Scouting Report: Missouri Tigers

Southeastern Conference games are officially here. Kentucky enters league play ranked No. 19 in the country with an 8-3 record. Home contests against Louisville and Kansas still loom to finish the non-conference slate, but for all intents and purposes, we are into the conference portion of the schedule. The Missouri Tigers play host to the Wildcats to tip things off in a game that carries much more weight than many would have predicted in the preseason. That is what happens your opponent gets off to an 11-1 start to the season and just put a 93-71 beatdown on #16 Illinois. The ‘Cats will face a hostile crowd in CoMo on Wednesday night.

Coach Dennis Gates took over the reins at Missouri after back-to-back strong seasons at Cleveland State. He quickly built up the Tigers roster in the transfer portal and has them playing an exciting brand of basketball. Mizzou plays fast, forces turnovers, and will let it fly from beyond the arc. With all five (of their most common) starters averaging double-figures, four of whom were not on the roster last season, this is not the SEC doormat we saw at Mizzou Arena in 2021-2022.

Without further ado, let’s get into the scouting report. We will deep-dive into their personnel, break down Coach Gates’ offensive and defensive schemes, and highlight the keys to the game. Here is everything you need to know about the Missouri Tigers.

Missouri Tigers Personnel

Starters

#10 Nick Honor: 5’10” 200 lbs, Graduate Student Point Guard

10.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 3.4 apg

Strong, stocky point guard. SHOOTER!!! NO 3’s!!! 54 of 81 shots have been 3’s. Shooting 46.3% from deep. He is really hunting 3s, otherwise he will distribute the ball. Go over the ballscreens and handoffs. He will settle behind and shoot if you go under. Chase off of downscreens and get over the flares. Switch anytime there is too much space and switch OUT to take away the 3s. Do not help off of him. Tighten up as the ball is driven toward you. Looking to drive it right when he puts it on the floor. Will initiate contact at the end of his drives. Be physical. Don’t over help. He is driving to pass. Closeout aggressively to take away the 3’s and then just stay between him and the basket. No 3’s!!!

#5 D’Moi Hodge: 6’4″ 188 lbs, Graduate Student Guard

16.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.3 apg

Most aggressive offensive player. SHOOTER!!! NO 3’s!!! 92 of 138 shots have been 3’s. Shooting 42.4% from deep. He is really hunting 3’s. Will shoot them from deep. You have to get all the way out to him to take away the uncontested, deep attempts. If he isn’t dribbling you aren’t close enough. Go over the ballscreens and handoffs. Chase off of downscreens and get over the flares. Switch anytime there is too much space and switch OUT to take away the 3’s. Absolutely no help off of him. Tighten up as the ball is driven toward you. Would much rather make him take contested 2’s than any 3’s. Have to get up and break his rhythm when he is bouncing it. Don’t let him be comfortable. Your only job when guarding him is taking away the 3s. Find him in transition. No 3’s!

#35 Noah Carter: 6’6″ 235 lbs, Senior Forward

10.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.6 apg

Very physical undersized 4-man. Capable shooter. 16-43 from 3 this season, but has been low percentage on the same volume the last two years. We want to be there on the obvious catch-and-shoot, but are more worried about him driving it right. No right hand drives!!! Very physical driver. Be ready for him to initiate contact at the end of his drives. He will use a lot of shot fakes and pivots at the end of his drives to come back right and finish around you. Stay down, wall up, and be physical with him inside. Make him score over you. Right hand, left shoulder in the post. Contest the turnaround jumpers. Always coming back to his right hand to finish. Get over and cut him off. Take away the obvious catch-and-shoot 3’s and then bounce back to guard the right hand drive. Excellent offensive rebounder. Be physical. Box out!

#13 Ronnie DeGray III: 6’6″ 225 lbs, Junior Forward

2.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 0.2 apg

Physical undersized 4-man. More of a driver than a shooter. No right hand drives!!! You can closeout a step or two short and cut off the right hand drives. Closeout to stay between him and the basket. He will spin back right, shot fake, and pivot to get back to his right hand at the end of his drives. Stay down, wall up, and be physical. Make him score over you. Right hand, left shoulder in the post. Not super aggressive on the offensive end. He is a screener, ball mover, and physical presence. Help off of him when he is on the perimeter. Closeout short when the ball gets moved to him. Excellent offensive rebounder. Be physical when the shot goes up. Box out!!!

