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Rock M Roundtable: Mizzou Men’s Basketball tips off Tuesday
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- Rock M Roundtable: Mizzou Men’s Basketball tips off Tuesday
It hasn't been a slow news week with Mizzou Football coming off their bye week and welcoming back Ahmad Hardy. But Mizzou Basketball tips off officially on Tuesday night against Cleveland State.
So it's time to check the temperature of the Rock M writing staff and see how everyone is feeling coming into this season. I sat this one out, since I think you've heard enough from me lately. Instead we asked Matthew Harris, Sammy Stava, beat writers Colin Simmons and Matthew Gustafson, plus Jaden Lewis, what everyone thought about this upcoming season.
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What is an early sign you'll be looking for from someone on Mizzou's roster that this team is going to have a good year?
Sammy Stava, Staff Writer: It all starts with guard play, so can Jason Crowe Jr. be as good as advertised? He'll be the one to make this Mizzou team "go". Perhaps that's too much pressure to put on a freshman, but he was ranked as a five-star for a reason, and the coaching staff constructed the roster this way. Can Kennard Davis and Aaron Rowe provide reliable guard depth to take some pressure off of Crowe in spots?
Matthew Harris, Basketball Editor:Bryson Tiller's shot selection. He's always been a player who prefers to operate in the mid-post, step out to the perimeter and try to show he can play with the ball in his hands. That's fine, but sometimes, he has a tendency to float in space and, when he does get to the cup, defaults to finesse over power. Yet his potential rests in turning abundant physical gifts into blunt force ($) . Playing downhill, dishing out — and absorbing — contact regularly, and attacking the cup might foreshadow a sophomore leap. Crucially, his defensive engagement at KU waned when he endured long stretches as a bystander on offense. If Tiller's touches are steady and high quality, it might create the kind of positive feedback loop MU needs.
Colin Simmons, Beat Writer:Trent Pierce scoring at all three levels consistently. The loyal senior has consistently gotten better every season of his Tiger tenure, and I think people are forgetting that he was injured for a significant stretch of the offseason and the first 13 games of the season. A healthy offseason and possibly the most versatile guard that he's ever played with could do wonders for Pierce. At heart, he's a three-and-D forward, but he shot 63.3% inside the arc. If he can be more aggressive in the paint, increase efficiency beyond the arc and add a little bit of shot blocking, this squad will be a very tough guard.
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Matthew Gustafson, Beat Writer:If one of Aaron Rowe or Cord Stansberry proves they can be a reliable secondary option at point guard. There's been some promising chatter around Rowe this offseason, and he's certainly got the talent to take a major leap from redshirting last season. But neither has proven they're able to consistently run the show yet at the collegiate level, making backup point guard arguably the biggest question mark remaining on the roster. Answering that would not only remove some of the pressure off Jason Crowe Jr., but also fully unlock the Tigers' second unit and ability to make use of their depth.
Jaden Lewis, Staff Writer: How well do these guards play? Crowe has a ton of hype coming into the year, and rightfully so. Davis and Jones arrive from BYU and Providence, while Rowe was a highly ranked recruit. If the guard play is fine early on, I think that's a good indication that this will be a fun season.
MANHATTAN, KS - OCTOBER 23: Guard Jason Crowe Jr. #5 of the Missouri Tigers goes to the basket for a dunk past guard Montana Wheeler #11 of the Kansas State Wildcats in the second half at Bramlage Coliseum on October 23, 2026 in Manhattan, Kansas. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images) | Getty Images
What would be an early sign Mizzou might not be as good as we all hope?
Sammy Stava: If the three-point shooting isn't there, and if the Tigers are not able to defend at a high-level — it'll be fair to say that this Mizzou team won't reach their ceiling.
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Matthew Harris:Allowing too many points at the rim ($) . It's been pretty common to groan about the kinds of jumpers MU has allowed under Dennis Gates, but what's undone MU down the stretch the past two seasons is the Tigers' inability to deter point-blank looks. That's not just a critique of the Tigers' bigs. Good rim defense starts on the perimeter , and if its guards cannot contain ball handlers, there will come a point where it doesn't matter how much positional size the program added along the front line. Bellying up to a bar of cupcakes in the non-conference schedule can obscure that problem. Not this year. The Tigers scheduled aggressively, and we'll get a good indication as to whether this roster can (at last) be watertight.
