Texas A&M @ Missouri preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 9, 2019 ) Texas A&M 68, Missouri 59

Texas A&M lost some momentum with two straight losses last week and hopes to begin moving forward again when it pays a visit to struggling Missouri on Tuesday night for an SEC contest. The Aggies had won five of six for first-year coach Buzz Williams before losing in overtime to first-place LSU on Tuesday and suffering a disappointing 81-67 loss to South Carolina on Saturday at home.

Defense has been a strength for Texas A&M most of the season (39 percent shooting against), but the Aggies allowed the Gamecocks to drain 16 shots from 3-point range last time out while giving up the most points in regulation this season. “The only strategy is we have to play defense,” Aggies junior guard Quenton Jackson told reporters after the loss. “We have to have heart and we have to have pride. We can’t lay down on our backs. We have to contest threes and rebound. We know what we need to do, but we are doing a poor job of executing right now. We need to get back in the lab and figure out what we need to do next.” Missouri beat Florida for its only league victory, but has lost four of the past five overall after surrendering the most points of the season in an 88-74 setback at Alabama on Saturday. “I thought the energy was good defensively, but there were a lot of breakdowns,” Tigers coach Counzo Martin said in a postgame radio interview. “It’s just one of those things where you have to learn some painful, painful lessons.”

TIME: 9 p.m. ET. TV: ESPNU

ABOUT TEXAS A&M (8-8, 2-3 SEC): Senior forward Josh Nebo leads the team in scoring (12.5) - on an SEC-leading 70.7 percent from the field - rebounds (7.5) and blocks (SEC-best 2.7) after averaging 19 points in the last two games. Savion Flagg is the only other player averaging in double figures scoring (11.1) and the junior guard tops the team in assists (2.4) while freshman guard Andre Gordon is averaging 12.4 points over the past five games - four more than his season mark. Jackson (6.7 points) scored 12 against South Carolina - his most since pouring in 13 versus Oregon State just before Christmas.

ABOUT MISSOURI (9-8, 1-4): Junior guard Dru Smith had 18 points against Alabama and leads the team in scoring (11.8), assists (4.1) and steals (2.4) while sitting second in the SEC in free-throw shooting percentage (88.7). Junior guard Mark Smith is close behind with 11.4 points per contest and leads the Tigers in rebounds (4.6) along with made 3-pointers (42), including seven against Southern Illinois last month. Junior forward Jeremiah Tilmon averages 9.0 points on 63.6 percent from the field, 4.3 rebounds and a team-high 16 blocks, but is expected to miss his fifth straight game with a foot injury.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Missouri freshman F Kobe Brown has scored in double figures in back-to-back games for the first time this season.

2. Texas A&M senior G Wendell Mitchell, who averaged 13 points last season, is contributing 7.6 on 27.8 percent shooting in 2019-20.

3. The road team won each of the two matchups last season with the Aggies earning a 68-59 victory at Missouri.

PREDICTION: Texas A&M 66, Missouri 60