Mizzou hoops trending up after solid games, particularly with upset win over Auburn
When the Missouri Tigers breathed some life into their season after a 20-point comeback win over Georgia, it looked there was a positive step in a long season. But then Mizzou followed it up with a pair of road blowout losses to South Carolina and Texas A&M.
At first glance, it appeared their season was done in as the losses piled up. After preseason expectations were set for an NCAA Tournament bid, Mizzou sported a 10-12 record and a 2-7 SEC mark at the time. It was looking similar to last season, when the Tigers finished 15-17 and 5-13 in the SEC.
But Mizzou has played like a completely different team in its past three games. The on-court product has vaulted the Tigers to victories in two of their last three games as they look to put together a winning streak.
Mizzou defeated Arkansas in overtime at the start of this three-game stretch. Some pointed to Rally For Rhyan magic, but it was a solid performance against a good team.
Then Missouri took No. 25 LSU to the wire, falling just short of an upset road win.
And on Saturday, Mizzou dominated No. 11 Auburn in an 85-73 victory.
“Coach just told us: believe,” said guard Xavier Pinson, who scored a career-high 28 points against Auburn. “Believe and stay locked in. That’s the two important things that we did.”
Mired in the slump, Mizzou also dealt with injury issues. Guard Mark Smith missed the games against South Carolina and Texas A&M, sidelined with his lower back injury. He’s sat the past five games now. Forward Jeremiah Tilmon played in the Texas A&M loss, but an apparent setback with his injury has him back on the bench.
Despite that, the Tigers put things together over the last three games. While there’s been an uptick in quality of play, there hasn’t been a specific incident or sudden change-of-heart through the recent games, Pinson said.
Pinson has been the difference-maker during that stretch, filling in for Mark Smith. While he scored 28 points against Auburn, he also posted a then career-high 24 points in the Arkansas win. Guard Dru Smith, who also scored a career-high 28 points against Auburn, has been his steady self as Mizzou’s most important player.
“Definitely heart,” forward Kobe Brown said of what’s different. “We let those two slip out of our hands. They kind of got out of control. So we gotta just come together as a team and grind and get the next win.”
Looking ahead, Mizzou has a favorable schedule in its final six SEC games. They face Mississippi twice, another team tied with the Missouri at 4-8 in conference play. For seeding, both of those games are crucial.
The other road games, Arkansas and Vanderbilt, are winnable. But Mizzou is 0-6 in SEC road games, posing a major challenge. The home games are against Mississippi State and Alabama, a chance for revenge as the Tigers lost to both teams on the road already.
If the Tigers don’t finish in the bottom four in the SEC, they won’t have to play a Wednesday game in the SEC Tournament. A strong finish could also vault them into the NIT, though Mizzou is still at least a few wins away from that conversation.
“Everybody playing with confidence,” guard Javon Pickett said. “Making sure that we’re just being aggressive throughout the whole game. Making sure we lock up on the defensive end. I feel like we’ve been doing a good job on that. Making sure that we’re helping out our teammates.”
Freshman optimism
While freshman Tray Jackson has drawn headlines the past two games for his solid play, another rookie in Kobe Brown turned heads against Auburn.
The box score showed Brown’s contributions: 10 points and nine rebounds, just missing a double-double. But it was his attentiveness around the court that made the difference, according to Martin.
A lot of responsibility is put on both Brown and Jackson them as they play the power forward position, Martin said. Whether it’s on the offensive or defensive end, there’s a lot of moving parts. It’s what Brown did so well on Saturday, including what Martin called one of his best games “mentally” of his college career.
“I was definitely locked in,” Brown said. “Last night, I studied the scouting report a lot. I felt good coming into this game.”
Overturned call
Javon Pickett was called for a foul on a bang-bang play in the second half against Auburn. As he got up, he noticed a nearby referee was calling a foul on No. 4. But after getting dragged down and stepped over by Auburn guard Devan Cambridge, Pickett thought Cambridge must also be wearing his jersey number, since he was initially shocked by the call.
But after some confusion — and a lengthy review — it ended as a flagrant-two call on Cambridge and an automatic ejection. Replays showed Cambridge stepped over Pickett, which resulted in the technical call.
It was a crucial moment in the game as it look like Auburn might be making a comeback. But after three free throws and a Torrence Watson three-pointer, it was a six-point swing and momentum stuck with Mizzou.
“The referee asked, ‘Did he step on you?’” Pickett said. “I said, ‘Yeah.’ Then they go to look. We went back to the huddle. Coach and them said just stay locked in. Make sure we go out there and execute. Don’t get too discouraged about that, just make sure we’re playing our game.”