Isiaih Mosley coming off the bench against Arkansas on Wednesday might’ve been an anomaly.
Senior forward Noah Carter and sophomore big man Mabor Majak were both unavailable for the game due to health and safety protocols. Carter averages over 20 minutes a night— head coach Dennis Gates had to play somebody.
He chose Mosley, who hadn’t seen the court in a full month for reasons that weren’t behavior or health-related but were personal enough for Gates to keep private. The Missouri State transfer had some rust to shake off. He shot just 2-7 from the floor and missed all four of his 3-point tries. But he still finished with eight points and produced two steals and a charge on the defensive end.
Mosley played 19 minutes and looked like a vital part of the rotation, like a piece of the team that the Tigers had been missing as it lost three of its past four games before Wednesday night.
Gates said in a press conference on Friday that both Carter and Majak have been cleared to play again. It could mean Mosley is back to being glued on the bench — that him playing again was just the product of Mizzou being shorthanded.
But it sure doesn’t seem that way.
“Our players have put their arms around Isiaih in his moments to help him, right?” Gates said. “To help him (until) when we knew he would say 'Coach, I'm ready.' And at this point, he said, 'Coach, I'm ready' and ultimately when that happens, that's the level of respect; you got to allow people space, right? And understand, through it all, we're here for him.”
It’s taken time for Mohamed Diarra to see playing time, too. Gates noted after the team’s win over the Razorbacks this week that it can take junior college players a few months to adjust to playing NCAA Division I basketball. It can also take international students a while to adapt to their new surroundings. Diarra, who is from Montreuil, France, and transferred in Garden City Community College, falls into both categories.
The 6-foot-10 forward was on the floor for just 18 minutes across his first five appearances with the Tigers. He’s played 27 minutes in his past three and has looked more comfortable each time he's checked into the game.
Gates might reel in Diarra’s minutes with a fully healthy team. But he might not.
“To be quite honest with you, I don't think you've seen, truly, who (Diarra) is,” senior forward Kobe Brown said. “You know, he's 7-foot and he plays the five for us but he's really — like, he could play a guard position. Like, he's that skilled. And hopefully one day, you guys will be able to see that and he can show his full potential.”
Mosley and Diarra were both expected to play significant roles on the team before the season. Mosley averaged 20.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game at Missouri State last season and was one of three D1 players in last 20 years to shoot over 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3 and 90 percent from the free throw line. Diarra was ranked by JucoRecruiting.com as the No. 1 prospect in his class.
Mizzou has struggled with scoring in halfcourt settings and keeping opponents off the boards all season long. Mosley and Diarra seem especially equipped to help the team in both areas, Mosley being a walking bucket and willing passer and Diarra being the tallest scholarship player on the roster.
Gates said Carter and Majak are cleared to play in Saturday's matchup with No. 4 Alabama at 5 p.m. Brown said his ankle feels good after tweaking it late in the game against the Razorbacks. If Gates thinks both Mosley and Diarra are ready to contribute consistently, the Tigers would be at full strength and have another ceiling to hit. It would make an already-deep team deeper, an already-versatile team more flexible and an already-good team even better.
“We haven't played well yet. I am dead serious. I am honest when I say this, I'm not just pulling anyone's leg. I have not seen my team play well yet. And I'm excited about that day when it comes,” Gates said. “I don't want them to be complacent. I don't want them to take my words the wrong way and being discouraged and like, 'Coach, man, you can't be satisfied.' No, they understand what I'm saying. And they, too, will be the first ones to recognize us putting 40 minutes together at the same time, consistently, with zero gaps. We hadn't done that yet. And I'm excited about the possibility of that happening in 2023.”
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