Mizzou has depth, but fans see the grizzled vets pushing the Tigers deep into March.
If you’re a Rock M+ subscriber, you know how close Mizzou is to locking up tournament status in March.
It feels strange to think that things aren’t done and dusted on that front yet. Since the start of SEC play, Mizzou has been one of the country’s best teams, combining a fast and furious offensive attack with an aggressive defense that forces teams to play at the Tigers’ pace more often than not.
But perhaps the most celebrated thing about this version of Mizzou Hoops? It’s depth. You can’t listen to any broadcast without the commentators praising the roster Dennis Gates has built, which often runs 10 to 11 players deep on any given night.
March runs aren’t built on depth, though. They’re built on stars showing up when it matters most. And Mizzou, thankfully, has a few stars that show up during the big moments. But which one will be most key to a deep March run?
That’s what we asked you earlier this week. The results were extremely tight, but perhaps not all that surprising in the end.
It’s hard to argue against the case for Caleb Grill being Mizzou’s most dangerous player. He’s shooting an unconscionable 48.6 percent from deep this season, and brings rebounding and defense to the table to boot. He’s a hard-worker and a player every defense has to be aware of all the time. He opens lanes for Mark Mitchell, softens defenses for Tamar Bates and generally stretches opponents to their max.
We also asked, as a bonus question, which freshman has impressed you the most. Again, the result isn’t too surprising.
I cast my vote for Marcus Allen, personally, because of the way the staff trusts him in key moments of games. But T.O. Barrett has endeared himself to fans in big moments, and I can’t fault him (or them) for that.