Miami's Game Plan for Mizzou's Mark Mitchell Starts With Malik Reneau
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CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Miami's leading scorer against Missouri's leading scorer is where most will start for this first-round matchup in the NCAA Tournament between the Miami Hurricanes and the Mizzou Tigers.
Miami's Malik Reneau plays at an elite level, but having someone across the court from him who plays almost identically to him will make UM's preparation simple. If the Canes stop Mitchell and force the others to make shots, the Canes will be in good shape.
It is a similar game plan that other teams had for Reneau all season. Force a double team and have others control the game. It also helps to game plan against a player like Mitchell when there is a coach on the other sideline who has watched and coached him for many years.
"I mean, they're really good. You know, they were, you know, they had some bad luck these last couple of games, but they were a top four team in the SEC," Jai Lucas said, "You know, they're big, they're physical. They kind of play inside out, like you were saying, through Mark Mitchell. They put them in a lot of similar situations that you do against Malik. So you can see the kind of similarities in that."
Moreover, just because it is a game that might be identical in the style they both play and are coached, Lucas also knows that against this Mitchell-led team, they still have to remain who they are.
"It's one of those games where we just gotta kind of stay true to who we are," Lucas said. "You know, I think a big part of be the glass. We got to really take care of the ball. You know, they're explosive when they can get points off turnovers and they can get out and get kind of pick sixes and get free kind of layups and things in transitions.
"So we got to remember that as much as possible, and then we got to fill without foul, T. B, Mark Mitchell, they put a lot of pressure on you in the paint and a lot of pressure on you in the rim, so we really got to make sure we're given with our chests, throwing our hands, not giving them any free throws from the line."
Moreover, no one knows how to guard a player like themselves better than that player. Reneau knows that double teams will come, but also knows that his aggressiveness will have to be monitored.
"Yeah I mean, he's super aggressive," Reneau said. "He's their go-to guy. Any glimpse of opportunity, he is going to take. So we have to be prepared to be able to rotate over and help out because he is going to get past people, and having that help side defense when he comes to the paint is going to help this team."
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.
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