Missouri-Western Kentucky lineups, TV, tipoff time, facts and figures
Missouri vs. Western Kentucky
WHEN/WHERE: 2 p.m. Saturday at Mizzou Arena in Columbia
TV/RADIO: No TV (streaming only on SEC Network+); KMBZ (98.1 FM)
Projected starters
P No. Missouri Ht. Yr. PPG
F 24 Kevin Puryear 6-7 So. 11.5
F 25 Russell Woods 6-8 Sr. 5.8
G 1 Terrence Phillips 5-11 So. 8.5
G 3 Frankie Hughes 6-4 Fr. 13.5
G 33 Cullen VanLeer 6-4 So. 6.8
P No. Western Kentucky Ht. Yr. PPG
F 14 Ben Lawson 7-1 Sr. 6.0
F 23 Justin Johnson 6-7 Jr. 12.6
G 5 Junior Lomomba 6-5 Sr. 7.1
G 12 Pancake Thomas 6-4 Sr. 11.4
G 32 Que Johnson 6-6 Sr. 14.7
ABOUT MISSOURI (3-3): The Tigers can’t possibly shoot worse than they did Monday during a shocking 62-52 home loss against North Carolina Central. Mizzou was a dismal 17 of 68 from the field, setting a program record for shooting futility at Mizzou Arena. The Tigers’ 25-percent clip was their lowest field-goal percentage in 220 non-exhibition games inside the building. The good news is that Western Kentucky’s opponents boast a healthy 52.3 effective field goal percentage this season, so good shots shouldn’t be hard to find. Freshman guard Frankie Hughes, who has attempted the most shots for Mizzou in each game this season, has cooled off after shooting at a 50-percent clip against Alabama A&M and Xaiver. He’s only 13 of 49 (26.5 percent) from the field during the last three games, which includes a 6-of-13 performance against Tulane.
ABOUT WESTERN KENTUCKY (3-4): The Hilltoppers, who are led by former Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury in his first season with the program, limp to town on a three-game losing streak and having dropped four of the last five games. Western Kentucky is ranked No. 225 in KenPom’s rankings with only one win against a team ranked higher than 325th, but it’s the kind of veteran team — like NC Central — that can give Mizzou fits. The Hilltoppers are transfer-heavy with Que Johnson (Washington State), Junior Lomomba (Providence) and Pancake Thomas (Hartford) entrenched in the starting lineup. Tennessee transfers Willie Carmichael (suspended indefinitely) and Jabari McGhee (eligible second semester) aren’t expected to play.
Tod Palmer: 816-234-4389, @todpalmer
This story was originally published December 2, 2016 at 2:28 PM with the headline "Missouri-Western Kentucky lineups, TV, tipoff time, facts and figures."