Published Dec 28, 2019
Top 10 of the 2010s: Basketball Players
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Gabe DeArmond  •  Mizzou Today
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Over the next five days, the last of the 2010’s, we will take a look back at some of the highlights of the last decade for Mizzou fans. If you’re one of those that wants to tell us the decade doesn’t end until next year, save these stories for 365 days and come back to them. Today, we’ll continue our look back with our list of the top ten Tiger basketball players over the last ten years.

10. Alex Oriakhi, 2012-13

Oriakhi played just one season at Missouri as one of the first grad transfers in the game. But what a year it was. Oriakhi averaged 11 points, 7 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots a game while shooting 63.9% from the floor for an NCAA Tournament team in his only season as a Tiger.

9. Jordan Clarkson, 2013-14

Clarkson, too, was a one-year Tiger. In that one season he averaged 17.5 points, 3.8 rebounds 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game for the 2013-14 team. He has already put himself in the top five all time NBA scorers from Mizzou.

8. Jabari Brown, 2012-14

Are you sensing a theme yet? The 2010s were the decade of the transfer and Brown was the best of the traditional ones at Mizzou. In 60 games as a Tiger, which included 59 starts, he scored 17 points per game and shot 38.6% from three-point range.

7. Kassius Robertson, 2017-18

One more stop on the transfer train with one of the best grad transfers of all time. Surrounded by a ton of ballyhooed high school recruits, Robertson quietly was the best player on Cuonzo Martin’s first team. He averaged 16.3 points and shot 43.2% from three-point range in leading Missouri back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years.

6. Michael Dixon, 2009-12

Dixon was Missouri's super sixth man on the 2011-12 team that won 31 games. He didn't start a single game that year, but was the country's top reserve at 13.5 points per game. He also averaged 3.3 assists and shot nearly 40% from the three-point line in conference play. He was the Big 12's sixth man of the year, made the league's all-defensive team and was second-team all-Big 12. In three seasons at Mizzou, Dixon averaged 10.5 points, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He shot 37.1% from the three-point line and 85.4% from the free throw line.

5. Kim English, 2008-12

English was one of the lead actors in Missouri’s rebound from the end of the Quin Snyder era. In four years, he played in 141 games and started 107. He ended his career as the No. 13 scorer in school history. He hit the game-winning free throws against Marquette in the NCAA Tournament as a freshman and ended his career by leading Missouri to 30 wins and a Big 12 Tournament title as a senior.

4. Laurence Bowers, 2008-13

Bowers started his career as a reserve on an Elite Eight team in 2008-09 and ended it as the No. 26 scorer in school history with 1248 points. For his career he averaged 9.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots.

3. Ricardo Ratliffe, 2010-12

Ratliffe came to Missouri as the top-ranked juco prospect in the country. He started 63 of 69 games over two seasons, averaging 12.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. As a senior, he led the country, shooting 69.3% from the floor in helping lead Missouri to 31 wins and a Big 12 Tournament title.

2. Phil Pressey, 2010-13

In just three seasons, Pressey managed to set school records for assists in a game (19), season (240) and career (580). Probably the best passer in school history, Pressey averaged 9.7 points, 5.9 assists and 3.0 rebounds and played in the NCAA Tournament in each of his three seasons.

1. Marcus Denmon, 2008-12

One of the most underrated athletes in Mizzou history, Denmon played in 141 games. He averaged 12.1 points, shot better than 40% from three-point range and ended his career as the fifth-leading scorer in school history (the top scorer in the last 25 years). Denmon was a two-time first-team all-Big 12 selection.