With the announcement of the Border War returning to Mizzou’s schedule this season, one of the storylines was going to be the rivalry within the rivalry as MU’s Parker Braun faced off versus his younger brother, Kansas sophomore, Christian Braun. Well, in March of 2021, Parker elected to enter the transfer portal and take his talents to the Santa Clara Broncos, squashing the brother matchup from happening.
Parker decided to transfer as his role under Cuonzo Martin was limited. At Mizzou, he was averaging just under 10 minutes a game and there were some matchups where he rode the bench for 40 minutes. Today, Herb Sendek has Braun starting and playing nearly 34 minutes a game. Braun is averaging 8.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. He obviously must be happy with his increased playing time however was it the right decision to transfer?
Looking at the Mizzou team so far this season, one of the glaring issues is the lack of a polished bigman and paint presence. Jordan Wilmore has gotten a crack at being Missouri’s inside force but has not produced well in limited minutes. The current lineups include Kobe Brown (6-foot-8), Yaya Keita (6-foot-8) and Trevon Brazile (6-foot-9) playing at the four or five which instantly creates noticeable mismatches versus teams with true centers.
Now, Parker Braun (6-foot-10) is not anywhere near a Kofi Cockburn or Oscar Tshiebwe from a defense and rebounding standpoint, but he would be the best big man on the Tiger’s roster. Braun can defend in the post as he is averaging 1.6 blocks-a-game at Santa Clara this season. Additionally, Braun provides crafty offense and spot-up shooting that Mizzou could desperately use. Cuonzo would almost be forced to play Braun at times where Brown falls into foul trouble or the team just needs more rebounding. Braun could easily be getting 25 to 30 minutes a game if he stayed in Columbia.
It is easy to say now that Parker should have stayed because of the current situation but, in reality, Braun was not aware the team would fail to get any big-man help through the portal. His move to Santa Clara was definitely the most surefire decision however it is fun to think about what could have been.