Four games into SEC play, Missouri still finds itself without a win. The Tigers have dropped seven of their past eight games, the only win coming against Central Arkansas at home. The team lost another player, Colorado transfer John Tonje, to injury for the remainder of the season. For the first time in over two years, Dennis Gates is coaching a squad with a losing record.

The good news for Mizzou is it's entering one of the easiest stretches of its conference schedule. The next five teams the black and gold are scheduled to face have a combined SEC record of 5-15. If the Tigers have any chance of turning things around, it has to start now.

That begins with a home game against Florida. The Gators looked solid in non-conference play, going 10-3, but got off on the wrong foot going up against SEC opponents. The team dropped contests against Kentucky, Ole Miss and Tennesee, with its only win coming against Arkansas last weekend, 90-68.

Florida head coach Todd Golden got the better of Gates in their first meeting, when the Gators took down Missouri inside Exactech Arena, 73-64. Playing in Columbia this season, Gates is hoping he can come out on top in their sophomore matchup.

“Florida is a tough opponent,” Gates said. “Todd Golden's done a great job. Last year, they were injury away. Colin Castleton's injury cost them an NCAA tournament (berth), they were playing great basketball. And they've just had great consistency this year, but also some depth and some unbelievable opportunities from their players as it relates to the category of rebounding. They have some unique stats from three guys: Tyrese Samuel, his rebounding percentage per minute. You look at Micah (Handlogten's) rebounding per minute but also Alex Condon's rebounding per minute, those guys do a great job of getting extra possessions.”

Missouri (8-9, 0-4 SEC) vs. Florida (11-6, 1-3)

WHEN: 7 p.m. CT

WHERE: Mizzou Arena, Columbia, Missouri

TV: ESPNU

SERIES: Florida leads, 9-4

KENPOM PREDICTION: Florida 81, Missouri 78

1. Limit second-chance opportunities. Mizzou gave up 17 second-chance points to Alabama off of 11 offensive rebounds in Tuesday’s loss. On the season, the Tigers continue to be one of the worst defensive rebounding teams in the country, pulling down just 34.2% of available boards, which ranks 329th in the nation according to KenPom. Florida is elite on the glass on offense, with an offensive rebounding rate of 40.8%, which ranks fourth in the country. Graduate senior forward Noah Carter said MU knows what it has to do to keep the Gators off the boards.

“I think the most important part is, we gotta keep our rebounding shell expanded,” Carter said. “You know, I feel like sometimes, we get too collapsed and that's when rebounds go over our head and we're not able to secure defensive rebounds. So just fighting to keep that rebounding shell as big as we possibly can and going in and aggressively grabbing rebounds. And we gotta have all five guys. You know, if you're not boxing somebody out, you gotta you gotta look to crack down and get rebounds. So it's just a continuous fight that we gotta win the war.”

2. Keep the pace at a crawl. Missouri did a good job of dictating the tempo for much of its game against the Crimson Tide. The two teams each got just 68 possessions, which was four lower than Alabama is accustomed to. The Tigers likely could’ve made it an even muddier fight had they closed out better against the Tide. Playing at a slower pace kept Bama uncomfortable, limiting the team’s ability to score in transition, which it often looks to do. Florida likes to play even more up-tempo. Through its first four games in conference play, the Gators are averaging 75 possessions per game, which ranks first in the SEC. Mizzou should look to force UF to play in the halfcourt rather than on the fast break.

3. Look to score inside. The Gators have the lowest block rate in the conference, swatting just 8.2% of 2-pointers in SEC play thus far. Meanwhile, the Tigers’ effectiveness shooting from the interior has remained solid, as the team is connecting on 53.0% of their 2s against league opponents with just 4.7% of their shots getting rejected. Looking to attack the rim should, hypothetically, allow Missouri to get to the free throw line, as Florida’s two main centers, Handlogten and Condon, both commit at least 5.0 fouls per 40 minutes. The Gators also don’t give up many 3-pointers, so driving off of closeouts appears to by MIzzou’s best plan of attack.

At some point, the ball has to bounce the Tigers’ way, right? Both teams are going to come into this one desperate for a victory and I expect it to be a close game. Missouri seems to be pulling out all the stops trying to bring some fortune its way, tiger striping the stands, bringing out Red Panda at halftime and playing in the gold “Block M” classic jerseys. Nothing about Florida screams that they should be the definitive favorite in this one. I’ve got Mizzou ending its losing streak, beating the Gators, 72-71.

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