How Kansas exposed Missouri basketball’s concerning offensive shortcomings

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri basketball coach Dennis Gates looked down the line of his bench, and the instant-spark options were in short supply

The hurting crew hurts his depth. Shooting guard Jayden Stone has a cast on his non-shooting hand after an encouraging start to the season. Combo forward Trent Pierce, hands clasped as he watched Kansas run away with it, hasn’t played this season with an unspecified lower-body injury, and he wasn’t available Sunday versus Kansas.

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And then, there’s point guard Anthony Robinson II, living and dying with every call, every shot, every Border War back-and-forth. There’s a problem, there. The supposed-to-be star point guard was on the sideline with four fouls with 17 minutes left in the game.

It’s thin. Mizzou’s best offensive options were waning, and the Tigers got exposed by their most-bitter rival as a result.

Kansas showed Missouri up Sunday at T-Mobile Center in downtown Kansas City, handing out an 80-60 Border War beating in front of a majority KU crowd in an in-name-only neutral-site game.

The Tigers (8-2) were held to a season-low 34.4% from the field by the Jayhawks (7-3) as Mark Mitchell spent his day fighting off double teams and wildly aggressive interior defense. Mizzou has lost every game it has shot worse than 40% from the field under Gates.

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Mizzou went 7-of-27 shooting, or 25.9%, from 3-point range.

The Tigers (8-2) went 11-of-21, an abysmal 52.4%, from the free throw line.

This is not the Gates-run offense that flustered Alabama to the tune of 110 points last season. Or the run-and-gun 2022-23 squad that reliably brought the thrills. There is no Caleb Grill or D’Moi Hodge coming to save the Tigers. This is a hole that Mizzou has to find a way out of but with no clear escape route.

Missouri isn’t necessarily trying to be that team right now.

The Tigers have made their living from behind the arc and at the free throw line under Gates. Sometimes both at the same time. Sometimes…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/kansas-exposed-missouri-basketball-concerning-224404292.html

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Publish date : 2025-12-07 22:44:00

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