It would have been far-fetched to say that Mizzou would need a good stretch run to make sure they made it to the NCAA tournament, but that didn’t happen two more weeks ago. Tigers are now traveling to Gainesville in desperate need of a boost in morale and their curriculum. Follow updates at halftime and after the game.
Second part notes
- This game went back and forth for most of it. I think there is a good chance that it will be decided in the last 30 seconds.
- Tilmon is the best player on this team and is not close, but his missing FTs are so demoralizing. It seems that he leaves a lot of points on the line, although his production is still great.
- Despite everything I said about Pinson, he shot well in this game, but there is still something to be found for him.
- Mitch Smith played this game extremely well with Kobe Brown in trouble, but the Tigers really need Brown to figure out his problem in the postseason.
- Pinson finished very well for the first time this game with about 4 minutes left, and that’s exactly what he needs to keep doing. Cutting the defense in this way will allow him to play better, open kicks for others and force defenders to give him more space in the perimeter.
- The way the Tigers ended the game was terrible. It seems that they started to play not to lose, instead of trying to finish Florida when they had 8 wins.
- DRU SMITH! Are the Tigers back?
First half of notes
- After giving up the first seven points of the game, it looked like the Tigers would have more of the same, but when I responded well, at least it took me by surprise. Fortunately, they can continue for the rest of the game.
- Every night, Dru Smith and Jeremiah Tilmon will give you great games, and this is just one more example. But Tigers need one more consistent guy if they want to play well again, and that missing piece is Xavier Pinson. He recently disappeared and, currently, he is 1-4 off the field. He needs to focus more on driving to the basket to regain his pace because he spends a lot of time on the perimeter.
- Florida started at 10-15, which seems worrisome, but Mizzou has managed to stop the upsets, so it’s not as worrying as it originally looked.
- Pinson has heated up with three momentarily, but I still think that for him to reach his maximum potential, he has to drive more. I think he drove maybe twice in this game.
- This was one of the best matches that the Tigers played recently, as they got it right, and their defense was great from start to finish. They forced 15 turnovers in that half, and Dru Smith alone has 5 steals.
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The details
Opponent: Alligators (13-6)
Time: 17:30 CT
Where: Exactech Arena at Stephen C. O’Connell Center, Gainesville, FL
Is Mizzou receiving the 25 best votes? Yes, but they are not classified.
What does Vegas say? Mizzou, +4.5
Where to Watch: SEC network | WatchESPN
Radio: Tiger Radio Network // Sirius / XM -119/199
Twitter: @MizzouHoops
The Facebook: Men’s Mizzou – Basketball
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Five questions!
- Who will lead the team in scoring?
- Will Tilmon have a double-double?
- Is this the most important game of the Tigers season so far?
- Who is your trifecta for the game?
- What will be the final score?