Colin Simmons:If Jason Crowe Jr. isn't as good as we all hope. He has all of the high school and club stats to beam at, but Mizzou's asking him to do something that simply isn't typical of freshmen at this school. If the 5-star can't show the ability to facilitate the offense and defend at an adequate level, there aren't a lot of obvious supplements.
Matthew Gustafson:If rebounding hasn't noticeably improved from last season. The Tigers have struggled to win the battle of the boards under Dennis Gates, and the question has been how much of that is personnel vs. his style of play. We'll fully find out the answer this season after the additions of Jaylen Carey and Bryson Tiller, both extremely strong rebounders that should provide a major boost. If MU can't lock down the rebounding battle more consistently, it will be plagued by some of the problems faced in recent years: plenty of second chances for the opposition, alongside the effect that needing to consistently regroup and get another stop following an offensive board has on wearing down a defense's effectiveness.
Jaden Lewis: It might be cliche, but rebounding. The tournament game against Miami-FL is still haunting, MU just got beat on the boards.
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Quicker Hitters
Who are the five players who will play the most minutes?
Sammy Stava: Crowe, Mitchell (if eligible), Pierce, Jones, Tiller
Matthew Harris:Crowe, Jones, Pierce, Mitchell and Tiller.
Colin Simmons:Crowe, Jones, Pierce, Mitchell and Tiller.
Matthew Gustafson:Crowe, Pierce, Mitchell, Carey and Tiller.
Jaden Lewis: Crowe, Jones, Pierce, Mitchell, Tiller.
Who's your favorite to be a breakout candidate?
Sammy Stava: Jamier Jones, who is coming off an All-Big East Freshman Team selection at Providence.
Matthew Harris:For the sake of variety, I'll go with Tiller. That might come on the defensive end, where MU's roster, in theory, offers enough size to make playing him at the five a better proposition than it was to the west.
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Colin Simmons:Contrary to my comment on if Crowe isn't ready to be the engine, then there aren't many supplements; I'll say Aaron Rowe. He's gotten plenty of offseason hype from teammates and coaches, and has put on the weight to back it up.
Matthew Gustafson:The three options listed above are all great choices, but I'll second the selection of Bryson Tiller. He looked excellent defensively and on the boards during the Kansas State exhibition, and more of his shots should fall given some more time.
Jaden Lewis: I will also go with Jones. He was effective in his first year, which came in the Big East. I'm excited to see what he does in Columbia.
Who are your picks for MVP, MIP, DPOY, Best newcomer?
Sammy Stava: MVP (Mitchell), MIP (Burns), DPOY (Tiller) Best Newcomer (Crowe Jr.)
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Matthew Harris:Mitchell (MVP), Pierce (MIP), Gunn (DPOY), Crowe (Newcomer)
Colin Simmons:Crowe (MVP), Rowe (MIP), Tiller (DPOY), Crowe (Newcomer)
Matthew Gustafson:Mitchell (MVP), Rowe (MIP), Tiller (DPOY), Crowe (Newcomer)
Jaden Lewis: Mitchell (MVP), Burns (MIP), Tiller (DPOY), Crowe (Newcomer).
MANHATTAN, KS - OCTOBER 23: Forward Toni Bryant #14 of the Missouri Tigers scores with a dun in the first half against the Kansas State Wildcats at Bramlage Coliseum on October 23, 2026 in Manhattan, Kansas. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images) | Getty Images
What is your prediction for the Non-Conference record, and the SEC Conference Record?
Sammy Stava: 22-10 (11-7 SEC)
Matthew Harris:22-10 (12-6 SEC)
Colin Simmons:18-14 (8-10 SEC)
Matthew Gustafson:23-9 (12-6 SEC)
Jaden Lewis: 23-9 (10-8).
What is your one bold prediction for Mizzou Basketball this year?
Sammy Stava: Mizzou makes the Sweet 16 as a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
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Matthew Harris:At long last, MU cracks the top 50 nationally for adjusted defensive efficiency.
Colin Simmons:Trent Pierce will finish top five in the SEC for three-point makes.
Matthew Gustafson:Mizzou will reach the semifinals of the SEC Tournament for the second time under Dennis Gates (and in program history).
Jaden Lewis: The Tigers reach the Elite 8 for the first time since 2009.
