Missouri Tigers men’s basketball vs. Northern Illinois: Time, TV, lineups, prediction
.JPG "Missouri’s Kobe Brown, left, chases a loose ball in front of coach Cuonzo Martin during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Kansas City Monday, Nov. 15, 2021, in Columbia, Mo. Kansas City won 80-66. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)")
THE DETAILS
When: 7 p.m. Central time Thursday
Where: Mizzou Arena, Columbia, Missouri
TV: SEC Network Plus (online only)
Radio: KMBZ (98.1 FM)
Betting line: Missouri by 15
PROJECTED LINEUPS
P | No. | Northern Illinois | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
G | 0 | Keshawn Williams | 6-3 | So. | 13.5 |
G | 1 | Trendon Hankerson | 6-2 | Sr. | 15.5 |
G | 24 | Darweshi Hunter | 6-5 | Jr. | 3.0 |
G/F | 50 | Anthony Crump | 6-8 | Sr. | 8.5 |
C | 13 | Adong Makuoi | 6-9 | Sr. | 4.0 |
P | No. | Missouri | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
G | 5 | Boogie Coleman | 6-5 | R-Jr. | 10.0 |
G | 1 | Amari Davis | 6-2 | Jr. | 9.5 |
G | 12 | DaJuan Gordon | 6-3 | Jr. | 7.0 |
G | 4 | Javon Pickett | 6-5 | Sr. | 13.5 |
F | 24 | Kobe Brown | 6-8 | Jr. | 15.0 |
PREDICTION
About Northern Illinois (1-1): The Huskies are in their first year under Rashon Burno, who spent the last six seasons under Bobby Hurley at Arizona State and worked under now Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan at Florida for three seasons before that. Northern Illinois opened with a 71-64 upset over Washington behind a brilliant performance from guard Trendon Hankerson — he had 28 points (9-of-15 from the field, 6-of-11 from deep), seven rebounds and three steals. The Huskies struggled in their second outing. They only made 30.4% of their shots and turned the ball over 23 times in a 85-49 loss to Indiana on Nov. 12. KenPom ranks Northern Illinois No. 314.
About Missouri (1-1): The Tigers are fresh off quite the disappointing result, a 80-66 upset loss at the hands of the Kansas City Roos. Mizzou’s 78-68 win over Central Michigan was more concerning than convincing too, as the Chippewas climbed their way back in the second half and made it a game late. Through two games, the Tigers are allowing opponents to shoot 45.7% from the field and 37.7% from deep, which is tied for 279th among Division I teams. Things haven’t been much better on the offensive end either; they rank 11th in the SEC in both points per game (72.0) and three point percentage (31.7%). KenPom ranks Missouri No. 118.
Prediction: After being embarrassed on their home floor by Kansas City, the Tigers have a lot to prove Thursday night. Will that loss be a turning point for this team? Or will things spiral more out of control?
One of the biggest concerns for Mizzou in this game is containing the three-point shot. Doing so has been a weakness for coach Cuonzo Martin’s squad through the first two games of the season, and if the Huskies get going from deep it could be a long night. After all, that’s how they were able to upset Washington. One of the reasons Indiana was able to coast to an easy win over NIU was because it held its opponents shooters to 1-of-11 on three-point attempts.
Also key for the Tigers will be improving at the charity stripe. They have made just 29-of-46 free throws so far this season, good for just 63%. It’s pretty hard to win games when you aren’t making the most of easy opportunities to put points on the board.
Another factor to watch will be whether Jarron “Boogie” Coleman plays or not. He left Tuesday night’s game with an ankle injury and Mizzou has yet to provide an update on his status. He’s a starter and one of the team’s best ball handlers and shooters, so being without him would be a big blow.
Kenpom gives Mizzou a 93% chance to win and ESPN’s BPI projection has the odds of a victory at 90.8%. It’s hard to imagine the Tigers dropping consecutive games to low-major opponents.
Missouri 77, Northern Illinois 63
