The non-conference portion of the Missouri men’s basketball schedule has come to an end and the Tigers’ record sits at 6-6.
Highlights from the first 12 games include a pair of impressive wins against SMU at the Jacksonville Classic and against Utah in Columbia. Blemishes like Missouri’s home loss to UMKC and its 37-point loss to Kansas in the Border War reveal shortcomings on an imperfect resume.
Missouri came into the year with several questions about who would be the primary scorers and who would take over a roster with little experience. The Tigers have tried a variety of lineups, and a few leaders have emerged while others have simply fallen behind.
Here’s an analysis for each player on the Tigers’ roster based on their non-conference performance:
Anton Brookshire
Freshman guard Anton Brookshire came to Columbia as a three-star prospect out of Springfield, Missouri. Brookshire, a little undersized at 6-foot-1 for a combo guard, is a promising scorer who was thought to be a solid perimeter shooting piece for head coach Cuonzo Martin’s squad.
As a freshman, Brookshire has struggled to find his groove this season. He averages 2.1 points per game and is shooting 27.6% from the field as well as 18.2% from beyond the arc.
Despite not having the best numbers early in the year, the Tiger staff has remained high on Brookshire, as he had the opportunity to start the last two non-conference games against Utah and Illinois.
With the new starting spot, Brookshire has taken over more of the ball handling duties, showcasing his potential as a point guard.
Summary:
Brookshire has shown flashes of being a trustworthy and efficient guard, but the production hasn’t materialized. With increased minutes and a larger role on a struggling Missouri team, Brookshire should have several opportunities to show his value.
Amari Davis
Junior guard Amari Davis transferred to Missouri from Green Bay this past offseason. A talented scorer at Green Bay, Davis’ best attribute he brought to Missouri is his ability to score.
Davis is the second leading scorer of the Tigers, averaging 10.4 points per game. Despite being one of Missouri’s main scorers, Davis’ percentages are far from efficient. He is shooting 39.8% from the field and 25% from three.
The Tigers have struggled to find a main point guard, but Davis has received the opportunity to fill that role. He appears to be most comfortable as the off guard who uses his shot-making ability to help a struggling offense.
Summary:
Missouri lost most of its scoring from last year’s team, so scorers like Davis were expected to be the guys to fill in the missing holes. While Davis is the second leading scorer for the Tigers, his efficiency and contributions outside of scoring haven’t translated into much success.
Sean Durugordon
Sean Durugordon is a redshirt freshman forward whose athleticism and aggressiveness have proven to be his best attributes through the first 12 games.
While he only plays 5.2 minutes per game, Durugordon averages 3.6 points per game and uses his athleticism on the boards, averaging 1.6 rebounds per game.
Summary:
It’s hard to grade Durugordon with his limited playing time, but while he is on the court, Durugordon shows great energy.
Javon Pickett
The lone senior on the roster, guard Javon Pickett came into the year looking to be one of the center pieces of this year’s Tiger squad. While never a starter in his first three seasons at Missouri, Pickett has stepped into a much larger role on and off the court this year.
Pickett’s larger role displayed itself in several contests, including the season-opening win against Central Michigan, where he scored 18 points to go along with 5 rebounds and 3 steals, and against Kansas, where he scored 19 points on 8-12 shooting.
However, Pickett simply hasn’t been consistent enough. Through 13 games, Pickett has scored 7 points or more in nine games. In the other four contests, Pickett has only scored 3 points or less, which isn’t the consistent performance you want out of the most experienced player on your team.
Outside of scoring, Pickett has failed to log career highs in any major statistic besides assists: he is averaging 1.8 assists per game compared to his previous career-high of 1.5 assists per game during his freshman year.
Summary:
The expectations were high for Pickett and although he has had a few impactful performances, the consistency from game to game hasn’t materialized.
Jarron Coleman
Redshirt junior guard Jarron Coleman transferred from Ball State, where he averaged 13.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore. Now at Missouri, Coleman is averaging 8.5 points per game to go along with 3 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.
Coleman was given the role of starting point guard for the first portion of the year, a position of need on the roster. Coleman showed promise at the point guard position early, but was forced to sit out a couple of games during the non-conference season for an undisclosed reason.
Coleman, like many other Tiger players, is recording career lows in both field goal percentage and three point percentage.
Summary:
Coleman was expected to be one of the primary playmakers for Missouri. While he is the third leading scorer for the Tigers, averaging 8.5 points per game is not quite the offensive production Missouri expected.
Yaya Keita
Forward Yaya Keita is a freshman from St. Louis who hasn’t had much opportunity to see the floor early in his freshman year. He is averaging 1.2 points per game and 1.7 rebounds per game.
His best game came in the season opener against Central Michigan, where he logged 6 points and 3 rebounds in 13 minutes.
Summary:
Some positives of Keita have been his athletic ability that he has used to shine on the boards. In the second half of the season opener, Keita rose above three Central Michigan players to snag an offensive rebound and put it back up for a bucket. Moments like that give Missouri fans excitement for Keita’s future.
