Missouri Tigers
Head Coach: Kim Anderson 291-128 (17-34 in 2nd season at Mizzou)
Record this season: 8-11, 1-5 SEC (0-5 away)
Schedule
11-13-15 WOFFORD W 83-74
11-15-15 UMES W 73-55
11-17-15 at Xavier L 66-78
11-23-15 vs Kansas State L 42-66
11-24-15 vs Northwestern L 62-67
12-1-15 ARKANSAS STATE W 88-78
12-4-15 NORTHERN ILLINOIS W 78-71
12-9-15 OMAHA W 85-78
12-13-15 at Arizona L 52-88
12-19-15 NC STATE L 59-73
12-23-15 vs Illinois L 63-68
12-29-15 ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF W 78-25
1-2-16 SAVANNAH STATE W 81-50
* 1-6-16 at Georgia L 59-77
* 1-9-16 AUBURN W 76-61
* 1-12-16 ARKANSAS L 61-94
* 1/16/16 at South Carolina L 72-81
* 1-20-16 GEORGIA L 57-60
* 01/23/16 at Texas A&M L 53-66
* conference game
Game information
01/27/16 Missouri at Kentucky, Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY, 8:00 pm EST, TV: SEC Network
Probable Starters
F #24 Kevin Puryear 6-7 236 Fr, 11.5pts*, 4.7reb*, .200 3pt%
F #44 Ryan Rosburg 6-10 260 Sr, 4.6pts, 3.4reb, no 3pt threat
G #15 Wes Clark 6-0 180 Jr, 10.4pts, 3.1reb, 2.9ast*, .406 3pt%*
G #12 Namon Wright 6-5 202 So, 8.6pts, 4.6reb, 1.5ast, .275 3pt%
G #1 Terrence Phillips 5-11 175 Fr, 7.9pts, 3.5reb, 2.9ast*, 1.2steals*, .358 3pt%
Key Reserves
G #4 Tramaine Isabell 6-0 178 So, 5.6pts, 1.9reb, 1.3ast, .310 3pt%
G #10 K.J. Walton 6-3 197 Fr, 5.2pts, 1.5reb, .250 3pt%
F #23 Jakeenan Gant 6-8 212 So, 4.5pts, 3.5reb, 1.1blks*, .100 3pt%
F #25 Russell Woods 6-8 225 Jr, 3.8pts, 3.1reb, no 3pt threat
G #33 Cullen VanLeer 6-4 200 Fr, 3.8pts, 1.4reb, .317 3pt%
*leads team in category
Team Stats
Points per game 67.8
Points allowed 68.9
Scoring margin -1.2
Field goal pct .426
FG% allowed .410
3-point FG pct .313
3pt% allowed .3369
Free throw pct .704
Rebounds per game 35.3
Rebounds allowed 35.9
Rebounding margin -0.6
Assists per game 11.8
Turnovers per game 12.3
Turnover margin -0.6
Assist/turnover ratio 1.0
Steals per game 5.7
Blocks per game 2.9
KenPom analysis (#175 Missouri)
Team Strengths
#67 in 2pt FG% defense, allowing 45.3%
#82 in effective FG% allowing 47.2%
They don’t have many strengths
Team Weaknesses
#292 in 3pt% at 31.3%
#273 in offensive rebounding %
#211 offensive rating
#258 in defensive turnover %
Analysis: Kim Anderson’s second season at Missouri isn’t looking much better than his first. They will come into Rupp on Wednesday night sporting an 8-11 season record and a dismal 1-5 record for last place in SEC play. It’s difficult to pinpoint their biggest issue, but one of the biggest is their lack of scoring ability. They are #13 out of 14 in the SEC and #291 nationally in scoring offense and #287 in assists. Facing a rejuvenated UK defense may spell doom for the Tigers. They also lack good 3pt shooting, so it’s difficult for them to make up a deficit if they get behind. Their defense is what keeps them in games when they’re able to stay in it. If you’re looking for a silver lining for Missouri, they have several young players contributing who will be back next season and beyond. In fact, the only senior who plays very much at all is F Ryan Rosburg, who is fairly well known by UK fans.
Of course, I shouldn’t fail to mention the elephant in the room, which is the fact that Missouri has self-imposed a post season ban for NCAA rules violations that happened under former coach Frank Haith. They also vacated the entire 2013-14 season, among other self-imposed penalties. If you’d like to read more about that, check out this article from the St Louis Post Dispatch: http://www.stltoday.com/sports/coll...cle_dacc8793-38b0-57de-976d-ceb01179ce67.html Of course, the post-season ban is likely not too painful this season, given the fact that, at their current pace, the Tigers wouldn’t be invited into postseason play anyway.
