After a 4-day break, the Mizzou Tigers are back in action as they host South Carolina State for game 6 of this long homestand.
Last time the Tigers were on the floor, they capped off an impressive win behind strong play from Jevon Porter and Mark Mitchell.
While Mark Mitchell was a key piece to this Tiger roster last year, he's taken his game to another level as he’s averaged 18.7 points per game on the young season. Porter’s last outing of 19 points and 12 rebounds versus South Dakota can hopefully serve as a spark to this team's success.
Looking at South Carolina State, the Bulldogs have a rough start to the season, sitting at 0-6. Ranked 350 out of 364 Division I teams, according to KenPom, the only way is up for the Bulldogs.
So far, the Bulldogs have seen just one power-conference opponent, where they got embarrassed by Louisville, 104-45. As for common opponents between the two teams, the lone team is South Dakota, where they would fall 82-81.
Coached by Erik Martin, the Bulldogs are coming off one of the top seasons in the program's history, along with the best in the last 20 seasons of the program.
Last year, they finished with an impressive 20-13 record, along with finishing MEAC play 11-3. That number was good enough to be co-champions of the conference.
With only 24.2% of scoring returning from the previous season, Martin has had to rely on newcomers to take a majority of the load.
Owen Bronston Jr., Noah Treadwell and Cameron Clark, the three top scorers for the Bulldogs, are in their first year with the program.
As a team, the Bulldogs shoot a poor .362 from the field and have struggled to get good looks at the basket. Their field-goal percentage is the fifth-worst in the country.
As for what to expect in tonight's contest, turnovers should come in bunches as both teams average over 14 turnovers per contest.
Dating back to last season, when the Tigers are in transition, they win basketball games. Look for that to show tonight as the Tigers like to play fast and should fluster the Bulldog guards.
The Tigers and Bulldogs tip off tonight at 7 p.m. CST, with the game streaming live on SECN+.