Saturday, February 15
Columbia, Mo.
5 PM
University of Missouri
vs
#11 Auburn
Mizzou Men's Basketballs Hosts No. 11 Auburn on Saturday Night
2/14/2020 9:30:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Tip off is set for 5 p.m. CT on ESPN2
| Mizzou Hosts No. 11 Auburn on Saturday Night | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OPPONENT | LOCATION | DAY | TIME (CT) | WATCH | TICKETS |
| No. 11 Auburn | Columbia, Mo. | Saturday, Feb. 15 | 5 PM | ESPN2 | Tickets |
Mizzou Basketball Game Notes
STORYLINES
- Mizzou enters Saturday's clash with No. 11 Auburn looking for its fourth win over a Top 25 opponent since Cuonzo Martin took over at the helm, and its first since beating No. 21 Texas A&M, 62-58, on Feb. 13, 2018. A win on Saturday would be Mizzou's first over a team ranked No. 11 or higher since taking down No. 5 Florida, 63-60, on Feb. 9, 2013. Mizzou is 7-5 all-time against teams ranked No. 11, with its last such win coming Jan. 17, 2004, over No. 11 Oklahoma.
- Mizzou is 4-6 all-time vs. Auburn with Auburn winning the last three series meetings, including a tight 81-71 battle in the SEC Tournament last season. Mizzou trailed by just five with 3:35 to go until a late Auburn run prevented a comeback. Mizzou is seeking its first win over Auburn since March 8, 2017. Mizzou is 3-2 all-time vs. Auburn in Columbia, Mo.
- Mizzou's bench continues to be its strength. After outpacing LSU's bench, 23-2, the Tigers are +189 in bench points. Mizzou has matched or outscored its opponents in bench points 19 times in 24 games.
- Mizzou has forced 10+ turnovers in 23 of 24 games this season. Arkansas entered last Saturday's game ranked fourth nationally in turnover margin. The Tigers forced 14 Razorback turnovers.
- Dru Smith is coming off a gritty 20-point performance at No. 25 LSU. He added three steals, giving him seven thefts in the last two games and 53 this season, which is just nine shy of cracking Mizzou's all-time single-season list. He leads the SEC during league play with 2.5 per game. He is the first Tiger with a 50-steal season since Phil Pressey in 2012-13, and is one assist shy of becoming the seventh different Tiger with a 50-steal, 100-assist campaign since 1992. Dru leads Mizzou in scoring, assists, steals, free throw percentage and field goal percentage (min. 100 attempts). Dru ranks 12th nationally in free throw percentage, shooting 89.9 percent. He's missed four total free throws in league play, shooting 91.7 percent (44-for-48).
- Sophomore Xavier Pinson has averaged 13.8 points per contest over the last five games and led Mizzou in scoring three times during that span, including a career-high 24-point outburst against Arkansas. Pinson followed with a career-high seven assists to go along with nine points and six boards at No. 25 LSU. His assist-to-turnover ratio in two games last week was +3.3.
- Mizzou is shooting 76.8 percent from the free throw line, which is on pace to break the single-season program record of 76.6 percent set in 2011-12. The 76.8 percent clip ranks 27th nationally.
DRU MAKING CASE FOR SEC DEFENSIVE POY & ALL-SEC
- Dru Smith is making his case for All-SEC recognition in his first season at Mizzou. He reached double figures for the 14th time this season and the 20-point plateau for the third time with 20 points at LSU. He is averaging 11.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.2 steals per game and is on pace to become the first SEC player since LSU's Randy Livingston in 1994-95 to average at least those marks for an entire season.
- Dru posted 20 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals at LSU. Only Dru, Phil Pressey and Marcus Denmon have recorded three 20-point, 3-steal games at Mizzou in the same campaign since 2010.
- Dru now has six games with 10+ points and 4+ steals this season through 24 contests after tallying 11 points and four steals vs. Arkansas. He is just the fourth Tiger in program history to do so,
- Dru leads the SEC with 2.2 steals per game this season. He has 53 steals in 24 games. Mizzou's steals leader last year was Jordan Geist, who finished with 34 thefts. Dru is on pace to become just the second SEC player since 2014 to average 2.2 steals per game (Tremon Waters - 2.9 in 2018-19).
- He needs one assists to reach the century mark for the season, and become the first Tiger to do so since 2016-17. He's on track to become the first Mizzou player with 100 assists and 50 steals in the same campaign since Phil Pressey in 2012-13 and the seventh different Tiger to do so since 1992.