The best offensive player for the Tigers is 6-7 freshman forward Kevin Puryear. He’s scoring 11.5 points per game and also leads the team in rebounding, at 4.7 boards per game. This is one of the guys who probably excites Tiger fans for the future more than any other. He’s a dynamic athlete who can finish well in the lane and on the break. He’s a fairly efficient offensive player so long as he stays away from the 3pt shot, where he only shoots 20%. He plays the 4 spot, though he’s really more like a small forward. The other frontcourt player has changed from game to game, but it seems Kim Anderson has settled once again on Ryan Rosburg, the 6-10 260lb senior who has struggled multiple times and lost the starting job multiple times while at Missouri. He’s put together a couple decent games, though, scoring 12 against South Carolina and 10 against Texas A&M. These games raised his scoring average to 4.6 points per game. One thing you can say for him is this- he’s a big, strong guy who has been around the block a few times and will try to muscle our thinner post players.
After Puryear, Missouri’s next 5 best scorers are all guards. (Not having a back-to-the-basket scorer has been an issue.) But the next best player for the Tigers is Wes Clark, a guy UK fans know from the last several years. He’s been a 3-year starter for the Tigers and, along with Ryan Rosburg, one of the few holdovers from the Missouri teams of Haith. Clark is the Tigers’ best perimeter shooter at 40.6% and he’s also tied for the team lead in assists with another starter, the 5-11 freshman guard Terrence Phillips. Phillips is another guy who gives some hope to Missouri fans. He’s a pretty good point guard who can shoot a bit also. He’s still a long way from being a top point guard but he’s learning on the job this season. The third guard in the lineup is sophomore Namon Wright. He’s a bigger guard at 6-5 202 who scores 8.6 points and is second on the team in rebounding 4.6 boards per game. He also leads the team in steals with 23 on the season.
Looking at the reserves, there are several guys here who have started games for the Tigers this season, including KJ Walton, Jakeenan Gant and Russell Woods. The latter two are forwards for Missouri and have been involved in Anderson’s attempt to find some interior help. Grant is a guy UK fans know from last season. He’s a 6-8 sophomore with good athleticism who is a very active player on the floor. He actually leads Missouri in blocked shots, though he’s only been playing about 15 minutes per game. His issue is that he’s a poor shooter and is only scoring 4.5 points per game. Woods plays about the same amount as Gant and actually has a better touch on his shot inside, but he’s not as good a defender or as active as Gant. KJ Walton is a 6-3 freshman guard who also struggles shooting the ball. He plays some decent defense and can score on the break and in the lane when given the opportunity. Tramaine Isabell is actually 5th on the team in scoring at 5.6 ppg but he’s a bit turnover prone and isn’t a great shooter, either. He didn’t play in their last game because Anderson decided to cut down the rotation from 11 players to 9, and he never left the bench. If Anderson sticks to that, we may not see Isabell. Cullen Vanleer is the 9th guy who has played in every game this season for the Tigers. He’s a 6-4 guard who pretty much comes in to spot up and shoot the three. Of his 77 shots on the season, 63 are 3pt attempts. He shoots the 3 at 31.7%, which is certainly not earth shattering. He plays about 16 minutes per game.
Defensively, Missouri plays a mixture of man and zone. I’m not sure what they’ll try with UK. Zone defense has not worked well on UK this season, and the Cats have been shooting it better from 3 of late, so we may see quite a bit of man to man from Missouri. Of course, they will struggle with Ulis, Murray, and Briscoe, most likely, and if Poythress decides to play well, they can’t stop him, either. Rosburg is big and strong but he’s not quick and he’s not a shot blocker. So, Poythress could have a big day. In fact, if UK plays with the same fire and intensity that they played with in the last 2 games, this game will be over by halftime.
Having said that, it should be noted that Missouri has played a bit better of late, only losing by single digits to South Carolina and Georgia and even going on the road and giving A&M a decent game for much of the day, before the Aggies pulled out to a 13pt win. Their defense has been most impressive during this stretch, holding Georgia and A&M to the 60s for a final score. It shouldn’t matter, though, if the Cats are playing like they’re capable of playing. I’m expecting a big win in this one.
