Offensive firepower and glimmer of depth as Mizzou men’s basketball defeats Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 101-79

COLUMBIA, Mo. — With four minutes left in the first half, an Arkansas-Pine Bluff assistant coach raised his hands in the air. Just in front of the Golden Lions bench, a familiar sight had just unfolded: Missouri forward Jesus Carralero Martin stood with the ball at the top of the key. Point guard Nick Honor separated on the wing and threw down an off-ball screen, bouncing behind the 3-point line. No defenders went with him, giving Mizzou a wide-open look from 3-point range.

It was neither the first nor the last shooting opportunity the Tigers took advantage of Monday night. The UAPB coaches could do little more than demonstrate a little exasperated body language as Missouri showed off high-octane offensive potential in a 101-79 wildfire to open the season.

The Tigers’ shots were deep, but they were neither out of left field nor out of left field. Throughout the preseason, second-year coach Dennis Gates emphasized the role of 3-point baskets in the next evolution of his system, and he certainly wasn’t lying. Missouri took 30 shots from beyond the arc, hitting 12 of them to finish 40 percent from range.

“I think we have a shooting team, but we’ll see where our nerves are to start the game,” Gates said a few days before.

MU’s nerves didn’t seem to be a problem during the first half – just as the 3-point baskets often came, they started early. Point guard Sean East II stopped late in the shot clock on the game’s first possession to sink a 3. He did it again a minute in and also changed later.

East, Honor and forward Noah Carter started the game, as expected. Guard Caleb Grill and Carralero Martin joined them in Gates’ front five.

Carralero Martin, generally not considered a starter by those outside the program, demonstrated impressive playmaking ability in the first half, accurately and consistently completing jump passes in the corner and bounce passes to his teammates cutting towards the edge. He did not play in the second period.

Guard Kaleb Martin, who Gates touted as the most improved player of the offseason, was the first player off the bench. Forward Aidan Shaw, guard Tamar Bates and freshmen Anthony Robinson II and Trent Pierce also received first looks.

Their bench performances showed the depth MU has. Robinson and Pierce didn’t look out of their element as they ran onto the field with more experienced players. Shaw’s weight room gains translated to nine boards and five blocks.

“That’s the challenge I’ve had with him all offseason,” Gates said of Shaw. “He knows if you don’t rebound, you don’t play.”

And it was Bates who took home the unofficial honors as the night’s most impressive player. He went on a 10-point run alone to close the first half, mixing 3-point shooting and driving ability — plus a slam in the second half — en route to scoring 18 points.

“When he plays with his instincts and doesn’t think, he’s at his best,” Gates said. “I didn’t see him think, I didn’t see him hesitate, I didn’t see him stop. I didn’t see him do anything but I instinctively read the play.”

Gates’ rotation involved 12 of 14 scholarship players who were healthy and eligible to play. Five of them finished in double figures, further reflecting the breadth of Missouri’s depth.

“Our guys, our depth, we did it by committee,” Gates said.

“We still have fresh legs,” Bates added. “We just know we’re going to maximize every time we check the play.”

East led the Tigers in scoring with 21 points before fouling out with 6:24 left in the nearly-finished game.

Honor added 18 points, while Grill and Carter scored 15.

Mizzou’s defense wasn’t as stifling as might theoretically be possible against an opponent like the Golden Lions, and some mismatches on the pick-and-roll switches seemed to give the visitors open looks from the perimeter. Frequent fouls gave UAPB 31 free throws. That made 25.

“I thought we fouled too much,” Gates said. “There were fouls 90 feet from the basket that we were defending, so not having fouls in the backcourt is a takeaway because if we minimize those easy free throws, maybe we can minimize the pace in which we Let’s allow them in.”

Still, the Tigers managed to force 16 turnovers and score 17 points.

Missouri played more in the paint in the second half and expanded the rotation further. Freshman Jordan Butler entered the game midway through the second half, dropping a two-handed dunk on his first offensive possession. Junior college transfer guard Curt Lewis appeared late in the second half.

Connor Vanover, a 7-5 center, did not play. He will miss the first three games of the season because he participated in an off-season showcase tournament.

His absence was the result of an NCAA decision, a team spokesperson said.

Vanover participated in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament in April, which showcases senior college basketball players for professional scouts.

The rule that will prevent Vanover from playing in three games became obsolete after the pandemic expanded eligibility for college players, Gates said.

“Because they gave it an extra year, it means there will be more guys trying to go professional, so when you’re a senior you have an invite to Portsmouth,” he said. “The rule has not changed to accommodate dual seniors (like Vanover).”

MU announced Vanover’s absence a little more than an hour before Monday’s home opener. He will also miss Friday’s game against Memphis and November 13 against Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.