After each Mizzou basketball game this season, we will highlight a few notable takeaways from the performance in the ‘And-One.’
Defense allows Tigers to claw back from rough start
Facing both its first road test and its first high-major opponent of the 2019-20 season, the Missouri basketball team couldn’t have asked for a much worse start. Junior center Jeremiah Tilmon picked up two fouls within 13 seconds of one another, forcing him to the bench less than three minutes into the half. Without Tilmon on the floor, the three-point shot wasn’t falling. At one point late in the first half, the Tigers found themselves trailing by 15 points.
Missouri ultimately was not able to hold on for its first road over a Top 25 opponent since 2012, falling to Xavier 63-58. But Cuonzo Martin’s team showed fight by regaining the lead by the 12:30 mark in the second half. The Tigers did so with the tenant Martin preaches most: defense.
Missouri held Xavier without a field goal for the final 4:43 of the first half. In a span of just over 10 minutes, the Musketeers mustered just seven points. For the game, Xavier made 20 of 61 field goals and just four of 13 three-pointers.
Martin said before the season that he believed Missouri had the pieces to be an elite defensive team. It’s only been three games, but so far, the Tigers have lived up to that expectation. Xavier is the first opponent to top 60 points against Missouri, and the Musketeers only had 51 at the end of regulation. The one concern Tuesday was fouls — Xavier wound up shooting 27 free throws and making 20. Plus, some of Xavier’s three-point shooting woes have to be chalked up to an off shooting night. But Martin had to have been pleased with his team’s defensive effort against a Xavier team that entered Tuesday having scored 78.5 points per game in its first two contests.
Dru Smith shows scoring ability
In his first two games in a Missouri uniform, Evansville transfer Dru Smith demonstrated an ability to impact the game without taking many shots. Smith attempted just 12 total field goals in the team’s wins over Incarnate Word and Northern Kentucky.
Tuesday, when Missouri needed someone to keep the ship afloat offensively, Smith showed that he can score, too. Smith led all scorers with 22 points on 16 shots. He looked fearless, driving into the lane with an eye for contact and at one point pulling up for a three-pointer from the midcourt logo, which he drained. That aggressiveness backfired a bit early on, as Smith had four turnovers in the first half, but he didn’t turn the ball over at all in the second half and he got to the free throw line eight times. Plus, he still showed an ability to stuff the stat sheet, as he finished the game with 10 rebounds and four assists.
Turnovers remain a concern
One of the consistent themes of Martin’s two-plus years at Missouri has been a tendency to turn the ball over. The Tigers ranked No. 313 out of 353 Division I teams in turnover rate in 2017-18 and No. 318 last season.
Turnovers bit the team again Tuesday. Missouri turned the ball over 20 times in the game and on 26 percent of its possessions. Further continuing the theme of the last two seasons, 14 of the team’s giveaways were unforced, meaning they didn’t result from Xavier steals. Missouri ranked No. 333 nationally in non-steal turnover rate a year ago.
The Tigers’ turnovers led to 18 Musketeer points. Twelve of the giveaways came in the first half and two came in overtime, when Missouri was outscored by a combined 12 points. Long story short: When Missouri was able to take care of the ball, it out-played Xavier. No surprise, limiting giveaways will be a major key for this team moving forward.
Game at a Glance
CAUSE FOR OPTIMISM: For much of the first half, this seemed like a nightmare scenario for Missouri. Tilmon quickly went to the bench with two fouls, the outside shots weren’t falling and Xavier jumped out to a double-digit lead. But Missouri battled through the adversity and not only erased the deficit but did so quickly. Seeing that kind of resolve from his team in the first road matchup of the season against a Top 25 team had to please Martin, and the experience should only help the roster moving forward.
CAUSE FOR CONCERN: It may not quite be time to press the panic button about Missouri’s shooting, but it’s at least something to monitor. The Tigers entered Tuesday shooting 45 percent from the field (170th nationally) and 26 percent from beyond the three-point arc (288th). Against Xavier, the team shot just 20 of 60 from the floor and six of 15 from three. Xavier’s defensive strategy was clear: pack the zone inside and don’t let Missouri score at the rim. The Tigers need to start shooting better from the perimeter — a perceived strength entering this season — to open the post for Tilmon and driving lanes for the guards.
STOCK UP: Xavier Pinson. The sophomore guard had a rough start, turning the ball over twice and missing a dunk in the first half. But Martin stuck with him, and Pinson emerged as Missouri’s go-to guy offensively down the stretch. He ran the point for the team’s last few possessions of regulations, blowing by a defender for a dunk on one possession and muscling home a contested layup on another. Last season, if Pinson starts the way he did tonight, he probably spends most of the second half on the bench. Martin’s faith in him shows his offseason growth, and Pinson rewarded it.
STOCK DOWN: Javon Pickett. Pickett is the type of player who doesn’t always have to score to make a positive impact on the game, but he looked like an offensive liability at times Tuesday. He finished with no points and four turnovers, plus the worst plus/minus on Missouri’s roster at minus-11. Pickett at least needs to show he’s an offensive threat on the wing in order to stretch opposing defenses.
UP NEXT: Missouri (2-1) will host Wofford (2-1) on Monday. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
