We’re a couple hours away from the Missouri Tigers trying to get to 4-1 in SEC play for the first time as they host the Arkansas Razorbacks (11-6, 0-4) who are gunning for their first conference win under John Calipari.
The matchup will tip off at Mizzou Arena at 5 p.m. (SEC Network).
Here’s a scouting report, some notes and what I’ll be keeping an eye on during the game.
Scouting Report
Arkansas enters today’s matchup on a four-game losing streak after entering SEC play with an 11-2 record.
In non-conference play, the Razorbacks beat Miami and then-No. 14 Michigan, but dropped matchups with then-No. 8 Baylor and Illinois. Arkansas faced a gauntlet to start SEC play, playing at then-No. 1 Tennessee, hosting then-No. 23 Ole Miss and then-No. 8 Florida, then most recently dropping a road matchup against LSU on Tuesday.
Arkansas scores 78.1 points per game and allows 67.6, but in SEC play those numbers end up at 63.75 points scored per game to 74.5 allowed.
Junior forward Adou Thiero (6-foot-8, 220 pounds) leads the Razorbacks with 16.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, while standout freshman guard Boogie Fland (6-2, 175) adds 15.7 points and a team-high 5.71 assists per game.
Sophomore guard D.J. Wagner (6-4, 195) contributes 10.4 points and 3.2 rebounds to the starting lineup, while graduate guard Johnell Davis (6-4, 210) has started 11 games. No other Arkansas player has started double-digit games.
The Razorbacks have used four players in all 17 games this season, three more in at least 15 and one additional player in 14. Nine players is the full rotation Arkansas uses.
Former Tiger Trevon Brazile has started three games and appeared in 15, averaging 6.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per contest.
Arkansas leads the all-time series 35-27and has won the past two matchups and seven of the past eight. The lone Tiger win since 2021 was a 79-76 victory in Columbia on Jan. 18, 2023.
Mizzou notes: The Tigers rose to No. 26 in the NET rankings after their win against Florida, Arkansas is No. 51 … Mizzou is 15th nationally at 84.9 points per game and a +15.6 scoring margin … Missouri is one of two teams with multiple top-5 wins this season (Auburn) … Caleb Grill enters today’s game with 992 career points, Tamar Bates has 988 … Mizzou has won 13 consecutive games at Mizzou Arena.
Matchups
Boogie Fland vs. Everybody
There aren’t a ton of likely 2025 lottery picks on Mizzou’s schedule this year. Fland is one of them.
Last time the Tigers played someone projected for the top half of the first round, Kasparas Jakucionis had 21 points, four assists and a game-winning jumper.
As we heard from Riley McFerran from HawgBeat this morning, Arkansas’ offense has struggled so, so much during conference play, but Fland is still regularly scoring in double figures and has increased his offensive output each game, ending with a 19-point performance on Tuesday.
If the Tigers are able to keep Fland from having a big game, the Mizzou offense should be able to easily outrun the Razorbacks.
Rebounding again
I’m continually shocked by just how much better the Tiger rebounding has been since the second half of Braggin’ Rights and Arkansas has been beat on the boards in every SEC game, including drubbings against Florida and Tennessee.
Missouri lost the rebounding battle by one to the best rebounding team in the country on Tuesday, this should be a chance for a pretty dominant performance on the boards.
What I'm looking for
Energy.
Simple as that.
I, and most people covering the team, have talked a bit about this being an opportunity for a let-down game against a hungry team looking for its first conference win.
The Tigers should be able to run through this game, but the way Arkansas wins is if the Tiger energy is low.
Missouri announced the stadium is sold out, the students are back from break and everyone should be energized by the win against Florida. So it shouldn’t be an energy issue in the stadium.
If the Tigers are able to come out hyped up and playing with energy early, I think they should be able to control the majority of this game the way they have the past few.
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