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 at UCF.
OFF THE BENCH: Jontay Porter has been Missouri's best player of late. He's in double figures in scoring (10.4) and leads the team in rebounding (6.7). Reed Nikko has provided solid minutes as Missouri's third big man. While Harris has been getting the start, the majority of the minutes at point guard have been going to Jordan Geist, who played very well in Orlando outside of a tough four-minute stretch against West Virginia.
OFF THE BENCH: Johnny Dawkins has had nine different players get at least one start this season, so the projected lineup is just that. One of those players, senior point guard, B.J. Taylor, started the season opener, but is out for a month with a foot injury. Chance McFadden (8.3) and Chad Brown (6.3) are the leading scorers off the bench and 6-foot-11 Rokas Ulvydas has started two games and will spell Davis and Fall.
KEYS TO THE GAME
1. AVOID A HANGOVER: Missouri blew a game against West Virginia. The players all spoke on Tuesday about how they should have won the game and thought they were the better team. But it's over. Nothing you can do about it now. You can't let it bleed over and beat you twice. The Tigers haven't won a road game in almost five years, but this is one they should win. Missouri needs to start fast and get the taste of the West Virginia game out of their mouths.
2. PACK IT IN: UCF can't shoot. They're shooting 40% from the field and averaging just three made three-pointers per game. If Cuonzo Martin is ever going to extensively play zone, this would be the game to do it. It helps keep the ball out of the hands of Davis and Fall, protects your big men from foul trouble and forces UCF to shoot the ball over the defense, which is a weakness. Of course, if you do that, rebounding can become an issue so the Tigers will have to keep the Knights off the offensive glass.
3. WIN THE TURNOVER BATTLE: This is normally a football term. But both of these teams have given the ball away at alarming rates this year. Missouri had 20 turnovers against West Virginia, which is somewhat understandable, but they've still averaged more than 15 giveaways a game outside of that. UCF is even worse. The Knights gave it away 27 times against the Mountaineers and are averaging nearly 16 a game in their other five. If one team can hang on to the ball better than it has been, it should gain quite an edge.
TIP TIME INFORMATION
TIPOFF: 8:00 p.m. Central
TELEVISION: ESPN2/WatchESPN
RADIO: The game will be broadcast on the Tiger Radio Network. For a list of affiliates, click here.
THE BOTTOM LINE
These teams have one common opponent. Missouri led West Virginia almost all night before losing by four. Central Florida lost by 38 and was never in the game. The Knights are tall, but they're not all that good. If this game were at Mizzou Arena, a loss would hardly be a thought. But it's not and even though this team is only responsible for one of the 36 consecutive road losses, it's a stigma the Tigers have got to overcome. They should be able to do it.
PREDICTION: Missouri 81, Central Florida 69
PLAYER OF THE GAME: We'll go with Jordan Barnett staying hot in Orlando. Barnett found his shooting stroke and had a double-double against West Virginia. We'll give him another one with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
