After an eventful week of achieving the highest ranking in school history and defeating Georgia and No. 12 Kentucky, the Auburn Tigers will head to Columbia on Tuesday to take on the Missouri Tigers.
Auburn finds itself ranked No.1 in the AP Poll for the first time in school history and holding a two-game lead for first place in the SEC. The Missouri Tigers are currently sitting at 12th place in the conference with their most recent game being a loss to Alabama last Saturday.
Against the Tide, Missouri led by as many as 14 points in the second half, but turnovers and missed scoring opportunities caused the led to dissipate as it allowed a 13-2 run in the game’s final nine minutes. Turnovers have been a common trend for the Tigers, averaging 14.3 per contest.
Missouri’s turnover woes play to the benefit of Auburn, which forces around 15 turnovers per game. Auburn ranks 18th in the nation in steals per game. K.D. Johnson should be a problem for Missouri, as he currently ranks second in the conference for steals per game with 2.3. Zep Jasper, Jabari Smith Jr., and Wendell Green Jr. are some other Tigers that have played a key role in forcing turnovers.
Missouri has also struggled to score, ranking last in the conference in points per game and 13th in field goal and three-point percentage. A majority of Missouri’s points come from inside the arch.
In its last three games the Tigers are averaging 72.6 points — 46 have come from 2-point shots. Auburn’s defense has proven to be one of college basketball’s better defenses. The Tigers lead the nation in blocked shots and have held opposing teams to an average field goal percentage of 39.1. If Missouri wants a chance to pull off the upset, they will need to take care of the ball and take advantage of scoring opportunities.
Missouri features three players that currently average double-digit points per game with Kobe Brown leading the team with 13.8. Brown has shown to be streaky, putting up single digits in three of his last five games. Jarron Coleman and Amari Davis average 10.4 and 10.1 points per game, respectively, and have the capability to put up large scoring outputs. When this trio scores in double figures together, they have the potential to keep up offensively with their opposition. Outside of this group, reliable offense has been scarce.
Despite its offensive struggles, this Missouri team has had moments where its shined offensively. Although Auburn will be riding high from its historic accomplishment, it must make sure that the Missouri Tigers are not overlooked.
The matchup will begin at 7:30 p.m. CST and will be broadcast on SEC Network.
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