Saturday, December 17
Columbia, Mo.
2:30 p.m. CT
University of Missouri
vs
Eastern Illinois
@MizzouHoops Hosts Eastern Illinois for "Star Wars Day" on Saturday
12/15/2016 5:17:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Tigers vs. Panthers set to tip off at 2:30 p.m. CT on the SEC Network
| MIZZOU (5-4) GAME DAY - Saturday, Dec. 17 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OPPONENT | LOCATION | DAY | TIME | MEDIA | |
|
Eastern Illinois (6-4) |
Mizzou Arena | Saturday | 2:30 p.m. | ||
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Mizzou Men's Basketball (5-4) finishes its six-game homestand with Eastern Illinois on Saturday, Dec. 17, with the Tigers looking for their fifth win inside Mizzou Arena this season. Tipoff is slated for 2:30 p.m. CT on the SEC Network.
- Head coach Kim Anderson's squad will look to add to Mizzou's 3-0 all-time record vs. Eastern Illinois and head coach Jay Spoonhour, a former Mizzou assistant coach from 2004-06. Mizzou assistant coach Emanuel Dildy played for the Panthers from 2003-05 and served as an EIU assistant for Spoonhour for the 2012-13 season.
- Mizzou is once again cultivating a talented, but young roster during the 2016-17 season. According to KenPom.com, the Tigers rank 346th out of 351 NCAA Division I teams in terms of experience.
PROMOTIONS
- The game serves as "Star Wars Day" for Mizzou fans, as the highly anticipated film, "Rogue One", debuts in theaters on Friday, Dec. 16.
- Fans are encouraged to arrive in costume for a halftime contest, with prizes including Tiger Team Store gift cards.
- A free commemorative poster will be available (while supplies last) at arena gates following the game.
- Fans with a ticket stub from a "Rogue One" showing can purchase a $5 general admission ticket.
OPPONENT - EASTERN ILLINOIS
- Eastern Illinois visits Columbia with a 6-4 record, winning five of its last seven games. In its previous two games, EIU fell to Northern Kentucky (80-70) on Dec. 7, and defeated Western Illinois (63-49) on Dec. 10.
- Led by head coach Jay Spoonhour, Eastern Illinois dropped two of its first three contests on the year, defeating Saint Francis (83-41) on Nov. 11, to open the year, before falling to Troy (70-67) on Nov. 14, and Saint Louis (74-69) on Nov. 17.
- Black & Gold fans will recognize Spoonhour from the 2004-06 seasons, when EIU's head coach served as a Mizzou assistant coach.
- Four Panthers are averaging double-figures in scoring, led by senior guard Demetrius Reynolds, who is averaging 13.9 points per game and is shooting 45.9 percent (51-of-111) from the field. Junior guard Montell Goodwin is second on the team in scoring, averaging 13.7 points per game, while junior guard Cornell Johnston averages 12.4 points per game and junior wing Ray Crossland averages 11.1 points per game.
- On the boards, junior forward Muusa Dama leads the way with 9.8 rebounds per game, while Crossland averages 6.2 rebounds per game. Dama leads the team in offensive rebounds with 72 on the season.
- Eastern Illinois is averaging 74.1 points and 35.8 rebounds per game through 10 contests, allowing 67.0 points and 37.7 rebounds per game. Foes of the Panthers have shot 42.3 percent from the field and 31.8 percent from the three-point line.
PURYEAR STAYING CONSISTENT
- Sophomore forward Kevin Puryear (Blue Springs, Mo.) scored 11 points (4-of-10 FG, 1-of-2 3PT, 2-of-3 FT) and grabbed seven rebounds vs. No. 20 Arizona (Dec. 10), adding a 21st "10-and-5" game to his career total. The effort was the sixth time this season Puryear recorded at least 10 points with five or more rebounds.
- Puryear has scored 10 points or more in 28-of-40 career games for the Black & Gold.
- Puryear's two season-high marks of 22 points and 10 rebounds both came against No. 11 Xavier (Nov. 17) at the Tire Pros Invitational in Orlando, Fla. The effort was the second double-double of his career.
BIG ON THE BOARDS
- Mizzou's current rate of 40.8 rebounds per game is significant in itself because it represents a solid improvement from last season's 35.8 boards per game.
- The Tigers have four individuals with at least 40 rebounds, making Mizzou one of just five schools in the SEC with four players with 40 boards or more.
- In back-to-back games, Mizzou reset its season-high for rebounds, first with 44 vs. Western Kentucky (Dec. 3) and then with 50 boards against Miami (Ohio) on Dec. 6.
- Being aggressive on the offensive glass has been a focus for the Tigers early in the 2016-17 season, with Mizzou averaging 11.6 offensive rebounds per game thus far. Through its first nine games last season, Mizzou averaged 8.3 offensive boards per game.
- Overall, the Tigers have posted 42.4 rebounds per game, allowing 38.4 per game. Last season through the first eight Mizzou contests, the Tigers were outrebounded, on average, 35.5-34.5.
OL' RELIABLE GEIST
- Sophomore guard Jordan Geist (Fort Wayne, Ind.) has adjusted well to Division I basketball since arriving at Mizzou from Ranger College, posting a 3.2 assist/turnover ratio through nine games. Geist has recorded 16 assists against five turnovers over his 18.9 minutes per game.
- Geist's 3.2 assist/turnover ratio currently leads the Tigers ahead of Phillips' 2.0 assist/turnover ratio.
- As a freshman at Ranger last season, Geist averaged 2.8 assists per game along with 15.1 points and 3.5 rebounds.
FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME
- Junior forward Jordan Barnett (St. Louis, Mo.) will be eligible for competition for the first time as a Tiger when Mizzou takes on Eastern Illinois on Saturday, Dec. 17. A mid-season transfer from Texas, Barnett was required to sit out the 2016-17 season's first semester, per NCAA transfer rules.
- Barnett was a prolific scorer and play-maker for Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis, averaging 20.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game as a senior.
- Named the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's All-Metro Player of the Year following his senior campaign, Barnett was considered one of the country's Top 100 players coming out of high school. He was ranked 70th overall by Rivals.com and 86th by ESPN.com.
Players Mentioned
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