Coming in, that was a game that scared me quite a bit. Yes, Missouri had been the better team this season, but Kentucky probably has more talent and athleticism. Plus, the Wildcats play the type of defense that has given Mizzou problems this season, meaning they have the length and size to match up with Jeremiah Tilmon and make it hard to score around the basket. But you have to give this team credit. It continues to find ways to win. And while tonight's game wasn't flawless by any means, there was no doubt who the better team was. Mizzou shot just 15-40 from two-point range and only got eight points from Tilmon, but it led wire-to-wire. In the first half, it was the three-pointers that kept them afloat. In the second, it was the free throw line. Hey, whatever works.
Dru Smith might have played his best game tonight. He would never sniff Kentucky's roster due to his athleticism, or lack thereof, but he was the best player on the floor. He sensed that he needed to take over the scoring load, so he did just that, using his savvy to get to the free throw line 14 times in the second half. He also had seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and just one turnover. I also really believe that, when he's playing well, the team takes on his poised demeanor down the stretch. This team is never going to be out of a game when he plays like that.
I know people are probably upset about how many threes Mitchell Smith took. And he needs to shoot less. But Mizzou doesn't win that game without him. Kobe Brown was a bit overmatched by Kentucky's massive frontcourt, but Mitchell stepped in and was huge on the boards and on defense. He played a big part in Kentucky getting just two second-chance points, which I think might have been the most important stat of the night, and at least two of his offensive boards led to baskets for Missouri. Parker Braun provided some good minutes, as well. It's huge to have those options on a night when Jeremiah Tilmon was in a bit of foul trouble and Brown was a no-show.
The other bench player who came up big was Mark Smith. I think he's deserved most of the heat he's gotten on here lately. More often than not in the past month, he's been a non-factor on offense, if not a liability. But he not only scored 11 points tonight, he hit some clutch shots. His three in the second half ended a Kentucky run and his little free throw line fadeaway ended a four minute drought without a field goal for Mizzou. Those are winning plays.
Ultimately, you could look at this as just a five-point win over a 5-11 team, and it's the type of game that the predictive metrics might not love, but it makes me optimistic about this team. They had to win a completely different way than Saturday, with balance instead of two stars and with poise to hold a lead instead of coming back. Kentucky took away Jeremiah Tilmon and anything easy around the rim, yet they still found a way to score 75 points. I'm not going to make any grand predictions like Mizzou is going to win the league tournament or go to the Sweet 16, because anything can still happen in a single-elimination format, but at a certain point, you have to put the most emphasis on winning games, and Missouri is finding ways to do that a lot more often than it is finding ways to lose. That's not something you could say about the past couple teams.
Obviously, Saturday is a huge game. Top two teams in the SEC standings on ESPN on Mizzou's home floor. I don't think I'd pick the Tigers to win — Alabama hasn't just been beating teams in the SEC, it's been blowing most of them out — but I think they could. At a minimum, it will be fun to have that caliber of game at Mizzou Arena again. We have plenty of coverage on the site tonight and will have more between now and then. Enjoy the win.
Dru Smith might have played his best game tonight. He would never sniff Kentucky's roster due to his athleticism, or lack thereof, but he was the best player on the floor. He sensed that he needed to take over the scoring load, so he did just that, using his savvy to get to the free throw line 14 times in the second half. He also had seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and just one turnover. I also really believe that, when he's playing well, the team takes on his poised demeanor down the stretch. This team is never going to be out of a game when he plays like that.
I know people are probably upset about how many threes Mitchell Smith took. And he needs to shoot less. But Mizzou doesn't win that game without him. Kobe Brown was a bit overmatched by Kentucky's massive frontcourt, but Mitchell stepped in and was huge on the boards and on defense. He played a big part in Kentucky getting just two second-chance points, which I think might have been the most important stat of the night, and at least two of his offensive boards led to baskets for Missouri. Parker Braun provided some good minutes, as well. It's huge to have those options on a night when Jeremiah Tilmon was in a bit of foul trouble and Brown was a no-show.
The other bench player who came up big was Mark Smith. I think he's deserved most of the heat he's gotten on here lately. More often than not in the past month, he's been a non-factor on offense, if not a liability. But he not only scored 11 points tonight, he hit some clutch shots. His three in the second half ended a Kentucky run and his little free throw line fadeaway ended a four minute drought without a field goal for Mizzou. Those are winning plays.
Ultimately, you could look at this as just a five-point win over a 5-11 team, and it's the type of game that the predictive metrics might not love, but it makes me optimistic about this team. They had to win a completely different way than Saturday, with balance instead of two stars and with poise to hold a lead instead of coming back. Kentucky took away Jeremiah Tilmon and anything easy around the rim, yet they still found a way to score 75 points. I'm not going to make any grand predictions like Mizzou is going to win the league tournament or go to the Sweet 16, because anything can still happen in a single-elimination format, but at a certain point, you have to put the most emphasis on winning games, and Missouri is finding ways to do that a lot more often than it is finding ways to lose. That's not something you could say about the past couple teams.
Obviously, Saturday is a huge game. Top two teams in the SEC standings on ESPN on Mizzou's home floor. I don't think I'd pick the Tigers to win — Alabama hasn't just been beating teams in the SEC, it's been blowing most of them out — but I think they could. At a minimum, it will be fun to have that caliber of game at Mizzou Arena again. We have plenty of coverage on the site tonight and will have more between now and then. Enjoy the win.
