Prior to each Mizzou hoops game this season, we will get Tiger fans set with The Starting Five. In this feature, we'll give you the anticipated starting lineups for each team, break down keys to a Missouri win and offer up a prediction.
Here is the breakdown of today's game against Georgia.
OFF THE BENCH: Mark Fox plays four guys off his bench at least ten minutes, but none plays more than 15.8. Tyree Crump is the only Bulldog that averages more than four points off the bench and Nicholas Claxton gets 3.6 rebounds. Teshaun Hightower will see spot duty.
OFF THE BENCH: With the injury to Cullen VanLeer (torn ACL) look for Geist to move into the starting lineup, assuming he can go despite "flu-like symptoms." That means Missouri's bench is Jontay Porter, Reed Nikko and Brett Rau. At least it was until Tuesday afternoon. Cuonzo Martin said that Michael Porter Jr. will be available for the first time since the opening minutes of the season's first game and could play 20-25 minutes. That will give a thin and weary Tiger team an extra body...and a very talented one at that. Jontay Porter was named the SEC's co-sixth man of the year, averaging 9.8 points and 6.8 rebounds and closing with his two best games of the season.
KEYS TO THE GAME
Contain Yante Maten. No other Bulldog scores in double figures and no other Bulldog can beat you. When the teams played in Columbia, Maten had just nine points and two rebounds. Mark Fox questioned his fight that day and the Tigers cruised to a 12-point win. If Maten is in single digits, UGA can't beat Missouri...or anyone else in this tournament.
Play through the bigs. UGA has some bulk down low, but nobody bigger than 6-foot-8. The Tigers have to run things through Jeremiah Tilmon and Jontay Porter and get points in the paint which will then open up the outside shot. The Tigers are at their best when they look down low first...and could have three players who are 6-foot-10 or taller on the floor at the same time.
Get some easy buckets. Georgia is one of the only teams that likes to make games uglier than Missouri. The game in Columbia was 23-20 at halftime before Missouri went off for 48 points in the second half. The Tigers need to get out and run when the opportunity presents itself. They don't need to play a track meet, but they want to play faster than Georgia does.
TIP TIME INFORMATION
TIPOFF: Approx. 2:30 p.m. Central
TELEVISION: SEC Network/WatchESPN
RADIO: The game will be broadcast on the Tiger Radio Network. For a list of affiliates, click here.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Maten will get his, but Georgia doesn't have much else and the Bulldogs are playing out the string until we find out the future of Mark Fox. The Tigers won't make it easy and it won't be pretty, but they'll get the job done.
PREDICTION: Missouri 68, Georgia 61
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Jordan Barnett puts on a show in his home town hitting four threes on the way to 17 points. Barnett may be the player of the game, but make no mistake, the story of the game is the return of MPJ.