DaJuan Gordon
DaJuan Gordon is a junior guard transfer from Kansas State looking to add his ferocious defense and athleticism to a depleted Missouri squad. So far, Gordon appears to have accomplished that.
Throughout this season, Gordon has been one of the key pieces to the Tiger defense. Gordon is second on the team with 1.1 steals per game and leads all guards on the team with 4.8 rebounds.
Besides his defense, Gordon hasn’t been a key contributor on offense, only averaging 8.3 points per game, while shooting 36.5% from the field and 25.6% percent from deep.
Summary:
Gordon’s defensive presence has been one of the few bright spots from this year, and his energy adds a lot to Missouri’s physicality. If his efficiency can improve in the second half of the season, he can cement himself as Missouri’s second-best player.
Kaleb Brown
The freshman guard from Huntsville, Alabama, came to Columbia known as the younger brother of star player Kobe Brown. Like other freshmen, it is hard to get an accurate read on Brown’s play because he simply hasn’t logged enough minutes.
But in the time Brown has played, it’s clear that his biggest asset is his ability to use his big body. Brown stands at 6-foot-6 and weighs 250 lbs. He has only appeared in seven games this year, averaging 5.6 minutes when he finds the floor.
Summary:
Brown has recorded the fewest minutes among all players who have found the floor this year. Therefore, it is too hard to properly rate him, so Brown gets a low participation grade for the first half of the season.
Ronnie DeGray III
Sophomore transfer forward Ronnie DeGray III found his way to Columbia after just one season at the University of Massachusetts. DeGray III has been in and out of the starting lineup.
DeGray III opened the year strong with 10 or more points in Missouri’s first four games. In those, he averaged 13.75 points per game and 7.25 rebounds per game. DeGray III also shot just over 45% from three.
Since those first four games, DeGray III has struggled to find the net, reaching double figures only one additional time.
So far this year, DeGray III has been one of the important pieces of the Tiger frontcourt. His 8.3 points per game and 5.5 rebounds per game serve as complementary pieces to Kobe Brown.
Summary:
DeGray III transferred from UMass, where he was a freshman and only averaged 8.7 points per game. For him to be putting up similar production in slightly less minutes at a bigger school like Missouri is impressive.
Trevon Brazile
The 6-foot-9 freshman forward from Springfield, Missouri, could be considered the most exciting part of this season. Brazile only appeared in four non-conference games for the Tigers, averaging 6.25 points per game while shooting 53.8% from the field.
The most impressive part of Brazile’s play has been his defense and shot-blocking ability. In those four non-conference games, Brazile averaged 2.75 blocks per game, including a six block performance against Illinois.
Summary:
Brazile has solidified himself as the most intriguing freshman on the Tiger squad. His size, athleticism and defensive ability make him the most complete freshman of the class. It is no surprise why he has been given a chance to start this early in the season, and it’s hard to imagine him losing that spot anytime soon.
Kobe Brown
The 2021-22 Missouri basketball season already looks like one to forget, but one part of this season that fans won’t want to forget is the play of junior forward Kobe Brown.
As the only returning starter from last year’s team, Brown has exceeded every expectation thus far.
Averaging 14.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, Brown has put this team on his back this year. He has led the offense by using his strong frame to attack the basket and finish at the rim.
His best performances this year include a 20-point and 23 rebound outing in a win against Paul Quinn College as well as a 27-point display in a home win against Utah.
Defensively, Brown leads the team in steals with 1.7 steals per game. With Missouri struggling to find a consistent point guard, Brown has had to take over ball handling duties many times this year too.
Summary:
No one else averaged double figures in points in non-conference play, and it is evident in every game that Brown is the heart and soul of this squad. Missouri should continue to lean on him as they enter the gauntlet of SEC play.
Jordan Wilmore
Every time Jordan Wilmore checks into the game, opponents can’t help but be intimidated. Wilmore’s size is his biggest strength, standing in at 7-foot-3 and weighing 300 pounds.
The sophomore forward was anticipated as being one of the big guys to fill the role that Jeremiah Tilmon left when he went to the NBA. Unfortunately, Wilmore has not been able to fill his shoes.
Wilmore recorded an 11-point, 6 rebound and 3 block performance against Northern Illinois on Nov. 18. Outside of that performance, Wilmore has failed to log more than 4 points in a game, including several games with zero points.
Wilmore is only shooting 44.4% from the field while averaging 1.8 rebounds and 0.5 blocks per game. These statistics are underwhelming considering his size and strength in the paint.
Summary:
The performance against Northern Illinois gave fans false hope about Wilmore. With his strong body and towering height, it feels silly that Martin doesn’t play him every game, but Wilmore’s lackluster performance has backed up Martin’s decision-making.
Edited by Brandon Haynes | bhaynes@themaneater.com