Green Bay @ Missouri preview

Green Bay at Missouri

Despite possessing a talented, towering frontcourt, Missouri has shown a propensity to let it fly from 3-point range. The Tigers might have to take a different approach when they host Green Bay on Saturday.

The matchup could be a tough one for Missouri’s outside shooters, as the Phoenix lead the nation in 3-point defense, holding opponents to 22.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc. The Tigers have won two straight and five of six as they are coming off a dominant 70-51 win over Miami (Ohio) in which they shot 53.2 percent. The Phoenix snapped a two-game skid with a 59-57 triumph over Eastern Illinois on Wednesday. Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin and Green Bay counterpart Linc Darner were teammates for three seasons at Purdue.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, SEC Network

ABOUT GREEN BAY (3-4): The Phoenix haven’t played the up-tempo style for which Darner’s teams typically are known, instead relying on stingy defense. Khalil Small (15.6 points, seven rebounds) carries the team at the offensive end, while Kam Hankerson (10.4 points) and T.J. Parham (10.1) also average double digits in points. Green Bay shoots a paltry 39.6 percent but has taken advantage of its chances at the foul line, hitting 78.3 percent to rank 19th in the country through Thursday.

ABOUT MISSOURI (7-2): The Tigers aren’t the team they thought they would be before freshman phenom Michael Porter Jr. was lost to a back injury, but they have some offensive weapons. Graduate transfer Kassius Robertson (14.6 points) can light it up from 3-point range, and forwards Jordan Barnett (12.7, 5.7 rebounds) and Kevin Puryear (12.6, 5.3) can stretch the floor. Freshmen Jeremiah Tilmon (9.6 points, 4.4 rebounds) and Jontay Porter (8.3, 6.7) have shown they can have a big impact if they can stay out of foul trouble.

TIP-INS

1. Missouri has shot better than 40 percent from 3-point range in five straight contests.

2. Robertson has made multiple 3-pointers in five straight games and has hit three or more in five of nine contests this season.

3. Darner’s teams never had won a game when scoring fewer than 60 points in his first 15 seasons as a coach before doing so twice this campaign.

PREDICTION: Missouri 75, Green Bay 59