Tiger Tipoff Preview: West Virginia
Prior to each of the major non-conference games and every SEC game for the Tigers, we will post the Tiger Tipoff Preview to get you set for the matchup. Here is our preview of today's SEC-Big 12 Challenge matchup between Missouri and West Virginia.
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TIP TIME INFORMATION
Missouri (9-9) vs No. 14 West Virginia (15-3)
WHEN: 11:00 a.m.
WHERE: WVU Coliseum, Morgantown, West Virginia
TV: ESPN
RADIO: Tiger Radio Network (Mike Kelly, Chris Gervino)
SERIES: Tied 2-2 (West Virginia won last meeting 83-79 in 2017)
KenPom Prediction: West Virginia 73-59
THE STARTING LINEUPS
| Player | Class | Height | PPG | RPG | APG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Derek Culver |
SO |
6-10 |
10.7 |
9.3 |
2.1 |
|
Oscar Tshiebwe |
FR |
6-9 |
11.7 |
9.5 |
0.4 |
|
Jermaine Haley |
SR |
6-7 |
9.1 |
4.6 |
1.7 |
|
Emmitt Matthews Jr. |
SO |
6-7 |
7.2 |
4.1 |
0.7 |
|
Jordan McCabe |
SO |
6-0 |
3.4 |
0.9 |
1.9 |
| Player | Class | Height | PPG | RPG | APG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Dru Smith |
JR |
6-3 |
12.1 |
4.5 |
4.3 |
|
Mark Smith |
JR |
6-5 |
11.8 |
4.6 |
0.7 |
|
Mitchell Smith |
JR |
6-10 |
4.5 |
4.2 |
0.5 |
|
Reed Nikko |
SR |
6-10 |
3.1 |
2.5 |
0.4 |
|
Javon Pickett |
SO |
6-4 |
7.2 |
4.0 |
1.6 |
BY THE NUMBERS
| Mizzou | Category | West Virginia |
|---|---|---|
|
67.1 |
PPG |
73.2 |
|
61.6 |
PPG Allowed |
60.6 |
|
48.4 |
Field Goal % |
48.7 |
|
30.7 |
Three-Point % |
30.7 |
|
+2.4 |
Rebound Margin |
+10.5 |
|
14.3 |
Turnovers |
15.0 |
|
109 |
Offensive Efficiency Rank |
45 |
|
77 |
Defensive Efficiency Rank |
3 |
|
271 |
Tempo |
60 |
|
50 |
Strength of Schedule |
10 |
MIZZOU KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Get to the free throw line. The one area in which Missouri has excelled during its past two losses has been hitting free throws. You may have heard, the Tigers set an NCAA record with 54 consecutive makes from the line. Missouri will need to continue to give itself ample opportunities to hit free throws against West Virginia because, quite frankly, that might be the only way it can score. West Virginia is one of the nation's best defensive teams, checking in at No. 3 In defensive efficiency. The Mountaineers rank first in field goal percentage defense, second in three-point defense and 15th in two-point defense. For a Missouri team that has struggled to hit shots from both inside and outside the three-point arc in its last three games, that could be problematic. The one chink in the Mountaineers' armor has been fouls. West Virginia commits 19 fouls, on average, per game and ranks 263rd in personal fouls per possession. Missouri needs to attack the basket as often as possible and hope the officials call this one tight. Not only does the free throw line represent the Tigers' best chance of scoring, but if West Virginia gets into foul trouble it could be forced to scale back its aggressive full-court press.
2. Don't let the bigs beat you. Somewhat atypical for a Bob Huggins team, the strength of this West Virginia team is its frontcourt. Freshman Derek Culver and sophomore Oscar Tshiebwe both nearly average a double-double, and the Mountaineers as a team rank second nationally in offensive rebounding percentage. West Virginia will look to feed the ball down low early and often; the Mountaineers score 22.5 percent of their points from three-point range, which is higher than just 21 teams in the country. Cuonzo Martin told reporters this week that a key for Missouri will be keeping Culver and Tshiebwe from getting easy touches, whether they be off post feeds or offensive rebounds, and establishing a rhythm. The good news for Missouri is that the Tigers have had success against a similar frontcourt duo this season when they beat Illinois. The bad news is that Jeremiah Tilmon played in that game, and since he left the lineup with a stress fracture in his foot, the Tigers have been very susceptible against forwards Kerry Blackshear, Reggie Perry and Robert Nebo.
3. Take care of the ball. This version of West Virginia may not play quite as frenetic a style as in years past, but there's a reason Huggins' teams have been dubbed "Press Virginia" through the years. They still pick their spots to trap opposing guards, ranking 43rd nationally in steal percentage. Missouri has consistently struggled against the press under Martin, including In 2017 when West Virginia erased a 16 point lead in the final eight minutes, in part due to 19 Tiger turnovers. It's already going to be a struggle for Missouri to score enough points to be competitive in this one. If the Tigers waste a bunch of possessions and give West Virginia easy scoring opportunities with turnovers, it could get ugly in a hurry.
POWERMIZZOU PREDICTION
This is not a favorable matchup for Missouri. West Virginia plays great defense, puts pressure on opposing ball-handlers and is capable of scoring in bunches (the Mountaineers just dropped 97 points on Texas on Monday). Missouri suffered one of its worst losses of the season earlier this week as a 10-point favorite over Texas A&M, so in fitting with the pattern of this up-and-down season, it wouldn't come as a shock if the Tigers play well and keep this one close for a while. But managing to beat the Mountaineers on their home floor would likely take major foul trouble for West Virginia, a miraculous shooting day for Missouri or both.
FINAL SCORE: West Virginia 74, Missouri 63