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 championship game in the Advocare Invitational against West Virginia.
THE STARTING LINEUPS
KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Crash the boards. Despite Missouri having a size advantage with Jeremiah Tilmon, Jontay Porter and Reed Nikko, West Virginia is out rebounding the Tigers. Mizzou will need Jordan Barnett, Kevin Puryear and the guards blocking out and crashing the defensive boards aggressively to keep the Mountaineers away from offensive rebounds.
2. Upper-class leadership. Against the physicality Bob Huggins' team the Tigers will need level headed leadership. Missouri's two seniors are both transfer players. That means juniors Kevin Puryear, Jordan Geist and Terrence Phillips will have to step up and help lead this Mizzou team in it's toughest game of the year.
3. Take care of the ball. West Virginia averages forcing 11.5 steals per game. Missouri averages 15.0 turnovers per game. The Tigers will need to be extra sharp with their ball handling and passes against the pressure of the Mountaineers.
TIP TIME INFORMATION
Tipoff: 8:30 p.m. Central time
Television: ESPN2
Radio: The game will be broadcast on the Tiger Radio Network. For a list of affiliates, click here.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The Tigers got a nice win against St. John's. Mizzou marched out to a lead, lost it and then was able to come back. That's not a recipe they'll want to follow very often. Especially against a talented West Virginia team with senior leadership and one of the best coaches in college basketball.
PREDICTION: West Virginia 73, Missouri 64
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Freshman Jontay Porter has really started to come into his own. The 6-foot-11 forward is third on the team in scoring averaging 10.7 a game. He will be a big matchup problem for the Mountaineers. If Porter can hit a few early shots and get going, the Tigers could pull off the upset.
