Notebook: Three takeaways from Missouri's home opener win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
The Missouri Tigers end to last season was anything but story book, that's why getting off to a strong start this season was so important to this Tigers team.
Full of talent, both returning and new, the Tigers needed to and continue to need to win games like this one. Coming into this contest as double digit favorites, this was a tune up game for a Missouri squad that will get ready to face a much tougher Memphis team at home on Friday.
Regardless of pre-game predictions or outcomes of the game, there are always things to be learned between the buzzers. So, what can be taken away from this game for the Tigers?
John A. Logan Junior College's Finest
Sean East II is going to be trouble for defenses in the SEC this year. Just two years after being out of division one basketball completely, attending John A. Logan Junior College in 2021, East has earned himself a starting spot on an immensely deep Missouri Tigers roster.
Tiger fans should already be familiar with the senior guard who spent last year coming off the bench for Missouri. While picking up over 23 minutes per game, the guard would produce just 7 points per contest last year.
His role has mightily changed since last season, creating half of a guard duo that showed flashes in the home opener. Starting opposite of sixth year guard Nick Honor, who is currently in his second year with Missouri, East was able to light up the Golden Lions defense early. Scoring his first 10 points of the season in less than five minutes of game-time, East started hot from behind the arc. He drained two 3-pointers as soon as the game started to give the Tigers their first two buckets of the year.
Putting up 21 points in as many minutes for East shows the scoring capability that the scorers on this Tigers team have. Not missing a single shot the entire first half while putting up 14 points is a great start to an efficient season for one of the leading players on the floor. He will have to continue this against tougher competition, but the start is more than promising.
Guard The Guards
Arkansas-Pine Bluff would score 79 total points against the Tigers on Monday night. Not a bad showing considering the task that they were faced with. What does become shocking is that out of the 79 points scored, two players contributed 64 of them.
Kylen Milton and Joe French would have stellar nights on on offense. Milton would have 34 points on the night, not only the leading scorer for his team, but instead for the entire game. Much of this could be credited to his 20 free throw attempts, but even without the attempts, Milton was able to shoot 80 percent from the floor in his performance.
French followed Milton slightly, becoming the games second highest scorer with 30 points of his own. French would only hit six free throws to add to his total, instead his weapon of choice was 14 shot attempts from behind-the-arc. Starting hot, he would convert three of his first seven attempts before ultimately going cold in the second half. He finished his night 4-of-14 from behind-the-arc.
The Tigers should be thankful that French flamed out in the second half as they showed struggles early to close out on the corner shots. The Tigers managed to do enough to come out with a win, but allowing multiple 30-point scorers is not a blueprint to success, and the Tigers will have to adjust.
Watch Out For Tamar
First year Tiger and former Indiana Hoosier Tamar Bates went into this game with a career high 6.1 points per game and a game high of 22 points.
Coming off the bench for the Tigers on Monday, Bates gave the team great minutes, scoring 18 points in his debut.
The most impressive part of Bates performance was the efficiency in his shot taking, shooting 78 percent from the field. Only taking one free throw through this contest, Bates created his offense on the floor at a highly efficient rate.
Bates would play well enough to earn 23 minutes in his debut, more than fellow guard Sean East at 21.
This game will fall fourth on Bates list of career highs in scoring. Though with a performance like this in the opener, both fans and Tamar will be expecting more where this came from.
