In the last edition of Study Hall, I mentioned how the quick turnaround following the sour taste of the last 10 minutes against Prairie View might be a good thing. Turns out I was right, as getting back
on the court only a few days after that game ended allowed Missouri to reset how we’re going to feel going into a bit of a longer break. The Tigers have an entire weekend to take in how they played in the second half against South Dakota, which one might be able to call an utter dismantling.
The first half wasn’t perfect, but with a lot of these kinds of games you have to give some credit to the opponent. South Dakota isn’t going to be contending for a national title this year, but they’re a well coached team who play a bit of an unconventional style, and when shots are falling they’re going to give a team like Missouri some headaches.
They play fast, which Dennis Gates is not opposed to. And the three point line can really even things out. It nearly did for the Coyotes in the first half as they drained 7 threes, and scored 42 points.
The second half was a different story. Missouri kept doing what they were doing, taking timely threes but otherwise punishing USD at the rim. And the Tigers balanced attack wore down the smaller ‘Yotes.
There are two more games remaining before the Tigers face another high major team, a pending trip to South Bend in December 2nd. Two more games of Quad 4 home (hopeful) routes. Two more games to get Annor Boateng back into the rotation, and hopefully one or both of the Trents.
TEAM STATS
It’s helpful to know who you are, and Missouri knows they want to get to the rim, and the free throw line. 66% 2FG shooting and of the 45 2FGA, there were 32 at the rim according to the StatBroadcast. And according to Synergy only three shots were even outside the lane (2FGA only, obviously).
The turnovers continue to plague the Tigers, and sometimes you can point to lineups as being at fault, but Anthony Robinson and Mark Mitchell combined for 7 TOs themselves. Each guy will just have to be a little better taking care of the ball.
- The rebounding margin again favored Missouri, and we’re back to a positive trend. Even with the volume of USDs ORBs they still fell short of expected rebounds, and it’s worth pointing out they missed 19 threes, which account for a higher percentage of rebounds collected.
- It’s about as perfect of an offensive performance you could ask for, aside from the turnovers. When you can be that efficient without taking a bunch of threes it’s a good sign you know how to generate points.
The offense is fun, but when this team gets really good is when they defend also. The defense, when locked in, is what takes this team from a top 35ish team to a top 15ish team. If you want to compete for any kind of championship, you’ve gotta defend.
INDIVIDUAL STATS
Trifecta: Jevon Porter, Mark Mitchell, Jacob Crews
On the season: Mark Mitchell 11, Jacob Crews 8, Jayden Stone 7, Anthony Robinson 6, Jevon Porter 3, Shawn Phillips 1
Porter looked at home in this game, clearly his best offensive effort, but also he was sound defensively also. Porter is a versatile player, but his agility seems best served closer to the rim than guarding wings. Against SD he was content to just hammer people at the rim, and chase down rebounds. That’s the kind of player Missouri will be happy to utilize.
Mark was Mark. He’s just a really good player. Even his turnovers weren’t that bad as he was looking to make plays for his teammates. With a guy like Mitchell, the more you can keep him in space, the better off he is. Which is why I think he pairs so well when Jacob Crews is on the floor. Crews has been so under control so far this year, he’s really become a valuable guy. Let’s just hope that all rolls in when the competition steps up.
I think this is a game where everyone really played well. Even TO, who had the teams only negative +/- statline was way better on the ball than he was last game. Annor Boateng got sped up some, but that’s to be expected for a guy seeing his first action in nearly a month. Give him a few more games to acclimate and I think we’ll see the guy who really stood out against Kansas State.
To Ant: find a way to take more shots.
No Shawn Phillips due to an illness. Hopefully he recovers quickly. But obviousy Missouri doesn’t need him to win a game like this. They won’t need him for another week, really. Hopefully we get to see him healthy next week, and back on the floor with Pierce and eventually Burns also.
This string of Q4 games is wearing me down a bit. There’s only so much you can glean from a short handed roster when they’re obviously better than the opponent. One more week of this stuff before the real games start up. In the meantime, don’t slip up against South Carolina State or Cleveland State and you’ll feel good about heading to play Notre Dame with a nearly healthy roster.
