Missouri basketball is now one week into a long season, and there is plenty to take away from just two games. The Tigers knocked off Arkansas Pine-Bluff on Nov. 6 and fell to the Memphis Tigers on Nov. 10.

The Tigers need to either fix their perimeter shooting problems or adjust the offense to attack the rim and inside the three point line

While the Tigers made 12 threes on 30 attempts in the season-opener (40%), Missouri attempted 30 three-point field goals in the loss to Memphis on Friday night and made just six. Early in the season, it appears as if Missouri is going to rely heavily on the three-point shot. If that’s the case, making more than 20% of those shots will be necessary. 

However, only making six threes against a physically superior team is not going to cut it most nights. To make matters worse, the Tigers only made two of those six in the second half. One of those threes against Memphis came from senior guard Caleb Grill late in the game when the lead was already out of reach. 

Grill attempted nine threes against Memphis and made just one. Grill joined the roster with the reputation of being an elite three-point shooter, shooting 36.8% from downtown at Iowa State last year. Shooting issues aren’t coachable and it’s early in the season, but losses could pile up if the Tigers continue shooting as poorly as they did against Memphis. 

Though early, it is unclear who is going to be the player to take over a game when need be 

It is unclear early in the season who is going to step up as the leading scorer for the Tigers. Many players could step into that lead role, but there are a few who could be ahead in that race. 

Graduate senior guard Sean East II leads the Tigers in scoring after the first two games, averaging 17.5 points per game. East had a dominant first half against Memphis, scoring all 14 of his points in the first 20 minutes. He attacked the basket frequently, hit two threes and shifted multiple defenders with his handles. 

Graduate forward Noah Carter is a vocal presence for this Missouri team. Carter recorded 15 points and six rebounds in his season-opening performance and had 10 points and seven rebounds against Memphis. Like most of Missouri’s roster, he struggled to hit the three against Memphis, but his aggression in the paint provided a small spark to a dull offense in the second half. Carter’s ability to score inside could prove to be impactful as the season progresses. 

Junior guard Tamar Bates is an explosive scorer. Tiger fans witnessed Bates go on a 10-0 run by himself at the end of the first half against Pine-Bluff, and he ended that game with 18 points. It’s possible that Bates is the best pure scorer on the roster, but he is going to have to find some consistency for the Tigers in order to hold that title. Bates only played 14 minutes against Memphis so his scoring opportunities were decreased, but Bates certainly has the explosive scoring to lead the team in points-per-game this season. 

Graduate senior point guard Nick Honor has started off the season in a steady manner. He’s second on the team in assists and averages 13 points per game, and is shooting 45% from the field. Honor leads the team in turnovers, but that stat is usually high for a point guard. Honor could step into that role with his impressive start early this season. 

The freshmen could carve out important roles for themselves off the bench this season

Freshmen Anthony Robinson, Trent Pierce and Jordan Butler played inconsistent minutes in the first two games of the season. Robinson played 10 minutes against Memphis, with a majority of those coming down the stretch of the second half. Robinson provided a spark on defense and was a steady ball handling presence. He also attacked the rim and drew two fouls. 

Robinson made five free-throws, putting points on the board for the first time in what seemed to be a very long time. He ended with 5 points on the night. Butler only played three minutes against Memphis and didn’t make much of an impact. He did knock down a three against Pine-Bluff, ending with 5 points and a board. Butler has a long way to go but could prove valuable defensively in the future. 

Pierce is yet to score his first points this season, but he still left an impact on both games. Pierce was excellent on defense, using his long arms to stay in front of Memphis standout senior Jaykwon Walton. Pierce blocked one of Walton’s shots halfway through the second half as well as blocked another shot in the first half against Pine-Bluff. Pierce’s defensive versatility could lead to more playing time throughout the season.

Copy edited by Grace Knight | gknight@themaneater.com