Missouri @ Arkansas preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 8, 2020 ) Arkansas 79, Missouri 83

Missouri goes for a third straight win to climb over .500 on the season when it travels to face Arkansas for an SEC contest on Saturday afternoon. The Tigers are coming off a home win over Ole Miss on Tuesday, while Arkansas is looking to snap a five-game losing streak which includes Tuesday's 73-59 loss at Florida.

Guard Dru Smith leads the Missouri attack, scoring 12.5 points per game while dishing out 4.0 assists and grabbing 4.1 rebounds. Second-leading scorer Mark Smith has been sidelined the last six games with a back injury, but Xavier Pinson has started picking up the slack and averages 10.3 points overall. Arkansas has been going the other way since a knee injury to Isaiah Joe (16 points per game) five games ago, capped by the season-low scoring output in the loss to the Gators. Guard Mason Jones leads the Razorbacks and the SEC in scoring with 20.8 points per game, while also pacing Arkansas in rebounds (5.8), assists (3.4) and steals (1.6).

TIME: 1 p.m. ET. TV: SEC Network

ABOUT MISSOURI (13-13, 5-8 SEC): The Missouri offense has kicked into gear over the last couple of weeks, with the Tigers averaging 79.3 points over the last four games - three of which were wins - after scoring 65.3 points per game prior to that stretch. Pinson has really come alive since moving into the starting lineup six games ago due to the injury to Mark Smith, averaging 18.8 points. He's been aggressive getting to the line as well, averaging 8.5 free-throw attempts a game over his last four outings, which has led to 28- and 32-point outings - both career highs.

ABOUT ARKANSAS (16-10, 4-9): While the absence of Joe in the Arkansas lineup has pushed Jones to greater heights - averaging 25 points per game over the last five - Jimmy Whitt Jr. has seen his offensive stats go down, likely from more defensive attention. Whitt is averaging 10.4 points in the five contests since Joe had knee surgery, compared to a 15.4 per game mark prior to this stretch. He struggled the most in a loss to Auburn on Feb. 4, when he went scoreless in 40 minutes of playing time, but he has started to adjust to the new lineup a bit better in the last couple of games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Tigers have been shutting down opposing 3-point shooters of late, holding their last four opponents to a combined 10 makes from beyond the arc.

2. Arkansas is ninth in the country and leads the SEC in turnover margin at plus-4.7, forcing a league-best 16.8 turnovers per game.

3. Missouri is still looking for its first conference road win of the season and has won at Bud Walton Arena just once since 1991.

PREDICTION: Arkansas 74, Missouri 69