Every week, PowerMizzou.com publisher Gabe DeArmond answers questions from Tiger fans in the mailbag. This format allows for a more expansive answer than a message board post. Keep your eye out each week to submit your question for the mailbag or send them to powermizzou@gmail.com. On to this week's inquiries.
mexicojoe asks: Hypothetical: If Timon and Porter both play 3 years at Mizzou, what are their individual ceilings in terms of performance?
GD: Let's get the obvious out of the way first: Jontay Porter isn't playing three years at Missouri. In fact, you don't want him to. If Jontay returns for his junior season, it means he got worse. For the sake of argument, let's say he does, the ceiling is Arthur Johnson type numbers--1,000 point scorer, very good rebounder, threatening the school record for blocked shots. But he won't.
With Jeremiah Tilmon, I'd say it's not only more likely he plays three years, but very possible he plays four. He's going to have to be able to make an 18 foot jumper regularly (and stay on the court) to appeal to NBA teams. It's certainly possible he proves he can do those things and leaves in the next year or two, but it's not out of the question he's a four-year player. If he is, his ceiling is all-American. I'm not saying he gets there, but that's the ceiling. Tilmon was a much better offensive player as a freshman than anyone expected and his footwork for a man his size is breathtaking. The problem for Tilmon is finding the line between aggressive and dumb. Last year, it was both or neither. He's got to find a way to be aggressive, but also be smart. If he got an early whistle, he went into a shell and became a non-factor. I think that's something that improves with age.
fourholesn1 asks: Drew Lock may be the first quarterback taken in the next NFL draft yet he was not a 5 star Rivals recruit. Why wasn't Drew ranked higher 4 years ago? How unusual is it for 4 star kid to become the first pick at a position in a draft?
GD: Lock was a four-star, the No. 177 player in the country and the 7th ranked quarterback in the class of 2015. So let's not pretend he was anything other than incredibly highly regarded. Here are the six quarterbacks who were ranked ahead of him:
Josh Rosen (first round NFL pick)
Brady White (made one start at Arizona State, transferred to Memphis in January)
Jake Browning (similar career to Lock so far--numbers aren't as good, team has been better, potential Heisman candidate this year)
Zach Gentry (is now a tight end at Michigan)
Ricky Town (enrolled early at USC, transferred to Arkansas, went to Ventura College, is now at Pittsburgh)
Ty Storey (is, for now, Arkansas' starting QB this coming season)
So, I think you can make an easy case Lock should have been the No. 2 or No. 3 QB in this class. Why he wasn't? I don't know really. But I don't remember a lot of complaining at the time that he was vastly underrated to be honest. The most stunning thing on this list to me is that Arkansas had two of the top six quarterbacks in the country on the roster and neither has ever started a game yet.
epollack asks: Ehab Amin?
GD: Amin is a grad transfer point guard from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi who was committed to Nevada, but won't go there after the Martin twins returned to school and the Wolfpack briefly had 15 scholarship players for next season. I've seen no indication Missouri is involved with him (not saying it isn't happening, I just don't have any proof of it at this point). I know fans are terrified of the point guard spot. But all indications are that Cuonzo Martin is comfortable with his roster. Jordan Geist is going to be the starter. You're allowed to have doubts about that, but Martin is the only one whose opinion matters.
