COLUMBIA, Mo. — As encouraging as multiple new additions to first-year Missouri men’s basketball coach Dennis Gates’ roster have become during a debut season that has revived Mizzou Arena and stirred hopes of March relevance, the most crucial piece to these Tigers is the lone returning regular, Kobe Brown.
The fact was driven home Saturday evening, as Brown’s injured ankle forced him to sit and watch his Tigers’ admirable first half without him against No. 4 Alabama give way to a Crimson Tide flood that started before intermission and ended in an 85-64 pummeling.
The play that sidelined Brown looked harmless enough in the moment.