Mizzou Transfer Showing Signs of Maturity and Growth as Season Progresses

Halfway through the second half of the Missouri Tigers' blowout victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks, senior Jacob Crews missed a open three-point shot.

Wide open.

That's never an easy pill for any shooter to swallow, especially when there wasn't a single defender between him and the rim. That miss wasn't easy for Crews, despite leading by 16 at the time. He wanted it to go in. Head coach Dennis Gates did as well, alongside 15,000 Missouri faithful packed into Mizzou Arena.

“The thing is that you have to look at he's tough as nails and he's hard on himself,” Gates said. ”So think about that transition three. I want him to make it. I want him to shoot it. He was so mad.”

That single miss started a slight spiral for Crews, who became a shell of himself after missing the open attempt. His frustration took over him and Crews became distracted by the task at hand.

“He missed that shot that it started to distract him a little bit and he put up his wall like most kids do when they're hurt or bothered by something in frustration,” Gates said.

Fortunately for Crews, Gates and the Tigers as a whole, Crews powered through whatever negative thoughts he had for the betterment of the team. Crews' was put on the bench and came in later in the game, where he grabbed an offensive rebound off a missed Marcus Allen layup and put it back in for two points. Simply put, that's a tremendous sign of growth for the former UT-Martin standout.

“But the growth that he's made is he put that wall back down, got back in, made plays, made winning plays,” Gates said.

Crews also made an important impact in the first half. He had a putback dunk which rounded out his four points but despite missing his only three-point attempts, he showed a willingness to be aggressive and attack the basket. Again, that's an important sign of growth for Crews' offensive skillset.

"So he attacked the basket today and finished with a dunk and that is great to see because he gives us a balance of shooting as well,” Gates said.

So far this season, Crews is averaging 4.3 points per game on 30.8% shooting and 31% from outside. Though he's only seeing the court for 11.7 minutes per game, he's beginning to find his shot. There is a belief by Gates and others that, with more shooting volume, his scoring will see an increase.

“I can't wait to see him string off the same amount of threes if not more than what [Caleb] Grill has been doing,” Gates said.

Crews brings a lot to the table. Against Arkansas, because of the lineups Gates put on the floor, Crews was forced to guard bigger forwards. He did just fine and showed what he brings to the table defensively, adding another bullet point to the list of what Crews provides.

His ability to shoot from the outside, despite his efficiency this season, is what made Crews such an appealing addition. Now that those shots aren't always falling and he's learning to put the ball on the floor and attack, Gates has a new sense of versatility when it comes to lineups.

Playing a small-ball lineup is what helped the Tigers the most on defense despite specific sequences. It helped against the Razorbacks and will help again, both in conference play and potentially the NCAA tournament. Mark Mitchell and Trent Pierce make sense for that lineup with their athleticism and length and Gates can now safely add Crews' to that list.

“Trent Pierce’s versatility allows us to be in that way. Jacob Crews' versatility and then obviously, Mark Mitchell,” Gates said.

He hasn't jumped off the stat sheet yet but the versatility is there with Crews. He will get his big moment and a time will come when he is called upon to step up. When that moment comes, the Tigers will need the mature and multi-faceted Crews to make whatever play is needed.

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