-Interesting first half to say the least. If you would've told me Mizzou was going to miss its first 11 shots of the game, I would've thought they'd be down by 25. Instead, they were down by a possession or two. It's been truly mind-boggling.
-The offense was catastrophic. Tons of turnovers, tons of missed point-blank layups. I'm not sure the team could've played worse on that end if they tried. As Eli HOff put it sitting next to me "You'd think they're playing 1s and 2s, not 2s and 3s." That corner 3 from Tamar Bates finally busted the lid that was on the basket. Nick Honor and Sean East also had some success going at Zakai Zeigler. It was just enough to keep their head above water.
-Defensively, it's the best Mizzou's played in a long time. They're crashing into the lane when Tennessee drives and closing out on shooters hard. It is the only reason they are in the game so far. When Nick Honor hit a floater with 6:34 left on the clock, he became the first player to make two field goals and led all scorers with four points. And keep in mind: this isn't the Tennessee team of yesteryear. This is a team that ranks 16th in KenPom's offensive efficiency rating. It's genuinely baffling how good Mizzou's played on that end. The job they've done on Dalton Knecht has been unreal.
-Mabor Majak's been huge for them tonight. He's been really physical with Jonas Aidoo, has come up with some big-time rebounds and energized everybody diving for the ball. He's been earning the minutes he gets recently.
-Also been impressed with Jordan Butler lately. He doesn't look so lost out there anymore. On one possession, I saw him set a ball screen for Sean East, a flare screen for Nick Honor and a back screen for Tamar Bates on the baseline. If he can become a threat around the rim, he'll be a really fun teammate to play with.
-Credit to Noah Carter for making his free throws and getting rebounds. In a game that's had very little scoring, those foul shots have made a huge impact. That rebound and assist to a Sean East 3 was a big momentum builder as well. If only he'd finished that no-look dime from Bates...
-Mizzou's gotta throw the records out. They're in this one. They gotta believe they can win it. They've gotta keep playing defense and keep getting to the free throw line. At some point, the ball's gotta bounce their way, right?
-The offense was catastrophic. Tons of turnovers, tons of missed point-blank layups. I'm not sure the team could've played worse on that end if they tried. As Eli HOff put it sitting next to me "You'd think they're playing 1s and 2s, not 2s and 3s." That corner 3 from Tamar Bates finally busted the lid that was on the basket. Nick Honor and Sean East also had some success going at Zakai Zeigler. It was just enough to keep their head above water.
-Defensively, it's the best Mizzou's played in a long time. They're crashing into the lane when Tennessee drives and closing out on shooters hard. It is the only reason they are in the game so far. When Nick Honor hit a floater with 6:34 left on the clock, he became the first player to make two field goals and led all scorers with four points. And keep in mind: this isn't the Tennessee team of yesteryear. This is a team that ranks 16th in KenPom's offensive efficiency rating. It's genuinely baffling how good Mizzou's played on that end. The job they've done on Dalton Knecht has been unreal.
-Mabor Majak's been huge for them tonight. He's been really physical with Jonas Aidoo, has come up with some big-time rebounds and energized everybody diving for the ball. He's been earning the minutes he gets recently.
-Also been impressed with Jordan Butler lately. He doesn't look so lost out there anymore. On one possession, I saw him set a ball screen for Sean East, a flare screen for Nick Honor and a back screen for Tamar Bates on the baseline. If he can become a threat around the rim, he'll be a really fun teammate to play with.
-Credit to Noah Carter for making his free throws and getting rebounds. In a game that's had very little scoring, those foul shots have made a huge impact. That rebound and assist to a Sean East 3 was a big momentum builder as well. If only he'd finished that no-look dime from Bates...
-Mizzou's gotta throw the records out. They're in this one. They gotta believe they can win it. They've gotta keep playing defense and keep getting to the free throw line. At some point, the ball's gotta bounce their way, right?
