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Missouri made it through its seven-game homestand without a scratch, staying undefeated to start the year off and receiving two points in Monday’s AP Top 25 Poll. The Tigers now venture out on the road for the first time this season to take on, possibly, their toughest opponent thus far in Wichita State.
The Shockers aren’t as relevant as they once were in the mid-2010s — Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet are long gone and the team hasn’t won an NCAA tournament game since 2017. They’ve already dropped games against Alcorn State and San Francisco this season. But Wichita State still represents a step up in the level of competition from what Mizzou has seen so far this year, with wins over Grand Canyon and Atlantic 10 reigning champion Richmond. Being on the road will also put the Tigers in an environment they haven’t played in yet.
Tigers head coach Dennis Gates thinks his team’s experience will help in getting ready for the Shockers.
“These guys have played on the road before, this isn’t their first rodeo,” Gates said. “Now if I had a team for the freshmen, that’s different. But we have guys that have played 60-plus games before. They know what the preparation looks like, they know what it smells like, they know what it talks like and they know what we need to do.”
TIP TIME INFORMATION
Missouri (7-0) at Wichita State (4-2)
WHEN: 7 p.m.
WHERE: Charles Koch Arena, Wichita, Kan.
TV: ESPN+
SERIES: 4-1, Mizzou
KENPOM PREDICTION: Mizzou 72, Wichita State 71
PROJECTED STARTERS
BY THE NUMBERS
KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Dictate the pace. Tuesday’s matchup will be a clash of styles as Mizzou, a team that likes to keep its foot glued to the gas pedal, is juxtaposed against Wichita State, a team that likes to cruise below the speed limit. Per KenPom, the Tigers average 73.2 possessions per 40 minutes, which ranks 14th in the country. The Shockers average just 64.4, coming in a 328th. To keep playing at its breakneck tempo, Missouri will need to continue forcing a high volume of turnovers — something Wichita State hasn’t done a ton of, coughing the ball up on 17.7% of possessions. If the Tigers aren’t able to do so, there’ll be significantly fewer chances to push the ball in transition, allowing Wichita State to get comfortable in its halfcourt defense.
2. Don’t settle for 3-pointers. The Shockers like to mix in a stingy 2-3 zone in which they try their darndest to keep the ball from getting to the middle. They deny any flashers in the high post and force opposing offenses to beat them off the dribble to get anywhere near the rim. Opponents have shot just 42.2% on 2-pointers against them, the 21st-lowest mark in the nation. Some teams give up and start jacking triples. Richmond, for instance, opened its game against Wichita State shooting 10 consecutive 3s and made just three of them, falling behind 14-9 in the first eight minutes. Mizzou similarly struggled the first half of its game against Mississippi Valley State, taking nearly twice as many shots from outside the arc than they did inside. Eventually, senior guards DeAndre Gholston and Isiaih Mosley got consistent dribble penetration against the zone in the second half and helped the team pull away. The Tigers will need to find that groove again against the Shockers.
3. Avoid a Craig Porter Jr. takeover. The senior guard quite literally does it all for Wichita State, leading the team in points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals. If he plays well, the Shockers typically win. If he doesn’t, winning becomes a lot more difficult. In the two games the team lost, Porter shot below 40% from the field. In all four of the team’s victories, he shot at least 45%. One way Missouri could try to keep him off-rhythm is to pick him up full-court — Porter is averaging 3.2 turnovers a game. But the Tigers still need to keep him from getting hot when Wichita State does get into its set offense.
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