The Missouri Tigers have been eagerly awaiting their next basketball game, having gone over a week without action since their loss to Illinois.
That hard-fought loss, which featured five lead changes, ended in an 80-77 victory for the Fighting Illini. The defeat dropped Mizzou to 10-2 overall.
Now, head coach Dennis Gates and his deep roster of shooters and defenders are looking to start another win streak. Their first opportunity comes tomorrow evening at home against the Hornets.
Alabama State has posted a 4-8 record this season, with wins against VA Lynchburg, Omaha, Lamar, and UT Martin.
The Hornets have yet to secure a win away from their home court this season, holding a 0-7 record on the road.
This is a program that has reached the NCAA Tournament just four times this century, most recently in 2011, with each appearance ending in a heavy first-round defeat as a No. 16 seed.
One of those appearances, in 1997, featured a player named Tauheed Epps on the roster, who would later rise to fame as the rapper 2 Chainz.
Head coach Tony Madlock is in his second season with Alabama State, compiling an 8-23 record during his tenure so far. Before Madlock, former NBA player Mo Williams coached the Hornets for two seasons, winning 13 of the 48 games he led before departing for Jackson State in 2022.
Last season, the Hornets finished 13-19, an improvement from the previous year’s eight total wins. This season, they appear to be on pace to reach a similar mark.
Alabama State relies on two key players, CJ Hines and Amara Knox, as their primary threats. Both rank at the top in minutes and points, averaging just under 30 minutes per game while scoring just shy of 16 points each night.
Senior CJ Hines, playing in just his second season of collegiate basketball, both with the Hornets, also leads the team in assists, averaging fewer than three per game. This suggests Alabama State relies on a clear facilitator who directs their offense to high-percentage scoring areas—a dynamic Mizzou can look to exploit.
Amara Knox is also a defensive threat, averaging nearly two steals per game. Keeping an eye on the sophomore will be crucial, as Mizzou cannot afford to let him capitalize on lazy passes or slow transitions down the court.
TJ Madlock, son of head coach Tony Madlock, is a consistent contributor for the Hornets. Averaging 12 points per game and being the only player on the team to grab over 5 rebounds per contest, he poses a threat on both ends of the floor—one the Tigers need to account for throughout the game.
Mizzou has already achieved a ten-game winning streak this season, and after suffering their first home loss, they’ll be eager to start another streak as quickly as possible.
The Tigers aim to secure their 11th win tomorrow and return to their winning ways at Mizzou Arena against Alabama State.