Mizzou Tigers basketball improves the little things as SEC opener at Kentucky looms
The first game of the Missouri Tigers’ Southeastern Conference schedule is arguably their toughest.
It comes off the heels of an 8-4 record through the bulk of nonconference play. The Tigers are on the upswing, including a four-game winning streak and a pair of Quadrant 1 wins, at Temple and against Illinois.
Though to pair the positives, the Tigers exhibited some poor trends. As Mizzou coach Cuonzo Martin’s team travels for a 1 p.m. Saturday tipoff at No. 17 Kentucky, it’ll look to fix those issues for a potential bid to the NCAA Tournament.
“They’re really good in pushing ball, they like to play above the rim,” guard Javon Pickett said of Kentucky. “They can get to the paint a lot. We gotta make sure that we’re doing the right things on defense to make sure that we’re getting back on defense, especially on fast breaks.”
Of the areas needing improvement, guard Xavier Pinson pointed at turnovers. Mizzou turns the ball over 14.8 times per game and forces 15.7 turnovers a game. When the Tigers’ slow starts hindered the team — a culprit of their three-game losing streak — they turned the ball over often on their opening possessions.
Martin said the team has drills to fix the turnover issues, but it comes down to “understanding who you are as a player.” For example, if a player is primarily a jump shooter, then having some self-awareness to pass to a ball-handler is vital.
“It’s complicated, but I don’t think it’s as complicated as it should be,” Martin said. “Get to the lane, jump stop. Be strong with the basketball.”
Arguably Mizzou’s greatest flaw is its three-point shooting. The Tigers shoot 23.3% in losses — not great. That number improves to 32.8% in wins, but that’s not even making a third of possible three-pointers. While Watson’s barrage of hitting eight three-pointers against Chicago State was a positive step forward, it was a one-game sample size. Mizzou has players who can shoot but haven’t found their stroke yet.
Guys like Pinson (22.2% this season vs. 40% last season) and Watson (28.8% vs. 36.1%) have yet to heat up. Freshman Kobe Brown (18.2%) is a willing shooter, but he’s still adapting to the college three-point line. If threes start falling for Mizzou, it’ll open up the game, especially for forward Jeremiah Tilmon, who battles double teams because of Mizzou’s lack of spacing.
“We’ve all seen it’s really hard to guard Jeremiah one-on-one,” Watson said. “He’s a very big guy. So strong it’s just hard to even stay in front of him. Just giving him the opportunity work down low in the post, not being guys to be able to double.”
In recent weeks, Mizzou’s depth has emerged as the wins piled up. Mitchell Smith and Watson showed some life, though week-to-week consistency is still needed. But their emergence — along with the likes of Pinson and Pickett — contribute to what is a deep Missouri squad.
Regardless, if Mizzou finds a way to upset Kentucky on Saturday and claw its way to a stellar SEC record, it’ll start on the defensive end. The Tigers are sixth nationally in scoring defense at 55.7 points per game, displaying how Martin wants to compete and win games.
“We have been extremely better on defense,” Pinson said. “Our defense sets up everything on offense. Our defense has to be there every possession for us to win.”