Mizzou ended its losing streak Friday, but three-point shooting remains a concern

It took nearly a year for Mizzou’s men’s basketball team to get a win, but they finally did on Friday night. A 15-point margin of victory separated the Tigers from the Howard Bison, evening their record at 1-1 on the young season.

Nearly every player for Mizzou saw minutes, and all but two scored. Defense was solid for the most part, and the biggest feat of the night was the consistent ability to get to the line—and the success they had once there.

Mizzou got to the charity stripe 31 times throughout the contest, hitting 26 of them, a far better clip than the opener against Memphis.

However, even with wins comes a need for improvement. The biggest concern coming out of the win is, by far, the lackluster performance from behind the arc.

The shot selection was not bad throughout the game; however, the Tigers just couldn’t find a way to connect on deep shots. It’s especially concerning considering they struggled to this extent against a Howard defense that is among the weakest they’ll face this season.

In their first game, a loss at Memphis, they hit nearly 30% of their threes—nothing great, but not horrible. They stayed within striking distance throughout the matchup, partially thanks to their ability to hit from deep in that game.

That percentage was cut in half on Friday night, as they barely surpassed 13% from three. Though they escaped with the win, it’s not cause for too much celebration, because 13% is nowhere near what they’ll need to achieve in order to beat major opponents, especially within the SEC.

Overall, the Tigers finished the game 3-of-22 from deep.

All three of the Tigers' makes from downtown were by senior guard Tamar Bates, who went 3-of-7 overall. Four other Tigers took multiple three-point shots, none of which fell.

One specific player who has been disappointing from deep range, not only against Howard but also against Memphis, is junior transfer Mark Mitchell from Duke. In 2023, Mitchell hit over 36% of his threes, shooting around two per contest. That number has fallen drastically so far this season, as he has yet to convert a three on several attempts.

But it is very early in the NCAA season, so, like all things in basketball, there is time for improvement. Once they are able to capitalize on the easy threes, the rest will come naturally. Mizzou will need consistent deep shooting if they are serious about making some noise in the SEC this season.

The Tigers will need to improve from deep, and their first chance comes Monday night, at home against the Eastern Washington Eagles.