The Tigers won their last three games with two wins coming against power five opponents
Missouri men’s basketball moved to 9-1, winning nine straight after the season opener. Three of those wins came against California, Kansas and Long Island. Here are some key takeaways as the Tigers approach SEC play.
Big three becoming clear
Through the first five or six games, it was unclear who would step up to lead in the big games for Missouri due to the influx of new players. This uncertainty grew after the injury to Caleb Grill who was the team’s most productive offensive weapon through seven games averaging 13.6 points per game. In the Tigers’ first two games against high-major opponents, Anthony Robinson ll, Tamar Bates and Mark Mitchell rose to the occasion on the offensive end.
Robinson led the comeback against the Golden Bears with a career-high 29 points and six assists. Bates showed up against the Jayhawks with 29 points and five steals on the defensive end. Mitchell was consistent throughout the three-game stretch with point totals of 15, 17 and 21.
These three make a complimentary trio all playing different positions and producing on both ends of the court. The three of them are the top three points per game and steals per game leaders, excluding Grill.
Three point attempts going down
Another factor of losing Grill to injury was less shots from three-point range. Missouri had its two lowest three-point attempts games against California and Kansas. The Tigers shot a combined 22 threes across both contests.
The game against Long Island was an outlier where they put up 28 attempts and made 50%. Instead, Missouri had been getting to the rim, scoring 50 points in the paint against the Golden Bears and 32 against both the Jayhawks and the Sharks.
Rim Protection
Missouri did not have a game with more than five blocks until this three-game stretch. They reached a season-high of six against California before beating that total with seven against Long Island.
Blocks are not the only sign of rim protection, but the opponent’s field goal percentage shows how Missouri’s defense is affecting shots. The Tigers’ defensive numbers got better with each game, holding the Golden Bears to 50%, Kansas to 40% and Long Island to 38%.
Mitchell boasted three blocks versus both the Jayhawks and the Sharks, tying his season-high. Aidan Shaw made his impact felt at the rim with four blocks over the three games, utilizing his 49-inch max vertical leap.
Starting five found?
Head coach Dennis Gates has experimented with his starting lineup this season, but may have found the ideal five over the past few contests. Gates went with a common lineup of Robinson, Annor Boateng, Bates, Mitchell and Josh Gray against California. Boateng saw limited action in the matchup, playing only four minutes.
Gates made the switch from Boateng to Tony Perkins against Kansas and it stayed that way for the Long Island game. Perkins was the No. 14 ranked point guard in the transfer portal prior to this season. This change stuck for Gates as Perkins veteran leadership on both ends of the floor have translated to wins.
Missouri played at 12 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 22 at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis for their Braggin’ Rights matchup against Illinois. The Tigers lost the rivalry matchup 80-77.
Edited by Dylan Heinrich | dheinrich@themaneater.com
Copyedited by Hannah Taylor | htaylor@themaneater.com
Edited by Emily Skidmore | eskidmore@themaneater.com