Take a look at what I’ll be watching in tonight’s Missouri (5-1) matchup with the Lindenwood Lions (2-4).

This should be another easy one, but with the actually-competitive games starting next week, I want to have this format mostly down and ready to go.

The Lions enter tonight’s game off a 77-64 loss to Valparaiso last week. Lindenwood’s two wins this year came 75-74 against Stonehill College on Nov. 17 and University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy 98-30.

So there’s proof the Lions are able to score a lot of points.

In Lindenwood’s one other game against a power-conference opponent, the Lions lost to Oklahoma 93-60.

The Lions score 70.7 points per game and allow 70.5.

Lindenwood currently sits at No. 350 (out of 364) in the KenPom rankings, continuing a stretch of Mizzou opponents ranked lower than 275.

Three players average double-digit points for the Lions, led by freshman guard Jadis Jones (6-5, 200) from New Madrid, Missouri, has started all six games and averages a team-high 12.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game to go with a co-team high 11 steals.

Senior guard Anias Futrell (6-foot-5, 185 pounds) from St. Louis is averaging 12.3 points per game and has started all six matchups, he also brings down 6.0 rebounds per game for second on the team, while leading the Lions with seven blocks.

Graduate guard Markeith Browning (6-4, 200) averages 11.7 points per game and dishes out a team-high 2.5 assists per game to go with 11 steals.

Futrell, Jones and senior forward Jaylon McDaniel (6-7, 240) from Kansas City, have all started all six games. Browning has started five and junior guard Reggie Bass (6-3, 190) has started four of the five he has played.

The Lions are shooting 44.7 percent from the field, 27.0 percent from 3 and 63.2 percent at the free-throw line.

I’m not going to go deep into the matchups because the Tigers have the advantage at every spot.

I think the main one I’ll keep an eye on is Mizzou’s backup guards and how they handle guards who like to attack the rim. It’ll be interesting to see the defense Missouri coach Dennis Gates wants to throw out there against a team that really isn’t a threat from 3.

The Lions have a 7-footer, but he’s playing about four minutes a game, otherwise there’s nobody on the team who matches up size wise in the paint, so we’ll see if Gates wants to try to abuse that mismatch by having Josh Gray and Peyton Marshall attack as much as possible, or if he goes for smaller lineups again throughout the game.

More work in the paint.

Gates mentioned the team needs to do more post-entry work and hasn’t had the room to the past couple of games because of the style of defenses the Tigers went up against. That’s what he put the amount of early 3-pointer attempts on. If the Tigers want to get some extra work getting to the post, tonight should be a good chance.

It should be another dominant performance and the Tigers should be able to take advantage again with another dominant win without major issues.

The real games start next week.

Head over to the story thread to discuss what you're looking at tonight or the Tiger Thread to talk about so much more.

You can follow me on X @kyle_mcareavy for more of my thoughts and updates.