We’ve learned more in 8 minutes than we have in 3 months

After some extensive radio silence since the one practice I went to back in July, we finally heard from women’s basketball head coach Robin Pingeton at SEC media days. While the 8-minute press conference didn’t last long, we learned plenty about the areas of emphasis for her roster and her mentality heading into the season. Here are three quick things we learned from Mizzou’s time in Birmingham.

Judd, Slaughter highlight returners

To no one’s surprise, the two faces of Mizzou women’s basketball are leading returning scorers Ashton Judd and Grace Slaughter.

As the longest tenured Tiger alongside Averi Kroenke (which feels weird), Judd continues to work on taking the next step. Now an upperclassmen, Ashton is still quite silent on the court. But her actions and her hours in the gym speak louder than words.

“To me she has that ‘it’ factor, a little bit of an alpha on the court,” Pingeton said. “She’s gritty, she’s tough, she’s resilient, she’s been a really good leader for so many of our new players. Not only because of her character but just her work ethic.”

Judd’s raw numbers have increased steadily since freshman year, moving from 20 to 30 minutes per game and from 7.4 points to 13.4. However, there are plenty of questions surrounding efficiency, with both her overall and three-point percentages seeing drop-offs in somewhat of a “sophomore slump”.

But a surprise of value came in her rebounding with 6.4 boards and 1.5 on the offensive glass. For a team and a coach who loves to go small, that sort of rebounding as a guard makes Judd extremely valuable when it comes to second-chance points.

Grace Slaughter is seen as the future of the women’s basketball program, coming off a freshman year where she averaged double-digits and secured a spot on the All-SEC Freshman team.

If there was one downside to her first year, Slaughter struggled defensively. She tended to look lost on rotations, struggling to think ahead and catch up to driving scorers. As a result, this will be a big point of emphasis, and I’d expect her to use her larger size as a wing to her advantage, using it to slow down and defer defenders.

New faces galore

Perhaps the biggest storyline regarding this Mizzou team is all the new faces on the roster—specifically transfers. There are four — count ‘em FOUR new transfers on the team— and basically five if you include De’Myla Brown, who will play her first year in a Tiger uniform after sitting out due to transfer rules/regulations.

One player drawing plenty of attention is sophomore Tionna “Tree” Herron. After entering Kentucky as a top-tier recruit, Herron was forced to sit out her first year due to a surprise need for open heart surgery. After a transfer to Texas and a year spent primarily on the bench, Tree is ready for an increased role as a Tiger.

“She’s been a great addition. She’s got size, she’s got good athleticism,” Pingeton said. “I’ve been pleased with the growth in her game that we’ve seen since she’s been on campus.”

Pingeton mentioned that an area of focus was getting her in better physical shape, being able to handle the grind and physicality that is SEC play.

Another player that drew the attention of the media is New Mexico transfer Nyah Wilson. During her last year in the Mountain West, Wilson averaged 15.5 points per game, including a stretch where she scored double-digits in 18 of her last 19 games to close the season.

“She can push the ball in transition, guard 90 feet from the basket,” Pingeton said.

Another area of focus is Wilson’s ability to play point guard, a skill that didn’t seem like was an option entering the season. With a point guard room that has plenty of options but may lack top-end scoring talent, Wilson would be an immediate option as a scoring threat coming up the court.

Where you grow the most

It’s no secret that the last couple of years have been less than stellar for Mizzou WBB. From an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2019, to three straight NIT appearances from 2021-23, to missing ALL tournaments last year, there have been plenty of questions raised about the program.

But Coach Pingeton understands this. The SEC hasn’t gotten any easier; with powerhouses like South Carolina and LSU, the resurgence of Kentucky and the addition of Oklahoma and Texas, there’s no doubt that this is one of the best conferences in the nation. The SEC has five teams ranked in the AP top 25 plus two more receiving votes.

After a last-place finish and a projected No. 15 finish in the media poll, many are counting Mizzou WBB out before the season starts. But Coach P is insisting that this team is too good to count out.

“I’m so proud of the resiliency and the resolve of these young ladies, that they believe in our program and our culture. We’re willing to come back and stay committed to what our hopes and dreams have been as we continue to elevate our program back up in a tough league,” Pingeton said. “I don’t shy away from any of it. I think the good is good and the hard can be really good for you, too.”

We will continue to learn more about this team when Mizzou hosts their media day later in October before kicking off the season with a preseason exhibition at home against Truman State at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at Mizzou Arena.