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Four of Mizzou’s losses have come by a combined 14 points

Here are today’s Mizzou Links.

By Bill Connelly

My general belief is that if you play like a tourney team enough, you’ll make the tourney. I try not to get wrapped up too much in résumés and quality wins/losses and what not until late in the year.

Generally speaking, Missouri’s spent most of this season playing like a top-50 (and therefore tourney-quality) team, and that impression was affirmed by the Tigers rising in the KenPom rankings after losing in the last seconds at Arkansas on Saturday.

Mizzou now sits at 40th overall, its highest Pomeroy ranking since December 2013. The Tigers were projected to lose a tight game and did so, and you’re certainly not going to fall in a good computer ranking when that’s the case.

Still, Saturday was a missed opportunity, especially when combined with the missed opportunities of the Florida, Illinois, and WVU games. Missouri has lost these four games by a combined 14 games. Grr.

Some quotes:

“It doesn’t matter if you can’t finish.”

Missouri was down by as many as 18 points in the first half and rallied all the way back and took the lead in the second half. Despite the comeback from a double-digit deficit and a six-point lead in the final five minutes, [Kassius] Robertson said the team hasn’t proved its learned from its past mistakes.

“It doesn’t really matter if you can’t finish,” he said.

“Those are points left on the board.”

“We’ve got to fix whatever we’re doing, whether it’s me waiting on the screen, whatever it is,” Geist said. “We have to make sure we get some shots up because those are points left on the board.”

“I wish I would have gotten Kash the ball.” I feel bad for Jordan Geist.

“I was supposed to get a ball screen from” Barnett “and attack the baseline, but one of their big men helped. That option wasn’t open, and I tried to get the ball to Kash,” Geist said. ... “I wish I would have gotten a better look, a wide-open look. I wish I would have gotten Kash the ball. But it didn’t happen like that.”

I love Cuonzo Martin’s shade.

Robertson scored the game’s first basket on a follow-up layup after a missed layup attempt in transition by senior forward Jordan Barnett. The two seniors, who had been essential in Missouri’s solid play through its first three conference games, provided the same support Saturday night. They combined to score the Tigers’ first 10 points.

“He shot it well. He shot it well. He shot it well,” Martin said of Robertson. “I don’t think he defended at the level he’s capable of, but he shot it well.”

More Links:

  • Primary 2018 cornerback target Eddie Smith released a top 4 with February’s signing day a few weeks away. Mizzou made the cut.
  • It’s a family thing for Jordan Roundtree.

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