Prediction: Kentucky 74 Missouri 52
Head Coach: Kim Anderson 291-128 (17-34 in 2nd season at Mizzou)
Record this season: 8-11, 1-5 SEC (0-5 away)
Schedule
11-13-15 WOFFORD W 83-74
11-15-15 UMES W 73-55
11-17-15 at Xavier L 66-78
11-23-15 vs Kansas State L 42-66
11-24-15 vs Northwestern L 62-67
12-1-15 ARKANSAS STATE W 88-78
12-4-15 NORTHERN ILLINOIS W 78-71
12-9-15 OMAHA W 85-78
12-13-15 at Arizona L 52-88
12-19-15 NC STATE L 59-73
12-23-15 vs Illinois L 63-68
12-29-15 ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF W 78-25
1-2-16 SAVANNAH STATE W 81-50
* 1-6-16 at Georgia L 59-77
* 1-9-16 AUBURN W 76-61
* 1-12-16 ARKANSAS L 61-94
* 1/16/16 at South Carolina L 72-81
* 1-20-16 GEORGIA L 57-60
* 01/23/16 at Texas A&M L 53-66
* conference game
Game information
01/27/16 Missouri at Kentucky, Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY, 8:00 pm EST, TV: SEC Network
Probable Starters
F #24 Kevin Puryear 6-7 236 Fr, 11.5pts*, 4.7reb*, .200 3pt%
F #44 Ryan Rosburg 6-10 260 Sr, 4.6pts, 3.4reb, no 3pt threat
G #15 Wes Clark 6-0 180 Jr, 10.4pts, 3.1reb, 2.9ast*, .406 3pt%*
G #12 Namon Wright 6-5 202 So, 8.6pts, 4.6reb, 1.5ast, .275 3pt%
G #1 Terrence Phillips 5-11 175 Fr, 7.9pts, 3.5reb, 2.9ast*, 1.2steals*, .358 3pt%
Key Reserves
G #4 Tramaine Isabell 6-0 178 So, 5.6pts, 1.9reb, 1.3ast, .310 3pt%
G #10 K.J. Walton 6-3 197 Fr, 5.2pts, 1.5reb, .250 3pt%
F #23 Jakeenan Gant 6-8 212 So, 4.5pts, 3.5reb, 1.1blks*, .100 3pt%
F #25 Russell Woods 6-8 225 Jr, 3.8pts, 3.1reb, no 3pt threat
G #33 Cullen VanLeer 6-4 200 Fr, 3.8pts, 1.4reb, .317 3pt%
*leads team in category
Team Stats
Points per game 67.8
Points allowed 68.9
Scoring margin -1.2
Field goal pct .426
FG% allowed .410
3-point FG pct .313
3pt% allowed .3369
Free throw pct .704
Rebounds per game 35.3
Rebounds allowed 35.9
Rebounding margin -0.6
Assists per game 11.8
Turnovers per game 12.3
Turnover margin -0.6
Assist/turnover ratio 1.0
Steals per game 5.7
Blocks per game 2.9
KenPom analysis (#175 Missouri)
Team Strengths
#67 in 2pt FG% defense, allowing 45.3%
#82 in effective FG% allowing 47.2%
They don’t have many strengths
Team Weaknesses
#292 in 3pt% at 31.3%
#273 in offensive rebounding %
#211 offensive rating
#258 in defensive turnover %
Analysis: Kim Anderson’s second season at Missouri isn’t looking much better than his first. They will come into Rupp on Wednesday night sporting an 8-11 season record and a dismal 1-5 record for last place in SEC play. It’s difficult to pinpoint their biggest issue, but one of the biggest is their lack of scoring ability. They are #13 out of 14 in the SEC and #291 nationally in scoring offense and #287 in assists. Facing a rejuvenated UK defense may spell doom for the Tigers. They also lack good 3pt shooting, so it’s difficult for them to make up a deficit if they get behind. Their defense is what keeps them in games when they’re able to stay in it. If you’re looking for a silver lining for Missouri, they have several young players contributing who will be back next season and beyond. In fact, the only senior who plays very much at all is F Ryan Rosburg, who is fairly well known by UK fans.
Of course, I shouldn’t fail to mention the elephant in the room, which is the fact that Missouri has self-imposed a post season ban for NCAA rules violations that happened under former coach Frank Haith. They also vacated the entire 2013-14 season, among other self-imposed penalties. If you’d like to read more about that, check out this article from the St Louis Post Dispatch: http://www.stltoday.com/sports/coll...cle_dacc8793-38b0-57de-976d-ceb01179ce67.html Of course, the post-season ban is likely not too painful this season, given the fact that, at their current pace, the Tigers wouldn’t be invited into postseason play anyway.
