Missouri is playing another version of Tigers just to annoy me when I’m writing the game story tonight.

So let’s take a look at what I’ll be watching when Missouri (11-3) hosts LSU (11-3) at 8 p.m. at Mizzou Arena (SEC Network).

LSU enters tonight’s matchup as the second-lowest rated SEC team in the NET rankings, all the way down at No. 61.

The Bayou Bengals didn’t play many power-conference teams in the non-conference schedule. They beat Kansas State 76-65, lost to Pittsburgh 74-63, beat UCF 109-203 in three overtimes and beat Florida State 85-75 before losing to SMU 74-64.

LSU opened SEC play losing to Vanderbilt 80-72 as the lone team in the conference to lose as the host on Saturday.

The visiting Tigers average 83.4 points per game and allow 67.9. They shoot 48.3 percent from the field, 32.4 percent from 3 and 74.5 percent from the free-throw line.

Senior guard Cam Carter (6-foot-3, 190 pounds) who played at Kansas State the past two seasons, leads the team with 17.3 points per game to go with 4.2 rebounds and a co-team high 2.64 assists per contest.

Fifth-year guard Jordan Sears (5-11, 185), who played at UT-Martin the past two years, averages 14.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, while freshman guard Vyctorius Miller (6-5, 185) is averaging 11.1 points per game, fully off the bench.

Graduate forward Dji Bailey, who played at Richmond the past four years, adds 10.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, while dishing out 2.5 assists per contest.

Redshirt freshman forward Corey Chest (6-8, 220), who went to LINK Academy, has started nine of 13 games and leads the team with 8.1 rebounds per game, while he has traded starts with freshman forward Robert Miller (6-10, 220). LSU will be without junior forward Jalen Reed (6-10, 240) because of a season-ending injury. In his place, junior forward Daimion Collins (6-9, 200) has been starting.

LSU has one 7-footer on roster, junior Noah Boyde, but he has played 9 total minutes in three games played, so expect the Tiger centers to be the tallest players on the floor unless Missouri coach Dennis Gates decides to play with a smaller lineup again.

LSU leads the all-time series 12-4, including winning last-year’s matchup 84-80 in Baton Rouge.

Mizzou last beat LSU on March 1, 2024 81-76 in Baton Rouge which followed an 87-77 win against LSU at home on Feb. 1 2023.

Mizzou’s offense vs. LSU’s interior defense

Missouri has really struggled in a couple of games recently on the interior, going just 8-of-22 on layups against Auburn and 8-of-20 on layups against Illinois.

Against Illinois, that was made up by getting to the free throw line 37 times, but Missouri made it to the line just 26 times against Auburn.

If fouls aren’t getting called at the same rate they were earlier in the season for Mizzou, then those layups and close jumpers have to start falling. A big portion of the Tiger offense, starting when Caleb Grill began missing games, was getting to the interior and getting so, so, so many fouls called.

But the Tigers just have to start making the shots if they want to keep that offensive strategy, especially with how the 3-pointers have continued to not fall.

Mizzou’s defense vs. LSU’s back court

So much of LSU’s production comes from its guards. If Missouri is able to keep them contained, likely with Ant Robinson playing a lot more minutes than he did against Auburn.

Robinson has played limited minutes in the last couple of big-time matchups because of foul trouble and issues with physicality.

I don’t think I’m telling anyone anything surprising when I say Mizzou is going to need Ant to get to where he’s able to play full games in the important matchups if the Tigers want to win.

LSU’s perimeter defense has been very good this season, allowing teams to shoot just 28.6 percent from beyond the arc. It’s been very good overall as well, allowing just a 38.2 percent field goal rate. And LSU only allows 12.2 free throw attempts per game.

Mizzou will almost certainly shoot more from the free-throw line than that, but it’s not going to be able to rely on getting to the line to make up any offensive deficiencies. LSU is too good of a defense for that.

LSU in Mizzou Arena is up there among the easiest the rest of the SEC schedule is going to get, which is ridiculous.

Missouri’s offense is going to have to actually be able to hit the shots its been missing, whether from the interior or from deep, instead of relying on free throws all night. It won’t be easy, but LSU’s offense should be rough enough to keep Mizzou close while the Black & Gold get into rhythm.

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