Missouri basketball just picked up its second commitment of the 2025 class in composite 4-star forward Nicholas Randall.
A St. Louis native, Randall has been connected with head coach Dennis Gates and the Tigers for quite some time. His first On3 sports prediction was filed early in June of 2024 and Missouri was rumored to be the leader in his recruitment since that point.
Randall presents as a traditional, modern power forward with a high court-running motor that can score in the interior and rebound at a high level. If he can get stronger and develop his offensive skillset, the final result will be a developmental forward.
Here’s everything you need to know about the St. Louis native.
The most growth Randall needs to show is offensively. He doesn’t have much of a jump shot yet and might not ever develop one. More than likely, Randall’s offensive production won’t be his calling card in his college and potential professional career.
Though his jump shot is inefficient, he still takes too many perimeter shots. He hasn’t done anything yet to deem those to be efficient, but that hasn’t stopped him from taking them. More than likely, Randall will not take a high volume of perimeter shots to start his college career. If he does and remains as inefficient as he’s been, that’s a one-way stop to reduced minutes.
What he will be known for is his ability to rebound the ball. Only standing at 6-foot-8, 230-pounds, he is certainly undersized for his position, but his knack for positioning and his use of his strength to get into those positions is his most valuable trait.
He might not look the biggest on tape, but Randall plays physically on both sides of the ball. He can body up defenders on offense, again fight for rebounding position and play physical defense.
Randall’s rebounding and defense are going to have to function at a high level in order for him to see the court early in his college career. If the development in the weight room comes along in the months leading up to his start with the Tigers, that might be a surefire way to see the court.
As far as what Randall’s role looks like with the Tigers early on, depending on personnel, he may function best as a smaller center. He has the athleticism and motor to run the court consistently and not being a perimeter threat makes it harder to slot him anywhere else. The Tigers do have plenty of help, as of now, at the center position, which also makes it more of a challenge to envision where Randall will play.
Assuming the Tigers keep all its depth at the center position, developing and training consistency with Randall’s perimeter shot might be the next course of action if they want him to see the court. Gates and the Missouri coaching staff are known for wanting shooters at all five positions, even with his power forwards and centers. If Randall can’t shoot from the outside at all, it might make him a liability in Gates’ offense.
Even if Randall can’t have an efficient offensive game to start, he will be relied on to have a high motor on defense and secure a few rebounds per game. If those things don’t happen from the jump, his role and outlook with the Tigers could be foggy. In high school, for the most part, he’s been a player who excels at playing his role. That needs to continue for him to find success with the Tigers.
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