Saturday Night Showdown Next Between @MizzouHoops and North Florida

Saturday, December 16

Columbia, Mo.

7:30 PM CT

University of Missouri

North Florida

Saturday Night Showdown Next Between @MizzouHoops and North Florida

12/15/2017 3:06:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Tigers and Osprey tip off at 7:30 p.m. on SEC Network from Mizzou Arena

Mizzou Men's Basketball (8-2) plays its third game of the four-game December homestand on Saturday, Dec. 16, facing North Florida (5-7) at 7:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network.

Mizzou vs. North Florida
Dec. 16, 7:30 p.m.
SEC Network

Game Notes

Story Lines

Head coach Cuonzo Martin has Mizzou out to its best start to a season (8-2) since the Black & Gold's 2013-14 campaign when the Tigers began the season 10-0.
Mizzou put up 100 points for the first time since the 2012-13 season in its 100-77 victory over Green Bay (Dec. 9). The Tigers defeated South Carolina State by a score of 102-51 on Dec. 17, 2012.
Junior guard Jordan Geist went off for a career-high 28 points in the win against Green Bay -- Mizzou's single-game high for the season, thus far. Geist scored 18 points on two occasions last year.
In Mizzou's three-game winning streak, the Tigers have outscored their opponents by an average margin of 15.0 points (77.3-62.3). Mizzou has made 41.6 percent (32-77) of its three-pointers, while holding its opponents to 31.9 percent (22-69) in that span.
The Tigers' 97 three-pointers rank as the most in program history through 10 games, ahead of the 1999-2000 season's 96.
Martin's squad has outrebounded its opponents in nine of 10 games this season.
Freshman forward Jontay Porter is one of just five players in the nation currently averaging 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 2.0 assists per game. He is the only freshman with such numbers.
Senior Jordan Barnett matched his career-high of five three-pointers for the second time this season vs. Green Bay. Barnett sank 5-of-9 from beyond the arc en route to 19 points.
Graduate senior guard Kassius Robertson has posted at least one assist in every game this season.
The Tigers rank second in the league in three-pointers made per game (9.7) and fifth in three-point field goal percentage (.388).

Scouting North Florida

Mizzou faces North Florida for the second time in program history on Saturday, Dec. 16. The Tigers defeated the Osprey by a score of 96-58 on Nov. 20, 2010, inside Mizzou Arena.
After starting the 2017-18 season with an 0-6 record, North Florida has won five of its last six games.
Currently on a four-game winning streak, head coach Matthew Driscoll's group has averaged 89.3 points per game.
Three North Florida players have averaged double-digits in the scoring column, led by sophomore guard Ivan Gandia-Rosa's 16.0 points per game.
Sophomore forward Wajid Aminu leads his North Florida squad on the boards, grabbing 7.0 rebounds per game.
Among its opponents to start the season, the Osprey fell by a score of 108-68 at Florida (Nov. 16).

Notes From The Last Time Out

As a team, Mizzou made 14 three-pointers in the 100-77 win vs. Green Bay (Dec. 9), tying a season-high set against St. John's (Nov. 24). The effort was the seventh time this season Mizzou sank double-digit threes.
The Tigers are 6-1 when making 10-or-more three-pointers this season.
Mizzou scored 60 points in the first half against the Phoenix; the most points scored in a half since the 2012-13 season (61, Alcorn State, Nov. 13, 2012).
Junior guard Jordan Geist's 28 points were the most by any Mizzou player this season, and most since then-sophomore forward Kevin Puryear scored 30 points against Auburn in the 2017 SEC Tournament (March 8, 2017).
Mizzou set a new season-low with eight turnovers against Green Bay.

More Story Lines

Junior guard Jordan Geist has hit 48.1 percent (13-of-27) of his three-pointers to start the 2017-18 season, an increase from his 28.6 percent success rate from the entire 2016-17 season.
The Tigers are out to an 8-2 start -- the best start to a campaign for Mizzou since the 2013-14 season when the Black & Gold started 10-0 (wins were later vacated).
Freshman guard Blake Harris is one of just five players in the nation averaging at least 2.7 assists per game while playing fewer than 13.0 minutes per game.
The Tigers have improved immensely as a blocking team, more than doubling last season's blocks per game average (2.1) with their current 5.1-blocks-per-game average.
Senior forward Jordan Barnett matched his career-high with five three-pointers for the second consecutive game in the win vs. Green Bay (Dec. 9) after doing so against Miami (Ohio) on Dec. 5. He also connected on five three-pointers against Vanderbilt as a junior last season (Feb. 11, 2017).

Upcoming Promotions

The pesky Grinch has infiltrated the University of Missouri's campus. Instead of going after Whoville's holiday spirit, the Grinch has stolen the majority of MU students for Winter Break and turned Mizzou Arena into Zouville.
Mizzou Athletics is searching for additional fans to cheer on head coach Cuonzo Martin nd his squad as the Tigers face Stephen F. Austin on Tuesday, Dec. 19. Tipoff from Zouville is scheduled for 8 p.m.
Fans can visit Zouville by purchasing tickets at $15 for adults and $5 for children (ages 5-12). This is a one-time-only ticket discount promotion to fill up Zouville and hopefully grow the Grinch's heart three sizes. All fans are asked to wear their best holiday-themed gear to Mizzou Arena. The best-dressed fans will win a $50 Tiger Team Store gift card.
On top of bringing excitement and holiday spirit to Zouville, fans are encouraged to bring a new teddy bear or other stuffed animal that will be part of the Inaugural Teddy Bear Toss at Mizzou Arena. At the start of halftime, those in attendance will be asked to toss their stuffed toy onto the court. All toys will be donated to the children at the MU Women's & Children's Hospital this holiday season.
Click here to purchase discounted tickets for Tuesday's game.