In this series, we’ll take a look at each of Mizzou’s returners this year, what worked for them during the 2023-24 season and what each of them can improve on. We continue the series with sophomore guard Anthony Robinson II.

3.9 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 1.0 apg, 0.3 bpg, 1.3 spg

36.7 FG%, 20.5 3PT%, 75.0 FT%

10 points (3-6 FG, 1-2 3PT, 3-4 FT), 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 5 steals

Robinson wasn’t necessarily projected to have a significant role with the Tigers last season, seemingly buried on the depth chart behind graduate senior point guards Sean East II and Nick Honor. But with head coach Dennis Gates choosing to start East and Honor in the backcourt together, Robinson played his way into a consistent role as a freshman, earning double-digit minutes in all but six of the 30 appearances he made.

The 6-foot-2 guard’s defense was his calling card. Robinson displayed the ability to pick up ball-handlers fullcourt and punish them for any mistake. He had 10 games with multiple steals, finishing the year with a team-high 38. While Robinson didn’t see the court enough to qualify for KenPom’s national rankings, his 5.6% steal rate would’ve tied for fourth-best in the country. Many of his steals led to easy baskets in transition.

Robinson also showed a knack for driving downhill and getting to the free throw line on offense, where he shot 75.0% on the year. His 49.0 free throw rate was third-highest on the team according to KenPom, trailing only Mabor Majak and Aidan Shaw — two forwards who almost exclusively only took shots in the paint.

Robinson looked good for someone his age in some ways but was still wet behind the ears in others. After back-to-back 10-point outings at the end of November, he’d crack double digits just one more time the rest of the season, hitting a bit of a freshman wall. He struggled to score anywhere away from the rim. According to CBB Analytics, Robinson made 70.4% of his shots within 4.5 feet of the hoop but was 17-71 from the rest of the field. The bulk of his shots were above-the-break 3-pointers, where he made just 20.0% of his looks. He wasn’t much better from the corners, either, shooting 22.2% from there.

Fishing for steals led to a lot of reaching calls for the guard — Robinson picked up four fouls on three different occasions and committed 6.2 fouls per 40 minutes. Even if he didn’t pick up a whistle, gambling for the ball sometimes left him out of position, giving the ball-handler a runway to the paint against a team that didn’t have much in the way of rim protection.

While Robinson took good care of the ball, posting a 2.1-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, he didn’t show much in the way of creating shots for others, either. Robinson had one game with five assists and another with four during the first two weeks of the season but didn’t hand out three dimes again until the regular season finale.

The Tallahassee, Fla. native is likely to play a similar role during the 2024-25 season backing up fifth-year senior guards Tony Perkins and Marques Warrick. The goal for Robinson this year will be to fine-tune what he’s already shown to be good at and be more efficient with the opportunities he’s given. If he shows serious improvement, he could be the frontrunner to lead Missouri’s backcourt a year from now.

Aidan Shaw

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