Tuesday, January 21
Columbia, Mo.
8 PM
University of Missouri
vs
Texas A&M
Mizzou Men's Hoops Hosts Texas A&M Tuesday Night on SEC Network
1/20/2020 5:40:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Tip off is set for 8 p.m. on SEC Network
| Mizzou Welccomes Texas A&M to Mizzou Arena on Tuesday Night | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OPPONENT | LOCATION | DAY | TIME (CT) | WATCH | STATS |
| Texas A&M | Columbia, Mo. | Tuesday, Jan. 21 | 8 PM | SEC Network | Stats |
Mizzou Basketball Game Notes
STORYLINES
- Mizzou and Texas A&M face off for the 38th time in their series history. The two teams have split the last four meetings, with both teams winning on the road a season ago.
- Since the two programs moved to the SEC, Texas A&M has won nine of the 14 meetings.
- Mizzou is coming off Saturday's high-scoring 88-74 loss to Alabama, in which Mizzou went 31-of-31 at the free throw line. That set a new SEC and program record for consecutive free throw makes. It marked the fourth-best single-game team performance at the free throw line in NCAA history and the best since Oklahoma in 2013. Mizzou's previous record for consecutive free throws made in an entire season was 26 in 1997 before last Saturday's historic effort at the charity stripe.
- Dru Smith led Mizzou with 18 points, six rebounds and four steals at Alabama. He has now recorded 17 steals in five league games which leads the SEC by a wide margin. He has 4+ steals in five different games this season, the first Tiger to do so since Phil Pressey in 2012-13. He's accomplished that feat just 17 games into the 2019-20 campaign and is on pace to match Mizzou's single-season steals per game record - 2.4 by Stefhon Hannah in 2006-07.
- The Tigers are +100 in bench points in the last nine games and +156 overall this season after outpacing Alabama's bench 29-13 on Saturday. Mizzou has outscored 14 of its 17 opponents in bench production this season.
- Mizzou finished the 2018-19 campaign ranked 12th in the league in turnover margin (-1.9) and 13th in steals per game (4.7). With Dru Smith leading the charge 17 games into the 2019-20 season, Mizzou ranks fourth in both turnover margin (+1.2) and steals per game (7.8). The Tigers lead the league in conference play in steals per game with 8.0 thefts per contest.
- Mizzou ranks 28th nationally and second in the SEC in scoring defense, holding opponents to 61.4 points per game. The last Cuonzo Martin-coached team to hold opponents to fewer than 62 points per game was his 2013-14 Tennessee squad that reached the Sweet 16.
- Entering this season, just five Mizzou teams in program history have held opponents to fewer than 62 points per game during a campaign. The current 61.4 opponents points per game pace is the lowest since the 1982-83 Mizzou team held foes to 59.7 points per outing.
RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCE AT THE FREE THROW LINE
- Mizzou made history at Alabama on Saturday, converting 31-of-31 free throw attempts, which set a new SEC and program record for single-game free throw percentage. It marked the fourth-best single-game team performance at the foul line in NCAA history and the best since Oklahoma hit 34-of-34 free throws vs. Iowa State on March 2, 2013.
- Eight different Tigers made free throws to contribute to the record led by Xavier Pinson, who made 9-of-9. Pinson became the first Tiger to shoot 100 percent for a game, with a minimum nine attempts, since Wes Clark on Feb. 3, 2016, vs. Ole Miss (9-of-9). Pinson is the ninth Tiger to accomplish that feat since 2010.
- The effort shattered Mizzou's previous single-game record for consecutive free throws made in a game of 23, which was done twice on both Feb. 1, 1997 vs. Kansas State, and March 11, 2005 vs. Oklahoma.
- Within a single season, Mizzou's record was 26 consecutive made free throws during the 1997 campaign and that was broken in one fell swoop during Saturday's historic performance at the charity stripe.
- Mizzou ranks third in the SEC in free throw percentage, shooting 78.1 percent from the line during league play and 75.7 percent for the season.
