'Don't Look at That Record': Despite Losses, Mizzou Has Challenge Ahead Against Auburn

At this point in the season and in the Southeastern Conference, every game is an important one. That directly applies to the Missouri Tigers, who may have their hands full when the Auburn Tigers take to Mizzou Arena on Wednesday evening.

It's going to take a much better performance than the Tigers put on display against Ole Miss in their previous game to get things done. Missouri currently sits at 12-4, while Auburn possesses a 10-6 record that might be deceiving.

Those losses aren't bad ones and Steven Pearl's squad is likely much better than what the record. Says. It doesn't mean they can't lose and that Missouri won't win, but the perception of them not being a good team is unfair.

"Don't look at that record. That's a very good basketball team," head coach Dennis Gates told the media on Tuesday. "Very good shot-makers, very good players, and they've done a tremendous job of getting this team underway and moving forward. Our hands are full."

Auburn's strength of schedule, according to KenPom, is third in the country. That makes having six losses seem a little more reasonable. When you factor in having a first-year head coach and having to replace the likes of Johni Broome and Chad Baker-Mazara, it really doesn't seem that bad.

"We have to do our best to do that, and we have to make less mistakes than our opponent, and that's usually how you play the game," Gates said. "Auburn is a good team. If you look at their record, they have four out-of-conference losses to Houston, Michigan, Arizona and Purdue. That's four top-10 teams."

Because of that, this is an extremely important game for the Missouri Tigers. Auburn reloaded in the transfer portal and would be a big win for a Missouri team that just suffered an ugly loss to Ole Miss on the road.

It's also going to be important for the Tigers to stay grounded and follow the game plan. That being said, it's safe to say Gates' players understand the importance of the ensuing 40 minutes of basketball.

"We realized this is probably a must-win game for us," senior guard Jayden Stone said. "But not putting too much pressure on, but just realizing the propensity, the magnitude of the situation."

Auburn does a lot of things well and has the personnel to beat teams in a variety of ways. So far this season, it's been its guards that have done the most damage, headlined by Tahaad Pettiford, Kevin Overton and Elyjah Freeman. Pettiford was with Auburn last year as a standout freshman and has continued to develop his game since then.

Pettiford is averaging 14.3 points per game on a slightly inefficient 37.7% from the field. His minutes and volume have increased, however. Overton is at his third school in three seasons, having gained plenty of experience along the way. He leads Auburn in steals with 1.6 per game and is one of the most efficient three-point shooters on the team, along with Freeman, at 35.3%.

Pearl's squad also has some unique big men who could throw some challenges at the Missouri defense. For starters, Keyshawn Hall is one of the best scorers in the country at 21.7 points per game. Mark Mitchell will likely have his hands full guarding him. KeShawn Murphy, who transferred in from Mississippi State, along with freshman Sebastian Williams-Adams and international big man Filip Jovic, bring the physicality needed to compete in the SEC.

Auburn has the players to be successful and operate at a high level; it's just about putting it together. If Missouri struggles on defense, that could be what changes the game.

"Great guard play, versatile bigs (that) can push the pace," Stone said. "Can play free, but that's kind of their strength, right? A lot of teams that play free can get outside of the box of cohesiveness, and it can look a bit messy, but they play free and they utilize that to their strength."

What Auburn's offense does best is score two-point shots, doing so in a variety of ways. It's shooting 47.6% from the field as a team, along with 72.5% from the free-throw line. The pure power of guys like Hall, Murphy, Williams-Adams and others allows the Tigers to get into the paint easier than other teams.

That's going to make the defense of Mitchell, Shawn Phillips Jr., Luke Northweather and Trent Pierce that much more important. Selling out to stop the paint will be huge, especially with an Auburn team that shoots 34.8% from the perimeter.

"They got a great two-point percentage. They have great points in a paint, and also, they have a tremendous ability to get to the free throw line and execute from their moments," Gates said. "They got three or four guys shooting over 80% from that spot."

Auburn is also a good offensive rebounding team. Missouri is not.

The visiting Tigers are averaging 14.4 per game and 27.8 total rebounds, while Missouri averages 11.6 offensive boards per game and 25 in total. Missouri will have to find a way around that, whether it's selling out on the defensive glass or locking up on defense.

"They also do a great job offensive rebounding the basketball. Their second chance points, they're averaging 20," Gates said. "So they are a great team, well-balanced, athletic, very good, very good students of the game, and you got a great staff over there."

The battle of the Tigers in Columbia, Missouri, kicks off at 6 p.m. on Wednesday at Mizzou Arena, with a chance for Missouri to improve to 13-4 on the line.

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