Missouri men’s basketball finished the 2021-22 season with a 12-21 overall record, including 5-13 in Southeastern Conference play. The Tigers faced several challenges with a new roster, leading to a season worth forgetting. Let’s take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly from Missouri’s season.

The Good

Junior forward Kobe Brown had a breakout season, averaging 12.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. The Tigers relied on Brown heavily, and he delivered when it mattered most, recording 30 points in Missouri’s upset win against then-No. 15 Alabama and 27 in their victory over Utah.

Brown added seven games with double-digits rebounds, including a 23 rebound performance against Paul Quinn College. Brown earned himself a spot on the second All-SEC team with these impressive statistics.

Freshman forward Trevon Brazile put together a solid campaign, averaging 6.6 points, 5.1 rebounds per game and shooting 53.4% percent from the field. Brazile showed potential as a fierce rim protector for the Tigers, recording 6 blocks against Illinois and 4 against Georgia. 

Missouri also received steady production from senior guard Javon Pickett, sophomore forward Ronnie DeGray III, junior guard Amari Davis, redshirt junior guard Jarron Coleman and junior guard DaJuan Gordon. They each stepped up to knock down shots, grab rebounds and be vocal leaders when the team needed it the most. 

The Tigers’ best games included knocking off then-No. 15 Alabama and defeating Texas A&M on the road behind Brown’s 21 points. Missouri also rallied after being down 13 points in the second half against SMU to come away with the victory in Jacksonville, Florida early in the season.

The Tigers went toe-to-toe with the then-No.1 Auburn Tigers and held potential NBA lottery pick freshman guard Jabari Smith to just 5 points. Although Missouri ended up falling 55-54, the Tigers played the top team in the nation until the very end and showed promise.

The Bad

Statistically, Missouri put up some rough numbers, finishing last in the SEC in points scored and scoring per game. The Tigers also finished among the last in 3-pointers, steals, assists and field goals made.

Missouri shot just 28.1% from beyond the arc this season and 42.6% from the field. The Tigers struggled to share the ball and force turnovers, averaging only 12.1 assists and 6.5 steals per game.

One of Missouri’s biggest issues this season was closing games out. The Tigers had multiple games where they found themselves blowing leads late, such as when falling to Texas A&M at home after leading for most of the game. Missouri allowed Florida to shoot 10-10 from the free-throw line in the final four minutes, resulting in yet another one-possession loss. 

The Tigers had a hard time adapting to opposing teams’ second-half adjustments; they let games slip away, including their contest at Alabama where they led by as many as 14 points before ultimately falling 86-76. After a competitive first half, the Tigers were not able to keep up with the Iowa State Cyclones, losing 67-50 after trailing 32-29 at halftime.

Missouri only won two road games throughout the season and finished .500 (8-8) at home.The Tigers are going to have to finish above .500 at home and compile a more respectable record away from home if they want to be more competitive in the SEC moving forward.

The Ugly

Struggled is an understatement when discussing how Missouri played against its biggest rivals this season.

In the renewal of the Border Showdown rivalry with Kansas, the Tigers allowed a 13-2 run to end the first half and could not come back after. Missouri trailed by at least 40 points at multiple points to Kansas, leaving Allen Fieldhouse electric the entire afternoon before ultimately falling 102-65.

Missouri also started out flat against Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and never recovered after trailing 20-3 early in the game. The game continued to get worse for the Tigers as they only scored 15 points in the first half and ended up losing 87-43.

After winning the Braggin’ Rights rivalry three years in a row, Missouri did not earn its fourth consecutive victory after Illinois dismantled them. The Tigers allowed the Illini to end the first half on a 9-1 run and open the second half with two straight 3-pointers to put the game away. Illinois defeated Missouri 88-63 to send the trophy back to Champaign, Illinois.

Two other games that stand out are the losses to Liberty and UMKC. A sloppy first half doomed the Tigers against the Flames, scoring only 14 points and trailing by as much as 26. A similar situation occurred in the Tigers’ stunning loss to UMKC at home when they were unable to climb back after a sloppy start in an 80-66 loss to their in-state foes from the Summit League.

 Missouri will have to make changes this offseason if it wants to return to national relevancy and compete for the SEC title in the future. With a coaching change in the works, it is important the Tigers take an aggressive approach to the transfer portal and find a head coach who can recruit in-state talent.

Edited by Brandon Haynes | bhaynes@themaneater.com