The No. 15 Missouri Tigers (20-6, 9-4 SEC) are looking to extend their winning streak to four games as they take on the Arkansas Razorbacks (15-11, 4-9) for the second time this season at 7 p.m. tonight (ESPN).
Here’s a scouting report, some Mizzou notes, matchups to watch and what I think will lead to a Tiger win.
This one will be a little shorter since the Tigers and Razorbacks have already matched up this season.
As a note, Kenny will be handling game coverage tonight. Shout out Kenny.
Scouting Report
The Razorbacks enter playing much better than early in the SEC schedule, but still having lost three of their past four games.
Since Missouri took an 83-65 win in Columbia on Jan. 18, the Razorbacks are 4-4 with the four losses coming by just a combined 22 points against Oklahoma, then-No. 3 Alabama, then-No. 8 Texas A&M and No. 1 Auburn, while beating then-No. 12 Kentucky 89-79,
Stud freshman Boogie Fland has not played since the first game against the Tigers because of a season-ending hand injury.
In his absence, junior forward Adou Thiero (6-foot-8, 220 pounds) has taken the leading-scorer role at 15.8 points per game to go with a team-high 6.0 rebounds per contest.
Graduate guard Johnell Davis (6-4, 210) is next among active players at 10.3 points per game to go with 3.6 rebounds per contest.
Sophomore guard D.J. Wagner (6-4, 195) adds 10.2 points and 3.5 assists per game.
Arkansas averages 75.5 points per game and allows 68.8.
With the win in January, Mizzou cut Arkansas’ series lead to 35-28 as the tigers have now won two of the past nine matchups.
Mizzou Notes
Tamar Bates is one of two players in the country scoring 10+ points per game while shooting 50 percent from the field, 35 percent from 3 and 90 percent from the free throw line ... The Tigers have won three straight SEC games by double digits, a first since 2013 ... Mizzou is one of two teams in the country with three top-5 wins (Auburn is the other) ... Missouri's 110 points against Alabama are the most the Tigers have ever scored in an SEC game ... Dennis Gates was named to the Naismith Men's Coach of the Year Watch List on Friday as one of 15 coaches named.
Matchups
Arkansas defensive adjustments
We’ve seen a few different looks at how teams have guarded Caleb Grill these past few games. The last times these teams matched up, Grill had 17 points, five rebounds and three assist while shooting 7-of-10 from the field.
It was part of the stretch where he was on fire every game.
So the question is how will the Razorbacks adjust their defensive strategy?
Will they spend enough focus on Grill that the Tigers can feed Mark Mitchell, who had 17 points, five rebounds and four assists in the last matchup? Will it turn into a Tamar Bates game after his 15 points and four rebounds last time?
Most everything was working for the Tigers when the teams met in January, so where will the Razorbacks spend their focus as Mizzou faces a rematch for the first time this season?
Tiger defense vs Zvonimir Ivisic
I can’t imagine the Razorbacks will start former Tiger Trevon Brazile just for fun again, which means 7-2 sophomore Zvonimir Ivisic will likely start as he has been playing solid basketball recently.
He had an awful game against Auburn (0-of-10 shooting, including 0-of-9 from 3), but he had 27 points against Alabama, 25 against LSU and 13 against Texas A&M, while bringing down more than five rebounds in four of the past five games.
He’s taller than anyone on the Tiger roster except Trent Burns, so for once, the Tigers won’t have a height advantage.
Ivisic had a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds in the first matchup, how the Tigers defend him this time around could be a big part of the game, especially with how Missouri struggled against Asa Newell against Georgia.
What I'm looking for
No emotional letdown.
This was what I was looking for after the Border War win and after the Florida win as well. Beating Alabama might have been an emotional high for the team, they’re finally getting some respect, they showed again that they can not just play with, but beat the best teams in the country.
And now, they line up against a team that they’ve already beaten handily this year that should be an easy win.
It might be simple to look past this game, especially in the first few minutes, and let it get away from them a bit.
So what I’m looking for is just a continued focus and energy right from the tipoff that shows the Tigers aren’t letting off the gas as they enter the final handful of games.
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