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 tonight's game against Ole Miss.
OFF THE BENCH: Andy Kennedy goes with a nine man rotation and, despite starting, Furmanavicius and Olejniczak are actually eight and ninth in that rotation. Markel Crawford leads the team in minutes at 29.7 despite coming off the bench. Bruce Stevens can stuff the stat sheet at 9.9 points and 4.6 rebounds in just 21 minutes a game and is shooting 54% from the floor. Devonte Shuler leads the Rebels with 30 steals and Marcanvis Hyman has had big games in the past in the SEC.
OFF THE BENCH: Kevin Puryear and Cullen VanLeer have entered the starting lineup for the last two games and produced well. That has moved Jontay Porter and Jordan Geist to the bench to fill out the seven-man rotation. Reed Nikko has also provided some solid minutes off the bench the last few games.
KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Win from deep. Missouri shoots 37% from three-point range on the season and allows opponents to shoot only 31%. The Rebels make 33% and allow 36%. Mizzou can look great when the long ball is falling and terrible when it isn't. But even more critical is the Tigers' defense. Kentucky missed its first 14 threes and finished 2-for-20. Was it all due to the Tiger defense? No. But some of it was.
2. Share the wealth. For quite a while this season, it was Robertson, Barnett and hope for someone else. Suddenly in a two game winning streak, Mizzou is getting contributions from all over. Tilmon and Porter are playing well. The bench is producing. And while they still carry the load at crunch time, Barnett and Robertson don't have to do it all. When Missouri's good, the whole is better than the sum of the parts.
3. Play your pace. Missouri is averaging better than 73 points per game, but in league play, that number is just 66.6. The Tigers' big offensive numbers came mostly against inferior competition. In the SEC, Missouri has topped 70 points just three times. It has lost two of those games. Ole Miss, meanwhile, scores a little more than 77 points a game and gives up just a shade under 77. The Rebels will get out and run. Missouri is capable of running, but needs to pick its spots. The Tigers would love a game in the 60s...or maybe even the 50s. Ole Miss wants more points.
TIP TIME INFORMATION
TIPOFF: 8:00 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
This one is truly a tossup. The temptation is to say, "Sure they've won two in a row, but this is where we make them prove it before we pick them." The flip side is to say Missouri is more talented and is playing better basketball. Ole Miss has lost three in a row, but two have been on the road and two were against the top two teams in the SEC standings. The Rebels are 4-1 in league home games, including wins over Florida and Alabama. Logic says go with Ole Miss in Oxford. This Missouri team has defied logic for the last week. So...
PREDICTION: Missouri 68, Ole Miss 64
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Kevin Puryear comes off the bench for a near double-double with 12 points and eight boards.
