Per an early week report from Mitchell Forde of PowerMizzou.com, Missouri sophomore guard Xavier Pinson (Chicago, IL) is expected to return to the Tigers for his junior season, taking his name out of the pool of eligible players for the 2020 NBA Draft.
The anticipated return of Pinson is a huge boost for coach Cuonzo Martin, as Xavier was one of the most improved players on the roster last season, averaging 11 points per contest, playing in 31 games, and starting 11. He is expected to combine with returning guard Dru Smith in 2020-2021 to give the Tigers one of the more experienced backcourts in the SEC.
Forwards Jeremiah Tilmon and Mitchell Smith remain in the NBA Draft portal, for now, but both are expected to make final decisions on their status soon. Both have, like Pinson, the option of returning to Missouri for the 2020-2021 season.
