Mizzou hopes to snap losing skid in Philly after diagnosing early-season troubles
Stumbling through a three-game losing streak — including a stunning upset loss to Charleston Southern Tuesday — Mizzou men’s basketball coach Cuonzo Martin and his Tigers watched film to diagnose their bad habits.
That includes their slow starts to games — something that’s become a trend. Martin said his team watched all three losses during this skid, including an overtime defeat against Xavier in which the Tigers were down 22-7 in the first half.
Martin pointed out how little details festered into larger problems: from turnovers to missed three-point shots to sloppy defense, among other issues. The Tigers have simply been punched in the face early in games as opponents build leads.
“It comes down to attention to detail and set an aggressive tone early,” Martin said. “You don’t want to be in some situations where you’re on your heels. You’ve gotta be aggressive; you set the tone. Play the way you play in practice.”
The slow starts have taken a mental toll, too, as the Tigers are repeatedly forced to overcome large deficits. Martin said his leaders need to step up and assure their teammates’ energy doesn’t waver.
A core issue has been Mizzou’s three-point accuracy. The Tigers are shooting just 25.4% from behind the arc, ranking 342nd of 350 teams in the country in that statistic. They’ve only shot above 35% in a game once this year, a 75-56 win over Wofford.
Those particular struggles help explain why Mizzou’s offense sputters — opponents can focus on defending in the paint. The Tigers rely heavily on forward Jeremiah Tilmon for points, but he’s subjected to double-teams as defenders sag off when his teammates aren’t making shots.
That’s led to a stagnant offense that’s difficult to watch: Mizzou’s 66.8 points per game is tied for 279th in the country.
The NCAA’s institution this season of a new three-point line, now matching the international three-point distance, hasn’t helped. Martin and his team also contend that their shots just aren’t falling. Once a player makes a jump shot, it’s easier to get in a groove.
“Confidence is very big,” Martin said. “When you play with a little confidence, you’re a different basketball player.”
So that’s the backdrop as the Tigers look for their first win in more than two weeks against Temple Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in Philadelphia’s Liacouras Center. With SEC play starting next month, and the annual Braggin’ Rights game against Illinois even sooner, on Dec. 21, there’s a definite urgency in the air, MU guard Dru Smith said.
“We’re all just coming in knowing that basically we have to turn it around at this point,” Smith said. “We don’t have a lot of time to work through any issues that we’re having. We need to come in, work hard and do our best to get things going in the right direction.”
It won’t be easy Saturday. Temple is off to a solid start at 6-1. The Owls’ only loss so far came against No. 3 Maryland, a 76-69 defeat. They’re led by Quinton Rose, who averages 14.6 points per game. Last year, Rose scored 18 in a 79-77 Owls victory over Mizzou.
“They’re a very quick, athletic team,” Smith said. “They like to get out and run. They shoot quite a bit of threes; they have some guys who can knock down shots. Some guys that can get to the rim really well.”