During Week 8 of the Mizzou Basketball season, the Tigers had no games, heading straight into Week 9 with a matchup against Alabama State—their final non-conference game of the season. Coming into the contest, Mizzou held a strong 10-2 record and sat just outside the Week 8 AP Top 25 Poll.
Shortly before tip-off, starting point guard Anthony Robinson II was ruled out due to illness. While his absence was felt, the Tigers welcomed back senior guard Caleb Grill, playing for the first time in over a month. Grill, though not at his best, shooting 2-of-8 from the field and 2-of-7 from three, remains a key offensive asset as Mizzou heads into SEC play.
Mark Mitchell continued to shine as one of the Tigers' top performers, contributing 14 points while improving his free-throw shooting, going 4-of-5 from the line—a significant improvement over his season average of 59%.
Mizzou jumped out to an early lead, with Tony Perkins and Mark Mitchell pacing the team with 8 points each, helping the Tigers take an 18-point advantage into halftime. Tamar Bates took control in the second half, finishing with 16 points as the Tigers secured a 17-point victory over Alabama State.
The win concluded Mizzou’s non-conference schedule with an impressive 11-2 record, setting the stage for the challenges of SEC play.
What looked good vs. Alabama State:
- Forced 12 turnovers without Anthony Robinson (averages 2.5 steals per game)
- In the short time that T.O. Barrett played, he looked comfortable and had 5 points
- Trent Pierce looks like a reliable option on offense
What looked bad vs. Alabama State:
- Could have gotten to free throw a few more times (only 18 FTA)
- 12 turnovers (3 each from Perkins and Mitchell)
- 9/29 from 3, just not a winning formula when competition gets better during SEC play.
Game one of SEC play saw the Tigers travel to Auburn for what was expected to be one of the toughest games on Mizzou’s schedule this season. Auburn, ranked No. 2 in the country, has arguably been the nation’s best team so far.
Early on, the game appeared promising for Mizzou, as the defense managed to contain Auburn’s high-powered offense. However, that momentum quickly faded as the Tigers’ offense became stagnant and Auburn began draining three-pointers.
Mizzou’s top scorers, Tamar Bates and Mark Mitchell, struggled offensively, contributing to the team’s poor 42.3% shooting from the field in the first half. Auburn capitalized on Mizzou’s inefficiency, taking a commanding 12-point lead into halftime.
Auburn opened the second half strong, extending their lead to 26 points with 13 minutes remaining. From that point, much of Mizzou’s rotation depth saw action, and Marques Warrick made the most of his opportunity. Warrick scored 15 points in just 13 minutes during the second half, finishing with a team-high 19 points.
Despite Warrick’s performance, Mizzou couldn’t overcome the deficit, dropping their SEC opener in a lopsided contest.
T.O. Barrett and Marcus Allen stood out defensively in the second half, each recording three steals during their time on the floor. Despite the strong effort from the back end of the rotation, Mizzou was unable to mount a comeback, falling to Auburn with a final score of 84-68.
What looked good vs. Auburn:
- The defensive effort looked good forcing 16 turnovers Auburn made a lot of tough shots all game)
- T.O. Barrett seems to be a pest defensively and can be a viable option to replace Anthony Robinson if he is in foul trouble
- Jacob Crews seems to have found his stroke from 3
What looked bad vs. Auburn:
- Half-court offense, seems like there is very little game plan when not running the floor in transition
- 3-point shooting (7/23 from 3)
- Careless with the ball (16 turnovers)
Takeaways from the week:
- This team will be fine, a road game at Auburn is likely the toughest game the Tigers will have all year
- Marques Warrick should be seeing a significant amount of time and it's almost baffling as he is one of the best scorers on this roster
- To be successful in a very tough SEC, this team has to be nearly perfect in all aspects of the game
Current Record: 11-3 (SEC: 0-1)
Next Week:
Tuesday (1/7): Home vs. LSU (8 pm CST)
Saturday (1/11): Home vs. Vanderbilt (2:30 pm CST)