Mizzou avoided what was almost another disaster on Wednesday by rallying back from a 16-point first-half deficit to beat South Carolina State, 82-59. The Tigers will now close out a three-game homestand with a matchup against Loyola (Md.) before delving into the toughest stretch of their non-conference slate.

The Greyhounds have only picked up one win through their first five games of the year, defeating Brown, 77-75, in overtime on the road on Nov. 11. The team is still searching for its first .500 season under Tavaras Hardy, who’s entering his sixth year as head coach.

Some of Loyola’s struggles from last year, in which it went 13-20 overall and 7-11 in Patriot League play, can be attributed to injuries. The team also had a promising end to the season, winning five of its last seven games. The Greyhounds retained the majority of their rotation, too, bringing back 55.4% of the minutes played from a year ago and only adding one transfer and three freshmen this offseason.

This will be the first time in history that Missouri and Loyola meet on the court. The black and gold will hope to put on a better showing than they have in their past two meetings with mid-major opponents.

Missouri (4-2) vs. Loyola (Md.) (1-4)

WHEN: 11 a.m. CT

WHERE: Mizzou Arena, Columbia, Missouri

TV: SEC Network+

SERIES: N/A

KENPOM PREDICTION: Missouri 74, Loyola (Md.) 57

1. Crash the boards. MU head coach Dennis Gates said one of the more uncharacteristic things his players did in the loss to Jackson State on Sunday was allow the visitors to come up with almost every 50-50 loose ball. Mizzou showed much better hustle in its follow-up win over SC State, putting on one of the team’s better rebounding performances, pulling down 33 to the Bulldogs’ 26. Loyola isn’t an especially gifted group on the glass, ranking outside the top 250 in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage according to KenPom. Junior forward Veljko Ilic is still working his way back from a knee injury suffered late last season, leaving the Greyhounds shorthanded in the frontcourt with just three players listed above 6-foot-5 breaking into the rotation so far this year. Loyola has a below-average effective field goal percentage of 46.9, meaning there should a lot of rebounds to be had. The Tigers have to make sure they come down with them.

2. Speed the Greyhounds up. Missouri’s adjusted tempo rating has seen a significant dip through its first six games this year, averaging 65.7 possessions per contest, three fewer than last season. It’s not so much that the Tigers are taking longer on offense, as they’re still only using 15.8 seconds of clock per possession. However, opponents are using 18.9 seconds during their possessions, the 21st-highest mark in the country. The slower pace has stagnated Mizzou at times, and the team has looked its best when playing downhill — the black and gold scored 17 points off 15 SC State turnovers on Wednesday. Loyola is another team that likes to plod along, ranking 252nd in adjusted tempo. But the visitors aren’t all that great at taking care of the ball, turning it over on 20.1% of possessions. Pressuring the Greyhounds out of their comfort zone and playing at a velocity that better suits MU’s lineups will be important for the hosts.

3. Attack the interior. The Tigers were one of the best in the nation at finishing inside a year ago and that trend has continued this season, with the group connecting on 57.0% of its 2-pointers. Loyola has struggled so far this year with turning opponents away in the lane, with teams making 52.0% of their 2s. Two-pointers have accounted for 59.3% of the points scored against the Greyhounds this year, the 23rd most among NCAA Division I schools. Missouri walloped SC State inside the arc earlier this week, connecting on 22 of their 34 shots from there. Without an elite rim protector around to deter them, the Tigers should look to do the same against Loyola.

While Mizzou seemed to return to form in the second half of its win over SC State, the team’s slow start against the Bulldogs is still concerning. The Tigers are either red-hot or ice-cold, and you’re never quite sure which version of them you’re going to see. This is a game they should win in a landslide, but another shooting slump could make it tight again. I’ll keep the prediction somewhere in the middle, with MU beating Loyola, 81-64.

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