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Missouri Tigers 2014-15 Season Preview[/SIZE]
A new coaching staff means a new era of basketball in Columbia, Missouri. The Missouri Tigers are geared up for the 2014-15 season.
The 2013-14 team finished 6th in the SEC with a 9-9 conference record, and fell to Florida in the SEC tournament and Southern Miss in the NIT. Jordan Clarkson and Jabari Brown both left early for the NBA, and both ended up on the Los Angeles Lakers. The team also lost seniors Earnest Ross and Tony Criswell, lost Shane Rector who transferred to Miami-Dade CC, and dismissed sophomore Torren Jones and junior Zach Price (a Louisville transfer who never played for the team).
The Schedule
Non-conference
@ Tulane
@ Kent State
@ #23 Minnesota
vs South Florida
vs Butler
@ Virginia
@ #14 Oklahoma State
vs Cal Poly
vs Illinois
@ Duquesne
vs Boston College
Analysis: This is a loaded non-conference schedule. If the Tigers can escape with three or fewer losses, they will be in a great position. The three games that stand out are the three big road games - huge opportunities against ranked teams in Minnesota and Oklahoma State and a tough ACC opponent in Virginia. Tulane, Kent State, and Duquesne are no pushovers on the road, either. As for the home slate, aside from Cal Poly, no game is a sure win. Boston College and South Florida aren't super talented but both are Power Conference teams and Illinois and Butler are tough games as well. This will be a tough non-conference slate.
Conference
@ #1 Florida
vs South Carolina
@ Tennessee
vs Alabama
@ #2 Kentucky
vs Texas A&M
@ Georgia
vs Mississippi State
@ Auburn
vs Ole Miss
@ Vanderbilt
@ LSU
vs Arkansas
vs #1 Florida
@ South Carolina
vs Tennessee
Analysis: While the SEC isn't a stacked conference by any means, this is still a difficult slate. The Tigers got unlucky and drew Kentucky on the road, and have the home-and-away with Florida. Splitting that series would be huge. The Tigers also have the home-and-away with Tennessee and South Carolina. Visits to LSU and Georgia will be difficult, but there are some safer home games in Texas A&M and Mississippi State. The Tigers have a chance to finish in the top half again if they can win the games they should win.
The Roster
This year's roster might stick out to you in one big way - the deep frontcourt. A mixture of experience in youth at the power forward and center positions make for what could be a big year from the bigs on the Tigers. On the other hand, the backcourt is considerably weaker, and filled with almost completely underclassmen. With youth comes talent, however, and the young backcourt has lots of it. It may just be a little over-matched this season and need to rely more on the talented frontcourt.
Michael Sharpe: A senior leader on the team and arguably the best player on the squad. His outside shot stroke is highly impressive, and would be exceptional for a guard, let alone a 6-7 forward. He combines that with an advanced post game, but his shot carries him outside most of the time. However, his size makes him more of a 4 than a 3. Very athletic and uses his athleticism well. A candidate for captain of the team.
Marcus Saunders: Also a senior on the team, he's slightly shorter but more built than Sharpe. However, they are very different players. While Saunders still has a solid outside shot, he prefers to go in and drive to the lane and attack at the rim and in the post rather than drift outside. The two of them will complement each other well. He needs to work on some things but he's still a very solid forward and should be a starter.
Jason Kelley: More of a true small forward than Sanders or Sharpe, Kelley has a good outside shot and is good around the rim. However, he much prefers to take a good mid-range or outside shot than drive into the lane. He's very athletic and a very good defender who can guard 2's and 3's. Also a good ball handler who played point guard in college.
Joe Harris: No relation to the former Virginia guard, Harris is a well-built big man with impressive post skills. He uses his size well to get to the rim and also can shoot it a bit as well. Rebounding is a skill he is working on but he is still young and is getting better. Pretty solid shot blocker and very athletic.
Richard Kohler: Kohler is listed as a center due to his weight but really isn't tall enough to guard big centers and is really more of a power forward (an undersized one at that). He combines a very good post game with a solid mid-range shot and good rebounding skills. He's not overly athletic and has a somewhat strange muscular build, but he's good at some things and that will get home minutes. He is a walk-on.
Beau Dye: Dye is a shooting guard in a power forward's body. Athletic, he's blessed with big size, which allows him to bang in the paint. However, he much prefers to stay around the perimeter and get a shot off - which he's very good at. His outside shooting is very proficient, and he knows how to use the lane when he has to. Still working on some skills such as defense, but he's young and improving.
Marco Watson: A true center, Watson uses size and strength to get to the rim and the ability to finish. He has a solid jumpshot but really needs to learn to use his size more and work in the lane and around the rim. He's not overly athletic and not really a great rebounder for his size, so he has some flaws, but he's big and teams love big men who can score.
Derek Davis: Arguably the best guard on the roster. Has an impressive outside shot and can really shoot from mid-range and from three point range. Very athletic and runs the floor well with good passing and ball handling. He will likely start at point guard as a sophomore which is no tall task, but if there is anyone on this roster who can do it, he can.
Lavar Burditt: Another true guard. He is somewhat undersized for a shooting guard at an even 6 feet but does not have the ball handling skills for the point guard position. He's a very good outside and free throw shooter and loves to shoot mid-range. Very athletic and speedy. Not someone who will drive to the basket very much, if at all.
Shannon Collins: The top freshman in the recruiting class, Collins is a super-intelligent guard with basketball skills. He's very athletic and can shoot both inside and out. He's a good ball handler and can play both the 1 and the 2 (though he's big for a point guard). He'll work in the post, drive to the hoop, shoot mid-range and shoot threes, so he's very balanced. Should develop in his career with the Tigers.
Terry Summerall: A good sized shooting guard with good shooting guard skills. He's athletic, has a high basketball IQ and good court vision. He knows when to use his good outside shooting to get a shot off or when to pass. He can also drive and finish at the hoop, though he prefers to shoot from outside.
Trello Smith: He doesn't do anything exceptionally well, but he does a lot of things right and that assures him a spot as a role player on this team this season and next. He's athletic and disciplined and has a high basketball IQ. He's a good ball handler and passer and has a good outside stroke. He makes a solid off-the-bench scorer.
Jeremy Evans: No relation to the big-time dunker from the Utah Jazz, Evans is a totally different kind of player. A good sized shooting guard with a great outside shot, who shoots the three well and has the strength and athleticism to get into the lane and finish around the rim. He's also a good passer and ball handler and could slot in at point guard in an emergency. He is a walk-on.
Derion Kimbrough: A good sized forward who can both shoot outside and drive to the rim, Kimbrough is another member of the freshman class. He's athletic and intelligent and uses both of those skills on the defensive end of the court. A good player who should improve with time and experience.
Andre Kelly: Another freshman, he is still maturing physically and is a candidate to be red-shirted. A very good outside shooter but lacks a lot of skills outside of that. Not a very good defender and fails to use his athleticism on that end. Takes a lot of mid-range jumpers but no threes. Has lots of room (and time) to improve.
And there you have it. That's the roster for the 2014-15 Missouri Tigers. The season starts next week and there's lots to look forward to. Here's to a great season!
by mpejkrm » Sun Oct 19, 2014 12:09 am 
