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The Missouri Tigers came into last season expecting to be one of the better teams in the SEC behind preseason All-American point guard Phil Pressey. The Tigers fell short of expectations with a disappointing first-round SEC tournament exit followed by a first-round NCAA tournament loss to the Colorado State Rams.
Pressey had a lackluster season performance, and he really seemed to struggle closer to the NCAA tournament. He had another year to play with Missouri, but chose to be an early entry into the 2013 NBA Draft. He was not drafted.
Pressey was one of the best passers in the country last season, but the Tigers’ injury woes forced him to have to be more of the team’s offensive threat then the supplier. It caused him to make many late game errors that hindered his draft stock in the eyes of many NBA organizations.
The Missouri PG even had a 19-assist performance against the UCLA Bruins. However, the NBA is just as much about basketball skill and athleticism as it is about basketball I.Q., and his late game decisions really hurt his chances at being chosen. If Pressey wants to make it onto the NBA court, he will have to show he is capable of making smarter in-game decisions.
After the draft, the Boston Celtics added Pressey to their summer league squad where he will train to try and show that he belongs on an NBA team. I firmly believe with the right mentor he will be a talented NBA player one day. Who better to for a young PG to learn under than Rajon Rondo?
Taylor Sturm is an SEC Basketball Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TSturmRS or add him to your network on Google.
