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Every Monday morning in this space, we offer up ten thoughts on the latest in Mizzou sports. From hoops to football to recruiting, we cover everything going on with the Tigers. Plus, every week, we offer up non-Mizzou content that you need to read, watch and hear.
1) I think some clarification is in order on the basketball program. I ruffled some feathers with my closing thoughts from Saturday's home finale. So let me explain. First of all, you can take exception with the phrase "playing out the string." All I meant was that this team clearly wasn't good enough, as currently constructed on the court, to play for something meaningful. We knew that in mid-January. It's not an indictment of the program, it's not an indictment of the coach and it's certainly not an indictment of the effort. Every single person from the opposition who has seen this team play has complimented how hard Missouri plays. They bust their butts. They just weren't good enough to win many more games than they did. That's all I meant. It was obvious two months ago that the absolute ceiling for this team was sneaking into the NIT. That's what I meant when I said they were playing out the string. You can argue with my word choice if you want, but I think the meaning was misunderstood.
Second, I've made no judgment on Cuonzo Martin. I've clearly stated all season long that this year is too soon to do so. He took over an utter abomination of a program. He went all in in year one, a strategy I understand and actually agree with. In hindsight, it didn't work out, but that wasn't his fault. He then lost his best player in year two and another top three or four player halfway through the season. In no way am I telling you that I think Cuonzo has done a poor job or that I don't think he can succeed here. I just don't know it yet.
Next year is a year we start to get to make some fair judgments. Year three is soon enough to see significant progress in college basketball. It's plenty of time to overhaul a roster. I'm not saying Missouri has to be a Sweet 16 team next year. I'm not saying it even necessarily has to be a tournament team. But, if healthy, it has to be better than this year. We have to see clear progress. I think we will. If we don't, I'm not going to bury Martin and say it's a failed hire. But I'll have some doubts. I believe he has a longer honeymoon period than any coach I've seen at Mizzou and a longer one than most coaches do when they take over a program. And, again, it's very understandable why. Here's (paraphrasing) what I said when Missouri fired Kim Anderson: "The goal is not to hire someone better than the guy you just fired. Because legitimately anyone will be better than Anderson was. The goal is to hire the guy you think can take this program back to where it was from 1976-94." Cuonzo Martin might be that guy. I'm not as sold that he is as many of you are. That doesn't mean I don't like him. It doesn't mean I think he isn't that guy yet. It just means I'm not sure. If you take issue with that, that's your prerogative and there's nothing I can do to change your mind.
2. Before I get buried in negativity, let's talk about the reasons to be optimistic:
Xavier Pinson has exceeded my expectations. I think he'll be the secondary point guard again next year, but he'll play plenty. I think Dru Smith is going to run the point, but Pinson will spell him and I think we'll see plenty of times where Pinson runs the point and Smith can play off the ball too.
Torrence Watson is becoming the guy I thought we'd see most of the season. I think he's got a chance to lead this team in scoring next season.
Mark Smith was much better than I thought he would be before he got hurt. Assuming he's healthy for a full season, that's four very good SEC guards...and we haven't even talked about Javon Pickett.
Pickett is an interesting case. I think he'll be a good player here for four years. I think his improvement (for lack of a better word) will be less than a lot of other guys because I think he came the closest of anyone on this roster to maximizing his ability as a freshman. I'm not saying he won't be a better player two years from now than he is today, but I just think there's maybe not as much room for growth in him as there is in other guys.I can't type much more on
Jeremiah Tilmon. We all know he only has one issue. And we all wait to see if he'll solve it.
Reed Nikko actually gives me optimism for next season. He filled his role on this team better than perhaps anyone except Pickett. At the beginning of the season, I probably wouldn't have predicted Nikko to return next year. Now I'd be very surprised if he doesn't.
Tray Jackson is going to be a starter from day one. He's going to get every opportunity to excel and to fight through the growing pains to do so.
3. Okay, so now the flip side. What are my doubts?
