Over the past three years, a familiar pattern has played out for Missouri during portal season.
It opens with aspirations to obtain a high-quality veteran with a track record of steady production as a starter. Yet that line of thought quickly gives way to practicality and affordability. The thin supply of big men with that background allows agents to keep NIL asks and pricing out MU, which has often faced pressing needs up and down its rotation.
Inevitably, the shelves empty quickly, and the Tigers find themselves shopping for a veteran with high-major experience – as a reserve.