Missouri (4-4) vs Temple (6-1)

WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Central

WHERE: Liacouras Center (19,255), Philadelphia, PA

TV: ESPNU

RADIO: Tiger Radio Network (Mike Kelly, Chris Gervino)

SERIES: Tied 2-2 (Temple won 79-77 in Mizzou Arena last year)

KenPom Prediction: Temple 65-61

1. Don't dig yourself an early hole. There has been a consistent theme in each of Missouri's four losses this season. The Tigers have struggled out of the gate and found themselves trailing by at least nine points before the midway point of the first half. While they've managed to battle back and make each game close, if not taking the lead in the second half, doing so has clearly taken a lot out of the group, as they have not closed those games out well. Cuonzo Martin even switched up his starting lineup against Charleston Southern and the issue still persisted. Temple is more talented than your average non-Power Five school and has played especially well on the defensive end this season. If Missouri once again starts slow and spots the Owls an early double-digit lead, it could be impossible to overcome.

2. Find more two-point opportunities. Missouri has struggled mightily from three-point range this season. After shooting better than 36 percent as a team last season, the Tigers are shooting 25.4 percent from behind the arc this year, which ranks 338th out of 353 Division I teams. While it's tempting to make a key "shoot better" — and doing so would certainly help the cause against Temple — at this point, it might be time to accept that Missouri is simply not a very good outside shooting team. As a result, the Tigers need to adjust and take fewer, and better, three-pointers. Martin voiced displeasure with the shot selection against Charleston Southern, when 26 of the team's 56 shots came from behind the three-point line, even though the Tigers had a clear size advantage. Missouri needs to work the ball inside more often, whether that's feeding Jeremiah Tilmon in the post (which should always be Option A) or getting better penetration from the guards and wings.

3. Protect the ball. Looking back at the box score from last season's matchup between Missouri and Temple, the Tigers had the upper hand in several key categories. Missouri shot the ball better from the field and from three, making an impressive 11 of 19 shots from deep. They out-rebounded the Owls by 13 and scored 10 more points at the free throw line. Tilmon had one of his best games of the season, playing 30 minutes and turning in a double-double with 14 points and 10 boards. The major category that went Temple's way: turnovers. Missouri turned the ball over 15 times as opposed to five for Temple. The Owls scored 20 points off those turnovers. Turnovers have been a consistent problem for Missouri under Martin, and a reliable predictor of the team's success. If Missouri is able to take better care of the ball Saturday night, it should give itself a chance. If not, the athletic Temple lineup will get easy points and put a lot of pressure on the Tigers' struggling offense.

Given what we've seen from Missouri the past three games, it's virtually impossible to trust the Tigers to travel halfway across the country, enter a hostile environment and come away with a win. The team has to be in a bit of a confidence crisis, and it keeps making the same mistakes. Until Missouri cleans up the slow starts, questionable shot selection, three-point defense and turnovers that have plagued it in the past three games, it's difficult to predict change to happen. Temple is a good team, too. The Owls' only loss came by single digits on a neutral floor to Maryland, which is currently ranked third in the country, and they've beaten USC on the road and Davidson. We think this will be a low-scoring game that Missouri keeps close because Martin's teams never throw in the towel, but in the end, the Tigers still don't have the offensive weaponry to come away with a victory.

FINAL SCORE: Temple 62, Missouri 57