#24 Kobe Brown: 6’8″ 250 lbs, Senior Forward

14.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.8 apg

Guard-like skill but essentially plays the “5.” RIGHT HAND DRIVER!!! He is relentlessly looking to attack going to his right hand. He will spin back right, shot fake, and pivot to get back to his right hand. Stay down, wall up, and be physical. Make him score over you. Capable shooter. 12-27 from 3 and was 3-4 in last game. Likes to shoot them in the trail spot. Have to be there to give a hard contest. Find places to stunt and help when he is bouncing it, especially going right. Need to try and make him pick it up, but you can’t help off of #5 or #10. Can’t let him bounce it 3+ times. Right hand, left shoulder inside. No quick drop steps. Need to pressure him as much as possible without fouling or getting smoked right. Make him uncomfortable. Averages 2 offensive rebounds per game. BOX OUT!!!

Bench

#4 DeAndre Gholston: 6’5″ 215 lbs, Graduate Student Guard

10.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.8 apg

Bigger, athletic guard. More of a driver than a shooter. NO RIGHT HAND DRIVES!!! Closeout with high hands and choppy feet to deter the obvious catch-and-shoot, but you should be closing out a step short. Much more worried about the right hand drive. Get over and cut him off. Closeout to stay between him and the basket. Make him score contested 2’s over you. Pretty aggressive hunting the mid-range jumpers. Will shoot the pull-up jumper going left and attack the rim more going right. Contest the pull-up. When he is driving it right you can bring some help, but not off of #5 or #10. Not really thinking about passing. Come take it off of him when he is driving it right. 22 assists to 23 turnovers. Help off of him more when he doesn’t have it too. Closeout a step short when you recover. No right hand drives!!!

#55 Sean East II: 6’3″ 180 lbs, Senior Point Guard

7.9 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 3.1 apg

Backup point guard. Lefty. Non-shooter. 4-21 from 3 this season. Much more of a left hand driver than a shooter. NO LEFT HAND DRIVES!!! You need to backup and stay between him and the basket. Closeout short. Go UNDER the ballscreens and handoffs. Hop underneath and get over to cut off the left hand drive. Pushes the ball hard in transition. You have to get all the way back to protect the basket and then stop the ball. When he drives it to his right he is primarily driving to pass. Do not over help. Tighten up to #5 and #10. Very good passer. More aggressive getting all the way to the rim going left. Make him score with you between him and the basket. Help off of him when he doesn’t have it. No left hand drives!!!

#11 Isiaih Mosley: 6’5″ 205 lbs, Senior Guard

7.9 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 3.0 apg

If he plays, he will be one of their most talented guys. Shooter! No 3’s! Just 5-20 this season, but was 40% for his career in three seasons at Missouri State. Have to be tight enough to take away the catch-and-shoot 3’s. Tighten up to him as the ball is driven towards you. Get over the ballscreens and handoffs. Chase off downscreens and get over the flares. Give a hard contest to all jump shots. Looking to drive it right when he bounces it. No right hand drives! You can bring some help and try to take it off of him when he is driving it right. Good passer, but also 2.5 turnovers per game. Don’t want to let him attack going right. Have to be ready to challenge him like he is their best player. Will be very aggressive when/if he is in there. No catch-and-shoot 3’s!

#2 Tre Gomillion: 6’4″ 210 lbs, Graduate Student Guard

5.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.3 apg

Strong, athletic backup wing. Capable shooter, but more aggressive as a driver. 3-10 this season from 3, 18-42 last season at Cleveland State. No right hand drives!!! He is looking to attack closeouts going to his right. Be ready to be physical at the end of his drives. He will use a lot of shot fakes and pivots at the end of his drives to come back right and finish around you. Stay down, wall up, and be physical with him inside. Always coming back right to finish. Make him score over you. Right hand, left shoulder in the post. You can help off of him when he doesn’t have it and then closeout short, but with high hands to contest the obvious catch-and-shoot 3. Crashes the offensive glass hard. Be physical. Box out! No right hand drives!

