Missouri has to watch the fouls as No. 19 Auburn comes to town
No. 19 Auburn at Mizzou
WHEN/WHERE: 8 p.m. Wednesday at Mizzou Arena in Columbia
TV/RADIO: SEC Network; KMBZ (98.1 FM)
PROJECTED LINEUPS:
P | No. | Missouri | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 11 | Jontay Porter | 6-11 | Fr. | 8.2 |
F | 21 | Jordan Barnett | 6-7 | Sr. | 14.5 |
C | 23 | Jeremiah Tilmon | 6-10 | Fr. | 8.7 |
G | 15 | Jordan Geist | 6-2 | Jr. | 7.4 |
G | 3 | Kassius Robertson | 6-3 | Sr. | 15.2 |
P | No. | Auburn | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 24 | Anfernee McLemore | 6-7 | So. | 7.9 |
F | 13 | Desean Murray | 6-3 | Jr. | 10.8 |
G | 5 | Mustapha Heron | 6-5 | So. | 15 |
G | 2 | Bryce Brown | 6-3 | Jr. | 16.4 |
G | 1 | Jared Harper | 5-10 | So. | 12.5 |
Keys for Missouri (13-6, 3-3 SEC)
Stay out of foul trouble: According to KenPom, Auburn ranks No. 10 in free-throw percentage at 77.9. Missouri frontcourt players such as freshmen Jeremiah Tilmon and Jontay Porter as well as junior Kevin Puryear have committed some bad fouls this season. The Tigers need to avoid letting Bruce Pearl’s squad get to the line.
Utilize post play: Auburn’s best post player, Austin Wiley, is out as a part of the ongoing FBI recruiting investigation, which gives Missouri more size and talent in the frontcourt. Missouri could use big games out of Tilmon and Porter. Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin said Auburn can guard bigger teams because Pearl has had success with smaller lineups in the past. Strong play from Missouri’s freshmen will open up the rest of the offense.
Get Jontay Porter or Kevin Puryear to heat up: Missouri is 10-2 when either forward scores 10 or more in a game but Tilmon and Porter have struggled lately. Martin said the power forward position is one of the most important on the team, especially on the offensive end. “A lot of what we do flows through that position,” he said. “When that position is clicking, I think we’re a better team.”
Keys for Auburn (17-2, 5-1 SEC):
Have strong guard play: Auburn has a number of players who can go off. Jared Harper, Bryce Brown and Mustapha Heron are averaging 12.5 points per game or better.
Hit threes: Auburn is too small to be a huge factor in the post, so utilizing the three-point shot could help Auburn get points on the board. Brown comes into the game shooting 39.5 percent from beyond the arc and, as a team, Auburn is towards the top of the conference at 37.3 percent.
Get to the line: With Missouri’s tendency for foul trouble, Auburn could try and tempt Tilmon and Porter to foul in order to get to the line. Missouri has won games when the offense was stagnant but got points from the free-throw line. If the threes aren’t going, Auburn could take a page out of its opponent’s playbook to leave with a win.
Alex Schiffer: 816-234-4064, @TheSchiffMan
This story was originally published January 23, 2018 at 5:17 PM with the headline "Missouri has to watch the fouls as No. 19 Auburn comes to town."