Freshman's Six-Minute Stretch Aids in Important Mizzou Victory Over Florida
T.O. Barrett stepped up in a big way when the Missouri Tigers needed him the most. Despite not playing since the Tigers road loss to Auburn, Barrett was key in closing out an important win.
“You have a freshman come in who hadn't played probably the last two games and close us out at the point guard position,” head coach Dennis Gates said. “That says a lot about what his team thinks of him, what I think of him but more importantly, the confidence he has in [himself] to go out there and do the job.”
The decision to slot him into the lineup in favor of Anthony Robinson II, who had four fouls at the time, may have seemed puzzling to some. He proved all of those doubters wrong by a long shot. It wasn't a box score type of impact but one that helped the Tigers secure an 83-82 victory over the No. 5 Florida Gators.
Barrett only notched six minutes in the game, all of which came in its final waning seconds. He didn't score a single point or even attempt a shot but, surprisingly, his calm and steady presence at the point guard spot was what the Tigers needed to close out the game.
“T.O. Barrett’s minutes came in the last six minutes of the game,” Gates said. “A freshman being ready on the road to close out a game when a senior is out ejected when a second-year unbelievable point guard is in foul trouble.”
Barrett did grab one assist and one rebound in the game. That one assist was an impressive dump-off to forward Mark Mitchell in the post. Even more impressive, Barrett didn't turn the ball over once. In fact, he didn't even make a single bad pass.
The clutch presence of Barrett didn't go unrecognized by his coaches and teammates. Gates sang his praise on multiple occasions, as did veteran guard Caleb Grill. Barrett's readiness to play whenever, along with the rest of the Missouri bench, was a key to victory against the top-ranked Gators.
“I couldn't be more proud of him for staying ready like that,” Missouri guard Caleb Grill said to the Tiger Radio Network. “But that just describes our whole team. Everyone is ready and was locked in to do whatever it took to win tonight.”
Missouri's win wasn't easy. Despite leading by 16 points at halftime and 19 late in the first half, Florida stormed back. Senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. had an explosive second half that allowed the Gator faithful to leave their dent in the game and narrow the lead.
The Tigers fought back, however, with a multitude of players aiding in doing so. Barrett was one of many but an argument could be made that he was one of the most impactful.
“We overcame so much adversity,” Grill said. “With that being said, everybody came in ready to go. How about T.O. Barrett and that type of environment, top-five road game.”
The circumstances that led to Barrett entering the game that late were extreme. Robinson had four fouls to his name and Tony Perkins was previously ejected from the game due to a flagrant foul. Barrett was the next man up with no thought about any prior performances or even when he played last in mind.
“T.O. Barrett closed the game for us and Robinson was in foul trouble,” Gates said. “I mean, it was a whole lot of different situations and scenarios. I'm just proud our guys being able to focus, no matter if they were coming off the bench or not, how many ever minutes they played prior to this game they was ready to play tonight.”
34 minutes of this game were played without Barrett and the Tigers wouldn't have earned the hard-fought victory without those who contributed during that time. Four Tigers finished in double-digit scoring, Mark Mitchell grabbed eight rebounds and Josh Gray scored his first points since Jan. 7. Many Tigers aided in the win, not just Barrett.
Barrett's clutch minutes in this battle speak to the talent spread throughout the roster and, more importantly, Gates' trust in every single player on his roster. Inserting an inexperienced freshman into the lineup on the road against a top-five team is a bold move while trying to win but Gates clearly trusts each one of his players.
The Missouri Tigers get another chance to add to the win column at home against the Arkansas Razorbacks at 5:00 p.m. CT on Saturday, January 18.
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