Missouri hasn’t circled this game — a Saturday morning showdown with SEC-undefeated Alabama — or any game on its calendar, which shouldn’t surprise anyone.

As one of the more experienced teams in the country, the Tigers know not to overlook one opponent or look too hard at another. The question is how they’ll go about treating this like any other game, given the zero in the Crimson Tide’s conference loss column.

It hasn’t been easy.

“I mean, it’s a big game,” guard Dru Smith said. “We understand that they’re a good team, and we also believe in ourselves and understand that we’re also a good team. There’s two good teams going at it tomorrow, and we’re just trying to figure out ways to come out on top.”

Missouri, perhaps due in part to its experience — and a little bit of luck — comes into the Alabama game with a 4-0 record in games decided by two points or less, including wins in the past week over TCU and Kentucky. The Tigers figure to be headed for another close one when they host Alabama.

“Just another good team in the conference,” forward Mitchell Smith said. “We gotta go out there and just play every play. Kinda like I said, it’s just another game.”

###Showdown from beyond the arc###

Alabama shoots more three-pointers per game than anyone else in the SEC and more than all but five teams in the nation.

Its 35.5 three-point percentage is good but not astounding. However, raining cannon fire from deep that often and making a solid chunk of them can take a toll on its opponents. Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin compared it to former Ole Miss standout Marshall Henderson, who last played in 2017.

“He might miss three or four, then he makes a big one, almost 35 feet, _shew_,” Martin said, mimicking the sound of the ball going through the basket. “All of a sudden, now you’re guarding him way out then he gets the driving lanes and all that, but again, they’re very talented, so you have to respect the fact that they’re a talented team.”

Alabama’s MO is playing four or five players with all-around skill sets that include shooting threes, so it’s impossible to pay attention to any one shooter or driver.

Two Bama players, John Petty Jr. and Jaden Shackleford, have shot over 100 threes this season at clips of .397 and .343, respectively. In Alabama’s last game, a double-digit win over LSU, the Tide began the game with six made threes in the first four minutes.

“Probably one of the few teams in our league that have multiple guys that can make plays off the dribble, can shoot the ball and also score at the rim,” Martin said. “Though this is a great league, there’s not many teams that have that many guys that can do those things. I think that’s what makes them good.”

A key to the game for Missouri: Stay with each man and avoid switching, which can open the door for open looks and open lanes for Alabama to pounce.

“We can’t be late,” Dru Smith said. “We don’t want to get into those rotations, start getting into those scrambles, so mainly it’s gonna be keeping your man in front of you, chest to chest. Because that’s when they’re really getting those open threes, whenever they can get you to help.”

Dru Smith, Xavier Pinson when he wants to and Mark Smith shouldn’t have an issue with this, but what may separate Missouri from the Tide’s other opponents is having guys like Kobe Brown and Mitchell Smith who can stick with shooters wherever they go.

If they can do that and help Tigers control the glass, Missouri should have a good shot on Saturday.

###New role for Mark###

Mark Smith had started every game this season until last Saturday when Martin finally pulled the plug in favor of Javon Pickett. Predictably, Smith had no issue with his new role.

“Nobody wants to lose a starting position, but Mark’s not the type of guy who complains and mopes,” Martin said. “He also understands whoever comes into the position that he’s not starting in, ‘That’s my teammate.’ Plus you’re talking about Javon. That’s like family. So it’s not as if ‘this guy took my position,’ and I think Mark is mature enough to understand.”

Mark Smith only scored five in last Saturday’s win over TCU, his first game coming off the bench, but he hit three long balls in Tuesday’s win over Kentucky as well as a key two-point jumper late in the game.

Pickett fits well in the lineup as a complementary scorer who won’t need the ball in his hands as much as the clear top three of Pinson, Dru Smith and Jeremiah Tilmon. Mark Smith’s new role seems to be a better fit for him as well, possibly because it’s dramatically simplified.

His job isn’t to be a primary scoring option, rather it’s to rain three-balls as a spark plug off the bench and play solid perimeter defense at the other end.

It’s worked out well for a Missouri team that’s suddenly shooting well from three as a whole in the last two games.

“Even when we struggled, I knew we were a better three-point shooting team than our percentages said,” Martin said.

###Stifling, versatile Bama defense###

Much like Missouri, Alabama prides itself in playing a lineup capable of guarding almost any position with almost any man. That versatility helped the Tide become a highly-ranked defensive efficiency team in the country and propelled them to the top of the SEC standings despite coming in at only third in scoring.

The starting lineup features Herbert Jones, a six-foot-eight-inch senior whose defense has drawn Martin’s attention.

“Herb Jones, in my opinion, has a lot to do with how they move,” Martin said. “He’s always been that kind of guy who can come in as a freshman with that DNA, now all of a sudden here’s a guy that’s 6’8”, in my opinion, he’ll be an NBA player for the next 10 or 15 years.”

The Tide won’t have forward Jordan Bruner, a six-foot-eight-inch graduate transfer from Yale, who led the team’s interior defense for the 13 games he was healthy. Forward Alex Reese, Bruner’s replacement in the starting lineup, will contribute to that defensive versatility.

“They got all four guards there who can switch easily,” Mitchell Smith said. “Especially with Herb when he plays the four, and I think Alex Reese, he’s quick enough sometimes to switch out there. At some points, you might not know who you’re guarding.”

Missouri faces Alabama at 11 A.M. at Mizzou Arena.

_Edited by Kyle Pinnell | kpinnell@themaneater.com_