Talented Tiger Underclassmen Emerging in Mizzou Rotation

A freshman and sophomore under the lead of Dennis Gates and the veterans of Missouri men's basketball appear to be cornerstones for the future of the program.

Nov 14, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Marcus Allen (4) shoots the ball during the first half against the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils at Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Head coach Dennis Gates had no issues bringing the last two seasons. In his first season, he brought in the No. 27 class nationally. He followed that up with the fifth-best class in the nation, headlined by 4-star Arkansas native Annor Boateng.

Sophomore guard Anthony Robinson II, a Tallahassee, Fla. native, was a member of Gates' 2023 class. He was the lowest-ranked player in that class and struggled in his freshman year, but he's shown tremendous growth to start his second campaign. He's seen an expanded role to start this season, averaging 21.8 minutes per game through four games compared to 13.3 last year.

“Ant Robinson is solidifying itself as a core guy, just because of how he impacts the game,” Gates said.

The impact he has on each game stretches across both sides of the ball. Generally, Robinson is a very intense player and the pace at which he plays is fast and in control. He's also been more aggressive on offense and that is evident in the increase in his points per game.

“He's added maybe more size and physicality with the weight room in the off-season and you can see that he's drawing more fouls and has the ability to get downhill,” senior guard Caleb Grill said.

Robinson is one of a few players who are seeing increased roles earlier in the year. Freshman Marcus Allen, who's seen his minutes increase game-to-game, earned his minutes the hard way. Nothing Allen does jumps off the stat sheet quite yet, but his hustle is the contributor.

“Slowly but surely, you see his minutes increase because he's not afraid to do dirty work,” Gates said. “He's not afraid to impact the game with the little things and he's going to continue to do that because that's what he does in practice every day.”

Allen might be a freshman, but he has the ackowledacknowledgmentgment of his teammates and coaches for his hard work and intensity. He is still growing as a communicator and as a leader in his freshman class, but that comes with time.

“He doesn't play like he's an upperclassman,” Grill said. “I think that's really been the most impressive thing with me that I’ve seen from him.”

Robinson, on the other hand, has taken a leadership role among the underclassmen on Gates' roster. He's become a vocal leader, a skill that's developed in the offseason in preparation for this one.

“I think he's done a really good job of being that leader for the underclassmen, the freshman,” Grill said. “He's been a I always see him around with the freshmen and helping them out a lot.”

Robinson's role is important for many reasons, primarily because of the talent level of the freshman on this Tigers roster. His growth as a leader shows while playing, as does his improvement as a player compared to last year.

“I just think he looks like an older sibling to those guys and I think that's just that leadership he's built off the court,” Grill said. “He gets translated onto the court and that's why you see how much he's improved from season one to season two.”

Allen's bread and butter is his IQ. He always finds himself in the right position to make the right play. That's something that will go a long way, especially while he is still developing his offensive and defensive skillset while mixing it with his athleticism.

“He's just a guy that's always in the right spot, so he just has a high IQ and it's something that is going to help him throughout his whole career," Grill said.

Gates shares the same opinion. Allen continues to make play after play, whether it's on offense or defense. He's always hustling and always working when guarding an opponent, setting a foundation as he continues to show improvement in all facets.

“He's always in the right place,” Gates said. “He can make the plays that may not show up in a stat sheet.”

The two talented underclassmen, alongside the rest of the Tiger roster, get its next chance to see the court at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22 against the Pacific Tigers.

Read More Missouri Tigers News:

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'He’s Gonna Tell My Mom': Dennis Gates Unusual Approach to Improve Anthony Robinson II's Leadership