Keys to improvement for Tiger hoops
Missouri finished last season 15-17, sitting at home for the postseason for the fourth time in five years. But there's an unmistakable air of expectation around the Tigers this summer. Although the 2018-19 season is more than three months away, fans have Cuonzo Martin's third season as the one in which Mizzou basketball returns to relevance...and maybe even more than that.
On Friday morning, most of the returning players met reporters. PowerMizzou.com asked the players what has to improve for this team to get where it hopes to go. A common theme emerged.
"Turnovers were a big problem for us last year," Javon Pickett said. "I feel like we've been doing a pretty good job of controlling the ball, talking to each other on the court, not letting things get in our head if something goes bad."
"I feel like the turnovers for sure," Mitchell Smith said. "We have to bring those down a lot. We can't be turning the ball over. That's how you lose games. I feel like we'll care of the ball a lot better."
The Tigers turned the ball over on 21% of their possessions a year ago, a whopping 318th in the country.
"We really focused on turnovers this year," Mark Smith said. "Defensively, I think that's been a big focus. I feel like we've gotten a lot better just from watching and playing a little bit in practice, I feel like defensively everyone's really stepped up their game."
"I think we just have to continue to buy into what coach Martin is preaching every day," Dru Smith said. "Small details is another thing that I think is going to be huge for us."
The addition of the freshman class and the Evansville transfer Smith will change the makeup of the team, but a big key to the season will be a performance of the returning sophomores and juniors, who now have their feet wet as Division One players and will take on bigger roles this season. When asked if their first season as Tigers met expectations, the answers were a mixed bag.
"I had a lot of fun my freshman year," Pickett said. "I didn't know how it was going to go. The first couple games of the season, I was like, 'Oh man, this is a lot different.' Then once we got toward the SEC season, it started to open up more. I felt more comfortable in my role doing what I can for the team. I really enjoyed it. I felt like I got better."
"I really didn't have a plan for it," Xavier Pinson said. "I just wanted to see how I played and that's what I did. We have big goals for this season."
"I had expectations to do better right in the beginning, but obviously that didn't happen," Torrence Watson said. "Really just had to look at myself in the mirror and am I doing everything I can to help the team? Am I getting up in the morning and getting up shots? Things like that. Once I changed that, I think that I started to meet my expectations of things I can do on the floor."
We asked those players what they have to improve personally for the Tigers to reach the lofty heights many hope they can.
"Defense, but also being able to knock down shots more consistently," Pickett said. "I'm getting into the weight room consistently so I can get bigger, being able to help out whatever they need."
"My leadership and the way I respond," Pinson said. "The way I feed into my teammates and knowing how to talk to them. Just working hard and making sure my teammates follow me."
"I feel like I have to be more vocal," Mitchell Smith said. "I've got to snatch more boards, things like that. I've got to get my teammates open. If I see something out there, just help my teammates to get to the right place."
"For me, being more efficient on defense," Watson said. "The last five to ten games, I did really well on offense, but just focusing on making sure I become the best two-way player I can be."
"I really worked on my ballhandling a lot this summer," Mark Smith said. "As long as we win, I'm good with whatever happens."
Everyone else would be too.