A story of potential not quite — or yet — realized.
There was a time, specifically September 17th, 2021, where anything seemed possible for Aidan Shaw.
The 4-star prospect out of the Kansas City area committed to the Tigers as the highest rated commitment since the Michael Porter, Jr. run in the spring of 2017. Jeremiah Tilmon was the 42nd rated player in the ‘17 class, and for the next five cycles they did not sign a top 100 player. That was, until Aidan Shaw.
The 62nd ranked prospect in the 2022 recruit class, Shaw oozed potential. It’s easy to forget sometimes that not every ranked prospect is a certifiable pro in the making. They get ranked for a number of reasons, for Shaw he was one of the bounciest players in the class. He defended well, and played hard, but much of his offensive package was a work in progress. Even at a legitimate 6’8, Shaw was a basketball player without a known destination positionally.
As a freshman, Shaw played sparingly. As a sophomore his role grew a bit, but mostly out of need. Mizzou became short on bodies and the season had gone sour. This year was going to be a pivotal one for Shaw. Would he be able to break through?
No, the answer was no.
Shaw would see the floor for more than 10 minutes in just two games once SEC play started, and both of those games came in the SEC Tournament when he was filling in for Mark Mitchell who was sitting out with a tender knee. The writing was on the wall.
It stinks because everyone wanted this to work out. Everyone loved Aidan, Aidan loved being at Mizzou. There was nobody in the building who was as liked as Aidan Shaw. So on March 25th, Aidan Shaw entered the transfer portal.
But ultimately it’s about results, and Shaw was passed in his position by younger players. Maybe it hurt him that he never really found the right position. His ball handling never came around which meant playing him on the wing was tough, despite that being more where he was projected coming out of high school. His shooting was hit and miss, and when he was on the floor there were games where he wouldn’t even look at the rim. Shaw’s percentage of possessions, or usage rate, never cleared 14%. That’s low, and if there was one deficiency on the roster this year it was too many spots reserved for non-offensive players.
Shaw was in line with Josh Gray, and most of the freshman class although only Marcus Allen seemed to see the floor with regularity. Gray could be on the floor because of his rebounding and defense, but he was exceptional at those things. Shaw graded out as just okay at them.
On the break, Shaw could be captivating. There weren’t many lobs he couldn’t get to.
But at some point he needed to make a case for staying on the floor and it just became too difficult. And each season he saw his playing time fluctuate because of his inconsistencies offensively. No one ever doubted Aidans effort or his character. Both grade out highly. In the end Shaw wasn’t shown the door, Missouri would have happily kept him in the fold, but with one year remaining in college it makes sense for him to find a new home where he can play a bit more.
Boston College is getting a heckuva kid.