Florida @ Missouri preview
Mizzou Arena
Last Meeting ( Feb 2, 2017 ) Missouri 54, Florida 93
Florida seems to be back on track after an ugly stretch in December and will try to extend its winning streak to five games when it visits Missouri on Saturday. The Tigers are 7-0 at home – their best start at Mizzou Arena since winning their first eight in 2013-14 – and aiming for a 2-0 start to SEC play, which would match its win total in league competition from last season.
The Gators started 5-0 before dropping four of five, including an embarrassing loss to Loyola Chicago, but they’ve opened SEC play with solid wins over Vanderbilt (81-74) and at Texas A&M (83-66). Florida hammered the Tigers 93-54 last season at home, but this Missouri team is one of the most improved in the nation. The Tigers’ outstanding freshman class took another hit Friday, however, as the school announced point guard Blake Harris will be leaving the program. Harris, who decommitted from Washington to sign with Missouri along with the injured Michael Porter Jr., started nine games and was averaging 3.8 points and a team-high 3.1 assists in 13.9 minutes per contest.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS
ABOUT FLORIDA (10-4, 2-0 SEC): The Gators don’t get much offense from their frontcourt, but their guards can light it up. Reserve Jalen Hudson (16.9 points) leads the team in scoring while the 6-5 Egor Koulechov (15, 6.6 rebounds) is a matchup problem for most teams. Point guard Chris Chiozza (13.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists) posted a triple-double against the Tigers last season with 12 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
ABOUT MISSOURI (11-3, 1-0): For all the buzz surrounding the Tigers’ crop of talented freshmen, graduate transfer Kassius Robertson has made the biggest impact. Robertson (15.6 points) has scored 20 or more points in three straight games – the first Tiger to do so in four years – and was 4-for-8 from 3-point range in Wednesday’s 79-68 win at South Carolina. Jordan Barnett (15.1 points, 5.9 rebounds) is averaging 18.8 points and 7.2 rebounds over his last nine games while shooting 52.4 percent overall and 49.2 percent from 3-point range during that stretch.
TIP-INS
1. Missouri’s 137 3-pointers are the most in program history through 14 games – eight more than the 1999-2000 team recorded at this point.
2. The Tigers have made 10 or more 3-pointers 10 times, including in five of their last six games.
3. Florida has made at least 15 3-pointers in four contests this season and tied its season high with 17 against Texas A&M.
PREDICTION: Florida 78, Missouri 75