In the loss to Texas, Missouri attempted just 10 three-pointers. While they made four of them, it was just the fourth time since 2015 that the Tigers attempted 10 of fewer threes in a game. And while there were certainly other factors that contributed to the loss, the lack off offesive firepower was alarming.
Still, despite the issues from deep on offense, the Tigers may have an even bigger problem on the defensive side of the ball. Missouri is dead last in the SEC in opponent three-point percentage, allowing a blistering 36.1 percent from three. Mizzou is allowing 9.5 three-pointers per game to their foes, also dead last in the conference.
Tigers find themselves last in yet another SEC category
In some ways, the Tigers perimeter defense is due in part to their much better interior defense. Missouri is fifth in the SEC in field goal percentage. The issue now is that it's just another thing that the Tigers can't shake. They've been last in free-throw percentage in the conference for most of the season, and finding themselves at the bottom in other key statistics is a troubling sign for a team still looking for a path into the NCAA Tournament.
After the loss to Texas, Mizzou dropped all the way back down to 66 in the NET rankings after climbing as high as 57 after the win at Texas A&M. They'll now need to start their climb all over again but Vanderbilt won't make that task easy.
As the Tigers continue their inconsistent ways, they'll need to look for new ways to win if the the three-ball wont fall on offense and can't be stopped on defense. They're troubling trends, but unlike free-throws, feel more fixable at this point in the year. Time will tell if head coach Dennis Gates makes some adjustments on both sides of the ball to remedy it.