Missouri expects to run its offense this season through its top two returning players, forward Mark Mitchell and point guard Anthony Robinson II.
After those two combined for just 17 points in Missouri’s 88-67 season-opening victory at Howard on Monday, the Tigers (1-0) will try to get Mitchell and Robinson rolling on Friday when they host Southeast Missouri State (0-1) in Columbia, Mo.
“They are guys that’s at the top of the scouting report,” Missouri coach Dennis Gates said, “and sometimes that will take place. Teams will load up and not allow our two best players to perform in a way. And the best part of it is we were able to see how deep our team is, and guys were able to be on the other side of that.”
With Mitchell held to nine points and Robinson scoring just eight against the Bison, center Shawn Phillips Jr. stepped up with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Phillips, a transfer from Arizona State, built on the success (14 points, 10 rebounds) he had against Kansas State during a preseason exhibition.
“I just put in a whole lot of work this offseason and in the summertime,” Phillips said. “So to me, it’s really no surprise because I worked so hard. Like, this has probably been my best summer of workouts. So you know, it’s just a body of work that I’m standing on top of.”
Jayden Stone also impressed in his Missouri debut, collecting 13 points, five rebounds and three assists. He transferred from West Virginia, where he missed all of last season due to a head and spinal injury.
Trent Pierce sat out the Monday game with a lower-body injury, but Gates hopes he can rejoin the playing rotation on Friday.
Southeast Missouri State coach Brad Korn was thrilled to schedule games at Saint Louis University and Missouri to open nonconference play.
“This year with SLU and Mizzou, you can’t pass up on those types of games, just being in state, I think it’s great for the state, I think it’s great for our alumni, their alumni, to have not only an in-state rivalry, bit a game,” Korn told Valley Hoops Insider. “Especially to kick off the first week of the season.”
The Redhawks return four key rotation pieces from last season’s OVC regular season champions: forward Brendan Terry and guards BJ Ward, Braxton Stacker and Troy Cole Jr.
Ward (16 points, three assists), Terry (14 points, two steals) and Stacker (12 points, three steals) each had a strong games as the Redhawks opened their season with a 92-67 loss at Saint Louis on Monday.
Korn started a small lineup against the Billikens, and he utilized 7-footers Eliot Lowndes, Trace Sadler and David Idada off the bench. Those three combined to play 18 minutes, managing a total of two points and four rebounds.
The Redhawks will need that length to face Missouri, which features six rotation players standing 6-foot-8 or taller.
“The thing I love about Trace Sadler is he’s a mobile 7-footer,” Korn said. “Eliot Lowndes is thin, but he has good timing on shot blocking. David Idada is more muscle, lower to the ground. … They all bring something a little bit different.”
–Field Level Media
