Despite a relative quiet period there had been plenty to talk about. Mizzou fans had time to fret about Kevin Knox and Jeremiah Tilmon, on top of eagerly checking Jontay Porter’s twitter timeline for any updates... in the meantime, the Tigers brought a sweet shooting guard onto campus and secured a commitment from graduate transfer Kassius Robertson.
From last night...
Missouri has landed Canisius grad transfer Kassius Robertson, source told ESPN.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) May 3, 2017
Then...
Unfortunately the media never goes through the main source which is ME and ME ONLY I will be making my announcement tomorrow night No sooner
— kassius (@Kash_Money_5) May 3, 2017
So then...
I’m going to take the story down as Kassius himself is stating he’ll announce tomorrow night
— Sam Snelling (@SamTSnelling) May 3, 2017
Well then tonight...
It’s true, we published (some form of) this last night. But now that it’s official ... let’s get to it:
Kassius Robertson is a 6’3 guard from Canisius of the MAAC, and he brings the one thing Missouri needed most: the ability to make shots from the outside. Mizzou shot 30.4% from 3-point range last year, which ranked 333rd in the nation, and the Tigers have now added a player who has shot 40.3% from deep over his career.
Here’s what I said about Robertson last week:
I watched some game film on Robertson, and I think it’s easy to see why Missouri is pursuing him. He doesn’t have elite size for an off guard, but he does have elite lift and a high release on his jump shot, which allows him to get his shot off in tighter spaces. He’s not an exceptional athlete and has limited movement laterally, but overall his ability to get off deep shots and still be accurate against good defense makes him a threat.
What the Tigers need is shooting and guys who can work off the ball, and Robertson can provide that. It remains to be seen how good of a defender he can be in the SEC.
Robertson’s 118.1 offensive rating was higher (by 12 points) than any Mizzou Tiger last year. He also had the highest per-game scoring average despite being third on the team in percentage of shots taken and playing the most minutes on the team. So his efficiency is high. His low turnover rate is also a good sign for the Tigers.
Perhaps the most impressive number is 1.8 fouls committed per 40 minutes. That’s an insanely low number (good for 71st in the country) and demonstrates a high basketball IQ.
Immediately Robertson should contend for a starting position at the off-guard position and at least will provide an elite shooter off the bench, making defenses extend out and open a lot of lanes for the rest of Mizzou’s backcourt — Terrence Phillips and, of course, Michael Porter Jr.
This is a badly needed piece for Mizzou and new coach Cuonzo Martin. The immediately eligible grad-transfer brings experience and only uses a scholarship for next season. Having two seniors helps age the roster, and Robertson can use his experience to aid the still quite youthful roster.
So welcome, Kassius! We’re glad you’re a Tiger and M-I-Z!