OPINION|
With Thanksgiving turkeys still thawing, it’s too early to declare how Missouri State’s men’s basketball season will be viewed when it hits the finish line in March. Much can change over the next 105 days.
But alarm bells are ringing and this is not a drill.
The first month of the Bears’ season has been a dud, with a 3-3 record including two wins over non-Division I teams and the other victory the result of a frantic 22-2 stretch drive just a few days ago.
Any momentum from the come-from-behind victory over University of Texas Rio Grande Valley circled the drain on Nov. 24 in front of another sparse gathering inside Great Southern Bank Arena. The Long Island University Sharks outscored Missouri State 40-21 in the second half for a 75-61 victory.
You could pick several statistics as glaring. LIU shot 60 percent in each half, with dribble drives giving the Bears’ defense fits. Missouri State missed 19 of 22 3-pointers and made just 14 of 27 free throws. The Sharks outrebounded the Bears 33-27, the fourth straight game Missouri State has lost the rebounding battle.
Coming off the worst record in its Division I history, Missouri State desperately needed to get off to a good start to kick-start a spark of interest in the program. The schedule was conducive to do just that, with several low majors coming into town. But it isn’t happening. The Bears now are a low major themselves.
There is some talent to work with on a re-made roster, notably senior transfers Keith Palek III and Kobi Williams. Trey Williams is a highly regarded freshman guard. Michael Osei-Bonsu is a workhorse near the basket, but struggles with free throws and fouls. Zaxton King is a returnee who’s providing steady play.
Senior transfer Darrion Sutton has a lot of upside as a scorer and rebounder. Sophomore transfer Tyrique Brooks, a Central High School grad, has struggled to find his stride at the DI level.
But one area above all others is killing the Bears, and it’s the most basic concept of the game of basketball.
Making shots is what it’s all about
A white-headed coach whom I once covered (his name hangs in the GSB Arena rafters) said that good shooting hides a lot of deficiencies. No one was smarter than the late Charlie Spoonhour, who always had guards who could handle the ball, guard and make open shots.
Six games into this season, the Bears are shooting 23.4 percent from 3-point range and 58.2 percent from inside the arc. In today’s basketball, where metrics suggest 3-pointers and layups are the way to go, the mid-range game is on the backburner.
Analyze the rest of the game to death 
— rebounding, defending, passing and so forth — success or failure ultimately boils down to making shots.
Coach Cuonzo Martin maintains his confidence that he has a good-shooting team, particularly with Kobi and Trey Williams whom he has called “high-level shooters.”
“I think so. I think it is,” Martin said of the simplification of shot-making as the key element. “When I was a young guy, it had to start on the defensive side of the ball, and offense became a bonus. But when you’re used to seeing the ball go in, it feels good. You have energy behind that.
“But they have to go through it. They have to learn those tough lessons. They put the time into it. Man, that’s the hard part. You do feel for them. They do work hard and they want to be good players. They have a great relationship and camaraderie together.”
Staying the course in search of better times
Missouri State guard Zaxton King smiles during media day for the 2025 basketball season. (Photo by Ellie Frysztak)
King, who led the Bears against LIU with 15 points on 6-for-13 shooting (0-4 on 3-pointers) said he and his teammates have to keep their confidence up.
“It’s still positive. We know what we can do,” King said. “We know our abilities.”
Following the win over Texas Rio Grande Valley, Kobi Williams said the Bears believe shots are going to start going in.
“We’re all really great shooters and have proven it in practice and in the summer. We’ve been working on our game for a long time,” Williams said. “Shooters are going to get into slumps. We have to keep shooting. That’s how you’re going to get out of them.”
For the second straight game, the Bears got off to a terrific start. They sprinted to a 21-9 lead over LIU, coached by 16-year NBA veteran and former DePaul star Rod Strickland. Missouri State held a 23-11 lead midway through the first half, with all seven Bears who had played getting points.
It was 40-35 Bears at the half, but the Sharks caught the Bears at 46-all when Kobi Williams went out after picking up his fourth foul. It was all LIU from there as the Sharks went on an 18-3 run.
As LIU pulled away, the arena public address announcer repeatedly pleaded for the 1,602 fans to get on their feet and make noise. Those words clanged off the proverbial rim like one of the many missed threes.
One more DII foe before December
The Bears close out the month with a Nov. 30 game against another DII opponent, Northeastern State of Oklahoma, which is coached by former Drury assistant Ja Havens. Then it’s on to a December schedule that’s tougher, including road games at Tulsa and Xavier with Oral Roberts and Lindenwood at home.
The maiden voyage in Conference USA starts on Dec. 29 at Delaware with UTEP the first CUSA opponent at GSB Arena, on Jan. 2. Missouri State was picked last in the league and has given no pause to doubt that prediction, so far.
The Bears could get a boost if 6-7, 240-pound senior transfer Amar Kuljuhovic is able to return. He’s been in a boot for a lower leg injury after grabbing 12 rebounds in the first two games.
But without better perimeter shooting, it’s going to be a long, lonely winter in the home gym.
“They work at it,” Martin said. “The guys work hard on their shots. They come in multiple times during the day. We cut guys off as far as how much, to try and have fresh legs. Trey, Kobi, those guys have always been high-level shooters. You have to look deep into why they’re missing those shots.
“I don’t think it’s a fear factor when they’re on the floor at all. We just have to find ways to get those guys to feel good, to have confidence and to shoot the ball. They have looks.”
It’s a long journey until March, but paraphrasing the great Yogi Berra, it’s starting to get late early.
Lyndal Scranton is a Springfield native who has covered sports in the Ozarks for more than 35 years, witnessing nearly every big sports moment in the region during the last 50 years. The Missouri Sports Hall of Famer, Springfield Area Sports Hall of Famer and live-fire cooking enthusiast also serves as PR Director for Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri and is co-host of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast. Contact him at Lscranton755@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @LyndalScranton. More by Lyndal Scranton