| Opponent | Location | Day/Time | Media |
|---|---|---|---|
| Savannah State
Buy Tickets |
Mizzou Arena | Saturday, Jan. 2
2 p.m. |
TV: SEC Network+
|
#ZOUNotes
- Mizzou Men's Basketball (6-6) will face Savannah State (4-6) on Saturday, Jan. 2, at Mizzou Arena with a 2 p.m. tipoff slated for SEC Network+.
- Head coach Kim Anderson's squad shut down Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Tuesday, Dec. 29, holding the Golden Lions to 25 points - the lowest opponent point total in Mizzou Arena history and the lowest for a Mizzou opponent since 1947.
- Freshman forward Kevin Puryear's 12.2 points per game leads the Tigers after 12 games. His accurate 51.0 field goal percentage is only topped by junior forward Russell Woods' stout 65.8 mark.
- Sophomore forward Jakeenan Gant and Woods became the first Mizzou duo to both grab 10 or more rebounds in a game since last season vs. Lipscomb (Jan. 3, 2015).
- Mizzou has the 13th-youngest roster in Division I basketball, according to Ken Pomeroy.
Last Time Out
- Mizzou Men's Basketball (6-6) improved to a perfect 5-0 all-time against Arkansas-Pine Bluff with its 78-25 victory over the Golden Lions on Dec. 29, with all five wins coming in Columbia, Mo.
- Mizzou's 53-point win was its largest since 2010 when it defeated Central Arkansas, 116-53.
- Head coach Kim Anderson's squad limited Arkansas Pine-Bluff to just 25 points, the fewest ever allowed by a Mizzou team inside Mizzou Arena and the fewest since Jan. 3, 1947, against Iowa State when Mizzou won, 36-25.
- Mizzou held UAPB to an all-time opponent low 15.4-percent field goal shooting.
- The Tigers outscored the Golden Lions in points inside the paint (38-2), points off turnovers (25-5), fast break points (16-0), and bench points (41-4).
- Sophomore forward Jakeenan Gant and freshman forward Russell Woods each posted 10-plus rebounds vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, marking the first game this season with two Mizzou double-digit rebounders.
- Woods' 10 rebounds marked his second consecutive game with double-digit rebounds (10 vs. Illinois on Dec. 23).
- Woods earned his first career start on Tuesday. Freshman guard K.J. Walton earned his first start since the Tigers' season-opener (Nov. 13).
Getting Gant Going
- After averaging just 2.5 points per game in Mizzou's first six games of the season (15 points), sophomore forward Jakeenan Gant has found a rhythm coming off the bench for the Tigers. Gant has averaged 8.2 points per game over the last six games (49 points), including two 11-point efforts vs. Northern Illinois (Dec. 4) and Omaha (Dec. 9).
- Gant has also impacted Mizzou's rebounding, as the forward has pulled down 5.5 boards per game over the last six games. That more than doubles his six-game average to start the 2015-16 season (1.7).
Psycho Rebounding
- Mizzou has worked to establish itself on the boards as a noticeably shorter squad. In fact, the Tigers rank 269th in all of Division I basketball in average height with a roster average of 76.2 inches, or 6 feet, 3.5 inches (according to Ken Pomeroy).
- The Tigers recorded the second +10 rebounding margin game of the Kim Anderson Era against Illinois (Dec. 23), 43-32 (+11). Mizzou posted a +14 rebounding margin vs. Chaminade at the Maui Invitational on Nov. 26, 2014.
- Mizzou followed that up with its first 50-rebound game in more than two seasons. The Tigers racked up 56 rebounds against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Dec. 29). The last time Mizzou grabbed 50 or more rebounds was on Feb. 9, 2013, with 50 vs. Ole Miss.
About Savannah State
- Savannah State (4-6) comes to Mizzou Arena on Saturday, Jan. 2, after a 17-day layoff from action. The Tigers, led by head coach Horace Broadnax, last played on Dec. 16 at Utah, losing by a score of 99-53.
- The Tigers have two players averaging double-digit scoring in graduate transfer guard Chris Martin (13.2) and junior forward Troyce Manassa (12.6).
- Savannah State began the season with three-straight home victories before embarking on a four-game road swing that included trips to Oregon (59-77, Nov. 20) and Baylor (61-100, Nov. 23).
- The Tigers are 0-5 on the road thus far in the 2015-16 season.
Closer Look at the Tigers
- Savannah State has averaged 64.1 points and 32.9 rebounds per game this season. In all six of their losses, the Tigers have given up at least 67 points.
- Martin has scored in double figures in nine of 10 games this season, including a season-high 18 points vs. Georgia Southern (Dec. 2).
- Savannah State senior forward Brian Pearson impressively pulled down 20 rebounds vs. Florida National (Nov. 13). Pearson leads the Tigers with his 5.1 rebounds per game.