How to Watch: Central Arkansas Men's Basketball at Missouri

The Missouri men's basketball team has run into some trouble of late and three straight losses to Kansas, Seton Hall and Illinois were the result. A team that was once an eyebrow-raising 7-2 now sits at 7-5.

The Tigers need to rebound fast, as Saturday afternoon's matchup against Central Arkansas is Missouri's last before they solely play against their SEC rivals the rest of the regular season.

Missouri is certainly capable of beating the 3-11 Bears due to a variety of reasons, including the strength of schedule differences and having its first true home game in Columbia, Mo., since Dec. 3. Handling Arkansas State by a large margin could provide Missouri some momentum ahead of SEC play.

What: Central Arkansas (3-11, 1-7 away) vs. Missouri (7-5, 5-2 home)

Where: Mizzou Arena, Columbia, Mo.

When: Saturday, Dec. 29 at 2 p.m. CT

TV: SEC Network

Series: Missouri leads 2-0 with the first victory coming on Dec. 18, 2010

Last meeting: Missouri defeated Central Arkansas 68-55 on Nov. 6, 2018. Mark Smith led the Tigers by shooting 5-of-8 from behind the arc to score a team-high 19 points and he also added 10 rebounds. Jeremiah Tilmon scored 16 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field and also recorded both of the Tigers' only two blocks.

Last time out, Central Arkansas: The Bears fell to No. 12 Oklahoma 88-72 on Thursday. Central Arkansas may have lost by a decent margin, but four of its starters scored in double figures.

Last time out, Missouri: No. 13 Illinois handled the Tigers 97-73 on Dec. 22. Missouri had a tough three-game slate against No. 2 Kansas, Seton Hall and the Fighting Illini, as they lost each of them. Missouri is desperate to rebound and get back on the right track against Central Arkansas.