DRU MAKING ALL-SEC CASE
- Dru Smith is making his case for All-SEC recognition early on. In league play, he leads the SEC in steals per game with 3.4 (1.1 more than the next closest player), ranks third in free throw percentage (92.3 percent), seventh in assists per game (3.4) and fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.7) while leading Mizzou in points (11.8), assists, steals and free throw percentage. He ranks 18th nationally in steals per game (2.4).
- Dru is coming off another strong all-around outing at Alabama, finishing with 18 points, six rebounds, four steals and two assists. He now has five games with 10+ points and 4+ steals this season through 17 contests. He is just the fifth Tiger in program history to do so, joining Anthony Peeler, Stefhon Hannah, Byron Irvin, Lynn Hardy and Ricky Clemons.
- 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 all-time great Anthony Peeler.
- Dru has 21 steals over the last six games and is first in the SEC with 2.4 steals per game this season. That current 2.4 per game clip is on pace to match the all-time program record set by Stefhon Hannah in 2006-07. He has 41 steals in 17 games. Mizzou's steals leader last year was Jordan Geist, who finished with 34 thefts. With at least 15 games left, he is on pace for 75 steals - one of shy the program record.
- Dru reached the 18-point mark five times in two seasons at Evansville and has done so four times now at Mizzou after scoring 22 points vs. Florida and 18 at Alabama. 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.
- Dru leads Mizzou in scoring (11.8 PPG), assists (4.1) and steals (2.4), and is second in rebounding (4.3). He is one of only four players nationally averaging at least those marks in each category this season.
- He posted 14 points, seven assists, five rebounds and four steals vs. Chicago State, the first Tiger to hit all those marks in the same game since Phil Pressey in 2013. He is just the fifth Tiger to do so since 1980 (Pressey, Anthony Peeler, Brian Grawer and Jason Conley).
- In his 67-game career, Dru has only gone one game without recording an assist, which came all the way back on Dec. 3, 2016, giving him 59 consecutive games with an assist. He's now posted 32 straight multi-assist outings. He's also collected a steal in 28 consecutive games dating back to Dec. 9, 2017. He's tallied at least two steals in 10 of 17 games this season, including seven of the last 10.
- Dru sat out last season due to NCAA transfer rules. He is one of five Division I players in the last 20 years to shoot at least 45 percent from 3-point range, 55 percent from the field and 85 percent from the free throw line in the same season (Thomas Welsh - UCLA, Sterling Brown - SMU, Nick Masteron - Kennesaw State, Sam Sussenguth - North Dakota State). He's the only one in that group of five playing in 2019-20.
- Dru is a career 86.3 percent free throw shooter. That ranks 26th nationally among active players. He ranks second in the SEC this season, shooting 88.7 percent, which is on pace for fifth all-time at Mizzou.
THIEVERY
- Mizzou is the SEC's leader during league play in steals per game with 8.0 thefts per contests. Mizzou has at least seven steals in eight of its last nine games dating back to Dec. 7 at Temple.
- Mizzou has 10+ steals three times in the last seven games after tallying 11 vs. Florida. Before this stretch, Mizzou had just three games with 10+ steals in its previous 64 games.
- Dru Smith leads the league in steals per game with 2.4 swipes per contest. Smith already has 41 thefts this season. The Tigers' steals leader in 2018-19 - Jordan Geist - finished 32 games with 34 total steals.
- Since Dec. 7, Mizzou has forced 153 turnovers (17.4 per game). All nine opponents during that span have coughed it up at least 13 times. Mizzou has forced 101 turnovers in the last six games alone. Mizzou has won the turnover battle in seven of the last nine games.
Players Mentioned
MBB Highlights vs. Minnesota
Friday, November 14
Mizzou Men's Basketball Signs Jason Crowe Jr.
Thursday, November 13
MBB Postgame Media vs. Minnesota
Wednesday, November 12
Mizzou Men's Basketball Signs Aidan Chronister
Wednesday, November 12
