to build him up.
And last year Robinson needed building up.
Pierce was equally impressive, given how little he accomplished during his lost 2023-34 season. He knocked down a couple of 3-point jumpers, he drove the baseline to score after a shot fake in the corner, and he threw down an impressive dunk while scoring 13 points in 14 minutes.
Monday night these two sophomores reminded us that player development is still possible in college basketball. Both players benefited from their workouts in the weight room and their court time during summer basketball.
Players come and go through the transfer turnstile at a dizzying rate these days, but teams can still improve from within as teenagers mature into young men.
Robinson's growth is essential for this team. Transfer point guard Tony Perkins was a big get for this squad, adding size and stability, but the Tigers need Robinson's ballhandling and his on-ball defense.
The latter element was sorely lacking last season, when too many guards abused Nick Honor off the dribble. At 6-foot-3, Robinson is a ball hawk with good defensive length.
Pierce faces much heavier competition for playing time. Duke transfer Mark Mitchell will carry a big workload at forward while brining the physicality the Tigers lacked last season.
High-flying Aidan Shaw showed offensive growth Monday — he buried a 3-point jumper (!) and actually scored off the dribble — and the Tigers need his rebounding and defense.
Then there is 6-foot-8 Jacob Crews, a proven 3-point shooter and rebounder who, at 24, has four years of experience at lower levels. Top recruit Annor Boateng can play all over the floor at 6-foot-6 and he will certainly push for a significant role too.
Given the crowding on this 18-player roster, minutes must be earned at forward. Pierce looked up to the challenge Monday while attacking offensively without hesitation.
Gates will have plenty of sorting to do during the weeks ahead. He used 11 players at Memphis, and he will surely get deeper into his bench as the Tigers rack up victories during their six-game stretch of home games against Howard, Eastern Washington, Mississippi Valley State, Pacific, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Lindenwood.
If the Tigers can somehow work their way toward the NCAA Tournament by March, they will regret letting an upset opportunity get away in Memphis. During the decisive second half stretch they missed critical free throws and buckled in the face of defensive pressure.
They will need much more from veterans Caleb Grill (0-for-4 from 3-point range, five turnovers) and Perkins (2-for-7, one assist, four fouls in 21 minutes) in the backcourt.
But overall Missouri made a good first impression — especially compared to their disastrous final impression in 2023-24.
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