Mizzou Basketball Roster Breakdown: Perimeter Defense

Missouri Tigers basketball looks to have its roster set for the 2025-2026 season, led by head coach Dennis Gates and returning stars Mark Mitchell and Anthony Robinson II. The program added five transfers, two incoming freshman and retained six returners.

There's elements of the Tigers strengths and weaknesses that are still unclear and will be discovered throughout the season, such as their shooting, playmaking and more.

But the one trait the Tigers can rely and build their identity on is their perimeter defense.

Last season, Missouri led the Southeastern Conference with 9.4 team steals per game, hounding ball handlers and infiltrating passing lanes at incredible rates. In their 22 wins, the Tigers won the steal battle in all but five matchups, with three of those coming in early season non-conference matchups.

Leading the way in this department was Robinson, who finished second in the SEC with 2 steals per game. He'll likely lead the way for the Tigers again, and may even finish first in the conference with a minute increase this go around.

Returning Tigers 2024-2025 steals per game

G Anthony Robinson II: 2 (23 minutes per game)
F Mark Mitchell: 1 (27.8 minutes per game)
F Trent Pierce: 0.6 (17 minutes per game)
G Annor Boateng: 0.4 (6.5 minutes per game)
G T.O Barrett: 0.3 (5.4 minutes per game)
G Jacob Crews: 0.3 (12.9 minutes per game)

Transfer Tigers 2024-2025 steals per game

G Jayden Stone: N/A (But 1.5 in 2023-2024 with 35.9 minutes per game)
G Sebastian Mack: 0.9 (20.9 minutes per game)
F JeVon Porter: 0.8 (30.9 minutes per game)
C Shawn Phillips Jr.: 0.2 (17.9 minutes per game)
F Luke Northweather: 0.1 (11.3 minutes per game)

Now graduated seniors Caleb Grill, Tamar Bates and Tony Perkins combined for 4.1 steals per game, taking almost half the teams steals per game with them. However, with minute increases and new roles to the Tigers listed above, it's reasonable to expect they can replicate, if not best the 2024-2025 squad's production.

The three-headed monster

Head coach Dennis Gates has the opportunity to utilize a ridiculous three-headed monster in the backcourt in the upcoming season. Based on his tendency of running smaller lineups, there's a strong chance that almost every lineup the Tigers deploy next season will consist of at least two of Robinson, T.O. Barrett and Sebastian Mack.

As previously mentioned, Robinson will lead the charge next year, setting the tone and likely being tasked with guarding opposing team's top scoring guards. He's an absurdly pesky defender, constantly pressuring ball handlers at rates few in the nation are capable of.

Robinson has the perfect mix of positioning, foot-speed and wingspan (6-foot-7) that allow him to take up immense amounts of space. When matched up with opposing guards, it feels as if Robinson is almost double their size, wreaking havoc everywhere.

He'll need to reign in his foul troubles, which often led to his limited playing time in important games, but there's no reason to believe Robinson doesn't improve upon those as he gains more experience.

Barrett's 0.3 steals per game may be glossed over at first, but he played such a niche role with the Tigers last year that his production was hard to see statistically. He played double-digit minutes just twice in the regular season, and made the most of his opportunity with a season high of three steals in 13 minutes against Auburn.

The physicality and hustle Barrett played with as a freshman was impressive to say the least – even more so when remembering it's in a conference as big and bruting as the SEC. He was never afraid to do the dirty work, diving for loose balls,

Barrett was often used in spot situations to close the first half – or even the game – when the team needed a crucial stop. Gates developed an early trust in Barrett to go out and hold his own on the defensive end, and it's easy to think that trust has only grown since. As the Tigers guard rotation is primarily banking on internal growth, Barrett will likely see a consistent role as one of the top three minute-getting guards – joining Robinson and Mack.

Mack possesses a similar frame to Barrett, standing at 6-foot-3, 200 lbs. He'll provide toughness when fighting through screens and sparking double-teams. He's arguably the most athletic of the three as well, able to scale up to bigger wings and keep up with opposing guards in transition.

The UCLA transfer has a sixth sense for knowing when to pounce on an opposing driver, racking up plenty of his steals through it. The second a driver puts their head down, spins or begins the gather, Mack swoops in from the blindside and strips it away, sparking a fast break.

His defensive playmaking fits right in with the trio, rounding out the last part of the three-headed monster.

Their support system

Last season, taking gambles on double-teams and jumping passing lanes was a major risk for the Tigers. Centers Josh Gray and Peyton Marshall lacked mobility to make up for lost ground off of the guard's gambles, or to hold their own on a switch. However, both bigs departed over the offseason, leaving rising senior Shawn Phillips Jr. and redshirt freshman Trent Burns as the staples in that spot.

Burns may struggle with the same mobility issues Marshall and Gray did, but he also towers at 7-foot-5 inches with a reach long enough to make up for any lack of footspeed. Phillips is also a much more mobile alternative to last year's bigs, who can play drop coverage much more effectively while the guard trio pressures ball-handlers into mistakes.

On the wings are giant forwards in Mitchell, JeVon Porter and Trent Pierce, who each stand at 6-foot-9 or taller. Each cause matchup problems at their respective positions, possessing the length and mobility to effectively switch and guard one-through-five to an extent.

The final piece is former top-40 recruit Annor Boateng, who's entering his sophomore season with loads of untapped potential. He stands at 6-foot-6 with an ability to jump out the gym, making him a sneaky wildcard for the Tigers to unleash at any moment. If he clicks, Missouri's perimeter defense gets a whole lot scarier.

The last word

Teams often build their identity around their best players and leaders. It's no question Robinson was one of the best perimeter defenders in college basketball last season, and the Tigers spent this offseason doing everything they can to amplify his production, and set his teammates up to try and match it.

To any ball-handlers facing Missouri's defense next season – beware, because the Tigers defense is relentless, and will certainly win that battle.