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RE: right, but Gates had such a massive depth & talent advantage
Posted on: March 21, 2025 at 22:53:36 CT
wu-tangtiger MU
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6 Missouri vs. #11 Drake
None of Missouri’s players ranked in the Top 60 of our most recent board. Let’s start with their auto-eligible guys. 6’5” senior Tamar Bates is also an excellent shooter. He’s flirted with 40% from deep over the past two years and has a gorgeous lefty stroke. Plus, he can attack closeouts and made 77.1% of his halfcourt rim attempts this year. Bates has also taken strides as a defender. The only real issue here is that he’s not much of a ball mover, creator, or connective passer. He had a negative assist-to-turnover mark and only an 8.0 AST%. Still, there’s a real 3-and-D skill set here. Caleb Grill will be knocked for his age (he turns 25 before the draft) and lack of size (6’3”). He’s cut from a similar cloth to Bates. He’s made 40.5% of his threes on 15.0 attempts per 100 possessions this year. That’s truly an elite pairing of volume and efficiency. He’s also a super-engaged off-ball defender. Grill is always pointing, talking, and racking up steals (3.5 STL%). He’s stuck in the precarious “not quite wing” mold as a subpar playmaker for his size, though.
6’2” guard Anthony Robinson II is an analytics darling with a lot of fans. He’s smart, long, and tough. Offensively, he consistently finds ways to get deep into the paint, operating with a high degree of poise. He throws some really sharp whips on the go. His signature skill may be his foul drawing, as he has an outstanding .784 FTr and routinely baits opponents into mistakes. Defensively, his super-fast hands allow him to strip the ball from opposing ball handlers (5.0 STL%). His lack of size can still make him a mismatch target, and questions remain about the validity of his shot given his low volume (3.8 threes per 100 possessions). I’ve still got some Mark Mitchell stock. The 6’8” junior forward is a rugged defender and smart decision-maker. The knock on him has always been his shooting, as he’s below the 30% mark for his college career. If he can figure that out, everything else is there.
For Drake, 6’4” junior guard Bennett Stirtz is one of the best players in college basketball. Not mid-major college basketball—just college basketball in general. He’s a playmaking wizard who slung 5.7 APG to only 2.0 TOV, leading the complex offense for the Bulldogs. Offensively, he finds ways to get into the paint. From there, he has great touch (66.9% on halfcourt rim attempts) and underrated bounce (13 dunks on the year). He can play off the ball, too. He’s drilled 44.2% of his catch-and-shoot threes this year. Defensively, his nastiness and feel allowed him to post a monstrous 3.6 STL%. There are fair questions to be asked about Stirtz’s level of competition. He hasn’t faced much in the way of high-level rim protection. Defensively, his ground coverage can leave something to be desired. Still, I’m bullish on him as one of the most underrated prospects in college basketball. I think he’s a legitimate NBA point guard.
Stirtz vs. Robinson will be a must-watch match-up in round one.
6 Missouri vs. #11 Drake
None of Missouri’s players ranked in the Top 60 of our most recent board. Let’s start with their auto-eligible guys. 6’5” senior Tamar Bates is also an excellent shooter. He’s flirted with 40% from deep over the past two years and has a gorgeous lefty stroke. Plus, he can attack closeouts and made 77.1% of his halfcourt rim attempts this year. Bates has also taken strides as a defender. The only real issue here is that he’s not much of a ball mover, creator, or connective passer. He had a negative assist-to-turnover mark and only an 8.0 AST%. Still, there’s a real 3-and-D skill set here. Caleb Grill will be knocked for his age (he turns 25 before the draft) and lack of size (6’3”). He’s cut from a similar cloth to Bates. He’s made 40.5% of his threes on 15.0 attempts per 100 possessions this year. That’s truly an elite pairing of volume and efficiency. He’s also a super-engaged off-ball defender. Grill is always pointing, talking, and racking up steals (3.5 STL%). He’s stuck in the precarious “not quite wing” mold as a subpar playmaker for his size, though.
6’2” guard Anthony Robinson II is an analytics darling with a lot of fans. He’s smart, long, and tough. Offensively, he consistently finds ways to get deep into the paint, operating with a high degree of poise. He throws some really sharp whips on the go. His signature skill may be his foul drawing, as he has an outstanding .784 FTr and routinely baits opponents into mistakes. Defensively, his super-fast hands allow him to strip the ball from opposing ball handlers (5.0 STL%). His lack of size can still make him a mismatch target, and questions remain about the validity of his shot given his low volume (3.8 threes per 100 possessions). I’ve still got some Mark Mitchell stock. The 6’8” junior forward is a rugged defender and smart decision-maker. The knock on him has always been his shooting, as he’s below the 30% mark for his college career. If he can figure that out, everything else is there.
For Drake, 6’4” junior guard Bennett Stirtz is one of the best players in college basketball. Not mid-major college basketball—just college basketball in general. He’s a playmaking wizard who slung 5.7 APG to only 2.0 TOV, leading the complex offense for the Bulldogs. Offensively, he finds ways to get into the paint. From there, he has great touch (66.9% on halfcourt rim attempts) and underrated bounce (13 dunks on the year). He can play off the ball, too. He’s drilled 44.2% of his catch-and-shoot threes this year. Defensively, his nastiness and feel allowed him to post a monstrous 3.6 STL%. There are fair questions to be asked about Stirtz’s level of competition. He hasn’t faced much in the way of high-level rim protection. Defensively, his ground coverage can leave something to be desired. Still, I’m bullish on him as one of the most underrated prospects in college basketball. I think he’s a legitimate NBA point guard.
Stirtz vs. Robinson will be a must-watch match-up in round one.
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RE: right, but Gates had such a massive depth & talent advantage - wu-tangtiger MU - 3/21 22:53:36
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