- With at least nine guaranteed games left on the schedule, Dru is already just nine steals shy of cracking Mizzou's Top 10 on the all-time single-season steals chart. The 2.2 steals per game clip is on pace to tie for second all-time at Mizzou with Lynn Hardy. It's already the sixth-most by a junior in Mizzou history.
- Dru dished seven assists for the fifth time this season at Texas A&M. He's just the third Tiger since 2010 to post five 7+ assist games in the same campaign (Terrence Phillips and Phil Pressey).
- In league play, he leads the SEC in steals per game with 2.5, ranks third in free throw percentage (91.7 percent), fifth in assists per game (4.0) and eighth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4) while leading Mizzou in scoring (11.7), assists, steals and free throw percentage.
- Dru ranks 12th nationally in free throw percentage at 89.9 percent, currently second all-time at Mizzou.
- On Jan. 21 vs. Texas A&M, he finished with 18 points, eight rebounds, and a season-high eight assists. He is just the second Tiger to post an 18-8-8 line since 1983, joining Anthony Peeler.
- The redshirt junior captained Mizzou's victory over Florida with 22 points, six assists and five steals - the second Tiger since 1980 to hit those marks in the same game, joining Peeler.
- Dru reached the 18-point mark five times in two seasons at Evansville and has done so six times now at Mizzou after scoring 22 points vs. Florida and 20 at LSU. Dru exploded for 22 points, a career-high 10 rebounds, four assists and three steals at No. 21 Xavier. He became the first Tiger to record at least 22 points, 10 boards, four dimes and three steals in a game since Doug Smith did so vs. Oklahoma in 1991.
- In his 74-game career, Dru has only gone one game without recording an assist, (Dec. 3, 2016), giving him 66 consecutive games with an assist. He's now posted 37 multi-assist outings in the last 38 games.
- Dru is a career 87.2 percent free throw shooter. That ranks 16th nationally among active players.
NIKKO GOING OUT STRONG
- Mizzou's lone senior, Reed Nikko, has been on a tear recently, stepping up in Jeremiah Tilmon's absence. Nikko has reached double figures three times in the last five games after not doing so in Mizzou's first 19 games of the season. Nikko has matched his career-high twice with 13 points in a win over Georgia and 13 points in the Tigers' last outing at No. 25 LSU. In the last five games, he's averaging 9.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.
- In league play, Nikko ranks sixth in the SEC in offensive rebounds with 27 (2.5 per game). He's grabbed 11 in the last two games alone, including a career-high seven offensive boards in the win over Arkansas.
- Nikko appeared in his 116th career game on Tuesday at No. 25 LSU. He became just the second Mizzou player since 2010 to appear in 116 games alongside Kevin Puryear. Nikko is now the 25th Tiger since 1992 to reach the 115-game mark.
- Barring injury, Nikko is on pace to play in at least 124 career games. He has appeared in 109 of Mizzou's last 110 games dating back to his freshman campaign. If he reaches that 124-game threshold, he would be just the 16th Tiger in the last 25 years to do so.
- Nikko is putting together his best season as a Tiger. He has 81 rebounds, which is already the most in a season during his career. He surpassed the 100-point mark in a season for the first time with 13 points at LSU. Nikko also entered his final campaign as a 53.6 percent free throw shooter through three seasons. He's shooting 69.2 percent from the charity stripe as a senior.
- Nikko has elevated his play during SEC action, averaging 7.4 points and 5.2 rebounds after putting up 1.8 points and 2.0 boards in non-conference play.
- Nikko secured his first career double-double with 11 points and a career-high 11 rebounds in the Arkansas win.
- Mizzou's Jan. 28 victory over Georgia was perhaps the best game of his career, as he ripped off a career-high 13 points, including 11 in the second half that fueled the Tigers' comeback. Nikko added five boards and two blocks, including a monster game-winning swat on lottery pick Anthony Edwards' game-tying attempt in the final seconds.
- Nikko has started Mizzou's last 13 contests while Jeremiah Tilmon has nursed a foot injury, scoring 88 of his 103 points (85.4 percent) this season in that stretch. Nikko is shooting 59.2 percent from the floor.
- Nikko is uniquely a fisheries and wildlife major who plans to be a fisheries biologist after college. His passion is helping nature preserves. He is nearly always out hiking, fishing or bird watching during the offseason. His love for the outdoors was influenced by his late father, who also pushed for Nikko to pursue college basketball at Mizzou.
Players Mentioned
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