Man, I really wish there could be a full house today. Because that was a fun first half. That might have been the most energetic I’ve ever seen Cuonzo Martin on the sideline, and his team was feeling it as well. Missouri looked a lot like Alabama, minus the barrage of threes. The Tigers were everywhere on defense, getting an incredible eight steals. They consistently beat the Tide down the floor, scoring 15 points in transition. In short, they’re playing like this game means a little more than most, and Alabama wasn’t ready for that level of energy.
Dru Smith picked up right where he left off against Kentucky. He scored 13 points, including nine in the first four minutes, grabbed seven rebounds and dished three assists. He’s been a big reason why Missouri has been able to successfully push the pace. But the player of the half for Mizzou was absolutely Mark Smith. Smith hasn’t had the best season, but he got back in the starting lineup today due to Javon Pickett’s ankle injury (he’s clearly less than 100 percent, only played two minutes) and has been great on both ends, even without getting hot from three. Mark Smith has shot 4-5 from inside the three-point line. He also has four steals. It’s rare to see him play with this kind of energy when he’s not knocking down a bunch of outside shots.
Missouri’s defense looked completely different than a week ago. The Tigers gave Alabama absolutely nothing easy. The Tide shot 10-32 from the floor, 4-12 from three and turned it over eight times. The only player who Missouri really looked like he could get the shot he wanted was Herbert Jones, but he only played eight minutes due to foul trouble. No Alabama player has made more than two field goals.
Missouri’s half-court offense started bogging down a bit later in the half, as Alabama’s defense settled in. The Tigers will need to continue to feed Jeremiah Tilmon — he only has seven points but has been active on the boards, with five rebounds and a few more balls he’s kept alive — and probably knock down a few more threes in the second half, because Alabama is never out of a game due to the pace they play at and their ability to get hot from three. But you couldn’t ask for a much better start.
Dru Smith picked up right where he left off against Kentucky. He scored 13 points, including nine in the first four minutes, grabbed seven rebounds and dished three assists. He’s been a big reason why Missouri has been able to successfully push the pace. But the player of the half for Mizzou was absolutely Mark Smith. Smith hasn’t had the best season, but he got back in the starting lineup today due to Javon Pickett’s ankle injury (he’s clearly less than 100 percent, only played two minutes) and has been great on both ends, even without getting hot from three. Mark Smith has shot 4-5 from inside the three-point line. He also has four steals. It’s rare to see him play with this kind of energy when he’s not knocking down a bunch of outside shots.
Missouri’s defense looked completely different than a week ago. The Tigers gave Alabama absolutely nothing easy. The Tide shot 10-32 from the floor, 4-12 from three and turned it over eight times. The only player who Missouri really looked like he could get the shot he wanted was Herbert Jones, but he only played eight minutes due to foul trouble. No Alabama player has made more than two field goals.
Missouri’s half-court offense started bogging down a bit later in the half, as Alabama’s defense settled in. The Tigers will need to continue to feed Jeremiah Tilmon — he only has seven points but has been active on the boards, with five rebounds and a few more balls he’s kept alive — and probably knock down a few more threes in the second half, because Alabama is never out of a game due to the pace they play at and their ability to get hot from three. But you couldn’t ask for a much better start.