The best offensive player for the Tigers is 6-7 freshman forward Kevin Puryear. He’s scoring 11.5 points per game and also leads the team in rebounding, at 4.7 boards per game. This is one of the guys who probably excites Tiger fans for the future more than any other. He’s a dynamic athlete who can finish well in the lane and on the break. He’s a fairly efficient offensive player so long as he stays away from the 3pt shot, where he only shoots 20%. He plays the 4 spot, though he’s really more like a small forward. The other frontcourt player has changed from game to game, but it seems Kim Anderson has settled once again on Ryan Rosburg, the 6-10 260lb senior who has struggled multiple times and lost the starting job multiple times while at Missouri. He’s put together a couple decent games, though, scoring 12 against South Carolina and 10 against Texas A&M. These games raised his scoring average to 4.6 points per game. One thing you can say for him is this- he’s a big, strong guy who has been around the block a few times and will try to muscle our thinner post players.
After Puryear, Missouri’s next 5 best scorers are all guards. (Not having a back-to-the-basket scorer has been an issue.) But the next best player for the Tigers is Wes Clark, a guy UK fans know from the last several years. He’s been a 3-year starter for the Tigers and, along with Ryan Rosburg, one of the few holdovers from the Missouri teams of Haith. Clark is the Tigers’ best perimeter shooter at 40.6% and he’s also tied for the team lead in assists with another starter, the 5-11 freshman guard Terrence Phillips. Phillips is another guy who gives some hope to Missouri fans. He’s a pretty good point guard who can shoot a bit also. He’s still a long way from being a top point guard but he’s learning on the job this season. The third guard in the lineup is sophomore Namon Wright. He’s a bigger guard at 6-5 202 who scores 8.6 points and is second on the team in rebounding 4.6 boards per game. He also leads the team in steals with 23 on the season.
Looking at the reserves, there are several guys here who have started games for the Tigers this season, including KJ Walton, Jakeenan Gant and Russell Woods. The latter two are forwards for Missouri and have been involved in Anderson’s attempt to find some interior help. Grant is a guy UK fans know from last season. He’s a 6-8 sophomore with good athleticism who is a very active player on the floor. He actually leads Missouri in blocked shots, though he’s only been playing about 15 minutes per game. His issue is that he’s a poor shooter and is only scoring 4.5 points per game. Woods plays about the same amount as Gant and actually has a better touch on his shot inside, but he’s not as good a defender or as active as Gant. KJ Walton is a 6-3 freshman guard who also struggles shooting the ball. He plays some decent defense and can score on the break and in the lane when given the opportunity. Tramaine Isabell is actually 5th on the team in scoring at 5.6 ppg but he’s a bit turnover prone and isn’t a great shooter, either. He didn’t play in their last game because Anderson decided to cut down the rotation from 11 players to 9, and he never left the bench. If Anderson sticks to that, we may not see Isabell. Cullen Vanleer is the 9th guy who has played in every game this season for the Tigers. He’s a 6-4 guard who pretty much comes in to spot up and shoot the three. Of his 77 shots on the season, 63 are 3pt attempts. He shoots the 3 at 31.7%, which is certainly not earth shattering. He plays about 16 minutes per game.
Defensively, Missouri plays a mixture of man and zone. I’m not sure what they’ll try with UK. Zone defense has not worked well on UK this season, and the Cats have been shooting it better from 3 of late, so we may see quite a bit of man to man from Missouri. Of course, they will struggle with Ulis, Murray, and Briscoe, most likely, and if Poythress decides to play well, they can’t stop him, either. Rosburg is big and strong but he’s not quick and he’s not a shot blocker. So, Poythress could have a big day. In fact, if UK plays with the same fire and intensity that they played with in the last 2 games, this game will be over by halftime.
Having said that, it should be noted that Missouri has played a bit better of late, only losing by single digits to South Carolina and Georgia and even going on the road and giving A&M a decent game for much of the day, before the Aggies pulled out to a 13pt win. Their defense has been most impressive during this stretch, holding Georgia and A&M to the 60s for a final score. It shouldn’t matter, though, if the Cats are playing like they’re capable of playing. I’m expecting a big win in this one.
Prediction: Kentucky 74 Missouri 52
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