Rebounding, 3-pointers could be the variance as MU travels to Mississippi State | Countrywide

A single week into Southeastern Conference enjoy, there are nonetheless quite a few unknowns.

Preseason favorite No. 9 Tennessee already has a conference decline below its belt, when No. 13 Missouri has develop into a contender for a conference title.

While the Tigers (7-1, 1-1 SEC) lost 73-53 to the Volunteers final Wednesday, they responded with an 81-68 win in excess of Arkansas on Saturday.

“It is a extremely fragile condition when you reduce a game,” Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin explained. “I really don’t care what you are rated or who you are. You got to have some men in that locker room that acquired some grit to them, some toughness to them.”

With the jury still out on whether or not Missouri is for real in the SEC, it appears to be like toward Tuesday’s matchup with Mississippi Condition to continue constructing its resume.

The Bulldogs looked sharp in their meeting opener with an 83-73 get at Georgia. Even so, Mississippi State’s modern video game went down to the wire, with the Bulldogs getting rid of to visiting Kentucky 78-73 in double extra time.

Mississippi Condition experienced its likelihood, major by six with 9:04 remaining in regulation following Kentucky mentor John Calipari was ejected. Even so, the Wildcats’ Dontaie Allen was much too considerably for the Bulldogs to manage, scoring a vocation-superior 23 factors on 7-of-11 from a few.

“We were being up 9 right after a few cost-free throws,” Mississippi Point out coach Ben Howland stated. “Then we experienced three turnovers in a row that led to layups on the other close. We had 16 turnovers and which is way also several. Six or 7 of people turnovers led to easy baskets for Kentucky.”

The SEC timetable is fluid and rapidly-relocating, providing Howland’s squad minimal time to dwell on what could’ve been. Now, they go on to the next obstacle: Missouri.

“The complete important to it is to master from it and not permit it carry into the future activity,” Howland mentioned. “We’ve bought one more outstanding possibility from a really excellent Missouri staff.”

The Bulldogs (6-4, 1-1 SEC) offer you a sound obstacle to the Tigers. When Mississippi State has only attained just one NCAA Event under Howland, the Bulldogs have posted three straight seasons with 20 or a lot more wins.

The Tigers have experienced their possess struggles in Starkville prolonged right before Howland’s selecting in 2015. The Bulldogs have received five straight more than Missouri at Humphrey Coliseum. The very last victory for Missouri at Mississippi Point out was a 78-36 earn on Feb. 13, 2013.

In spite of the earlier struggles, Howland recognizes the development Missouri has built. Howland stated past time that he was amazed with the team Missouri had, believing they had NCAA Tournament probable.

“You could just see they seriously performed nicely the last half of the conference period a year ago,” Howland said. “You could just see that group expanding, specially when (Xavier) Pinson experienced moved into the setting up lineup.”

Looking at Tuesday’s matchup, the battle on the boards will be key for each groups. Just after dropping the rebounding margin against Bradley and Tennessee, blocking out has turn into an emphasis for Martin’s squad recently. 

“I believe the very last two games — Bradley and Tennessee — we did not do a great work blocking out,” Martin mentioned. “We spend also substantially time on blocking out to allow teams to dominate on the glass.”

The Tigers answered the problem, outrebounding an Arkansas group by 15 that experienced entered the match 10th nationally in the rebound margin.

Missouri faces a further elite rebounding staff in the Bulldogs. Mississippi State is rated initial among SEC teams with an offensive rebound percentage of 39.3%. The Bulldogs’ 14.5 offensive boards for every video game ranks 15th in the nation. 

A massive element of this is forward Tolu Smith. The 6-foot-10 sophomore averages 3.9 offensive rebounds for every recreation, which is tied for 14th nationally. 

Even though the Tigers like to leak out in transition from time to time right after a missed shot, Missouri will require a crew exertion in securing rebounds. Together with Smith, Abdul Ado and Javian Davis-Fleming each average 2.3 offensive rebounds for every recreation.

If Missouri can restrict 2nd-probability points, it ought to be in fantastic shape. Mississippi State shoots 48.2% on 2-level area purpose attempts, which ranks 13th out of 14 SEC groups. But when the Bulldogs aren’t successful inside the arc, they are deadly from behind it.

Mississippi State’s 37.9% 3-level shooting qualified prospects the SEC. Whilst the Bulldogs shoot a substantial proportion from deep, they really don’t chunk up an absurd quantity of treys. Mississippi Condition averages 18 3-pointers a game, which ranks second-to-previous in the meeting.

If you will find any game where by the Tigers require to capture fire from 3, it’s Tuesday’s matchup. With a few gamers shooting more than 40% with more than 30 3-ideas attempted this time, the Tigers will have to have to run the Bulldogs off the 3-level line and power 2-pointers.

Howland observed how hard the dribble-generate is in opposition to the Tigers.

“I feel they are one of the better defensive teams in our league,” Howland stated. “When you penetrate, everybody’s collapsing, forcing you to kick it back again out.”

Offensively, the Bulldogs depend on their guard play. Iverson Molinar (18.4 points for each video game) and D.J. Stewart (18.3 points for each sport) are the two top scorers for Mississippi Point out. The two contribute to most of the Bulldogs’ solid 3-position capturing, combining for 46.6% guiding the arc.

The Tigers have various bodies they can throw at the superior-scoring guards, such as Dru Smith and Javon Pickett. Even so, an X-variable for Mississippi Point out could be Tolu Smith.

Smith averaged 13.9 details per match on 58.6% taking pictures in nonconference enjoy but has struggled in SEC engage in so significantly. In two online games, Smith is averaging 7 points per game on 27.8% taking pictures.

Inspite of the new struggles, Missouri desires to continue to keep tabs on Smith as he is the Bulldogs’ finest rebounder and interior finisher. 

“He just desires to sluggish down in the article,” Howland said. “He’s obtained to sluggish down and get settled and that will come with experience.”

Missouri faces Mississippi Point out at 8 p.m. Tuesday in Starkville. The recreation will be broadcast on SEC Community.