COLUMBIA, MO. • The smallest player on the court dived into a thicket of limbs, came up with the basketball — one of his eight rebounds in the game — and had the wherewithal to call a timeout. Missouri freshman guard Xavier Pinson’s reward for the timely play came in the form of thunderous boos from the Tennessee crowd of 17,000-plus. He glanced around Thompson-Boling Arena and allowed himself to enjoy the moment — and the noise.
It’s been an eventful few months for two of Cuonzo Martin’s three freshman guards as their minutes have fluctuated from week to week — sometimes first half to second half — but Pinson and Torrence Watson seemed to settle into their roles Tuesday at Tennessee.