#23 Aidan Shaw: 6’8″ 195 lbs, Freshman Forward

3.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 0.1 apg

Long, thin backup forward. Right hand driver. No right hand drives!!! Much more aggressive driving it right than looking to shoot it from the perimeter. Closeout short to stay between him and the basket. Get over and cut off the right hand drives. You can help off of him when he doesn’t have it on the perimeter. Be physical with him at the end of his drives. Stay down on the shot fakes. Wall up and make him score over you. Right hand, left shoulder around the basket. Contest the jump shots but more concerned about him driving it right. Will fly in and crash the offensive glass. Box out!

Missouri Tigers Offense

Looking at the numbers, the Missouri Tigers have put together one of the best offenses in college basketball. Per KenPom, the Tigers are seventh in adjusted offensive efficiency, second in effective field goal percentage, and 24th in tempo. If you prefer raw, counting numbers their 88.8 points per game is fourth most nationally. All five of their starters average double-figures. No matter how you slice it, Missouri’s offense has been elite through 12 games. However, SEC play is a different beast. Time will tell if they are up to the test.

Much of what Coach Gates runs offensively will be from a 5-out look. Without a true back-to-the-basket post player, Missouri prefers to open up driving lanes and spread the floor as much as possible. Spacing comes a little easier when three starters shoot above 42% from 3 and a fourth sits at 37.2%. The Tigers are going to look to score in transition and early in possessions. Then, they will spread you out and look to attack one-on-one in the half-court. Let’s step inside the film room for a closer look.

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First and foremost, you have to be ready for how fast the Missouri Tigers are going to attack in transition. They will throw the ball ahead, aggressively attack off of the dribble, and squeeze off the first open 3-point attempt they can get. As always, the transition defense checklist is protect the basket, stop the ball, and match up beginning with the next most dangerous guy. It is hard to guard this type of ball movement in transition. However, sprinting back and starting to get matched up as soon as possible gives you the best chance.

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The Missouri Tigers’ base offense is this 5-out, ballscreen/handoff continuity. Guys like #24 Brown or #35 Carter will roll into the post some, but generally, they have all five players out on the perimeter. Their entire philosophy is to spread the defense out to force you to make decisions. Who to help off of and who to stay home on. Plug the gap or tighten up to your man. Here, Kansas just needed to be in a little bit more off of #35 Carter. You can give more help on the #4 Gholston drive than this, or at least stunt and fake in a way that makes him pick it up at the elbow instead of allowing him to get all the way to the block.

This is a perfect example of how much space there is for Missouri to drive the ball into the paint. The end result is a tough finish, but the entire lane was completely free due to all five Tigers being spaced around the perimeter. #24 Brown will set a lot of backscreens like you see here at the top of the key as well. Again, the space allows their cutters to get open at the rim some so we can’t fall asleep on these screens. At the end of the day, we will live with this defensively. If we force them into contested 2’s with us between them and the basket that is a good recipe for success.

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Coach Gates does a good job of scheming up ways to put guys in space and allow them to play to their strengths. #35 Carter is a skilled undersized 4-man that likes to play with his back to the basket some. He is a very good passer out of the post too which is dangerous with Missouri’s ability to shoot the 3. We have to make good personnel scouting report decisions on the defensive end. We should be able to guard #35 Carter one-on-one in the post. Be physical on his left shoulder, stay down on fakes, and make him score over you. This is WAY TOO MUCH help off of #10 Honor. We can’t allow this to happen.

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In terms of set plays, this is certainly among the Missouri Tigers’ favorites. After flashing to the high post and getting a catch, they will flare in for the wings. This completely opens up the middle of the floor for drives or a potential slip. On this possession, #10 Honor commands a lot of attention as a 46.3% 3-point shooter. That allows #24 Brown to slip into a wide open lane for an easy two points.

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Here is another set play where the Tigers use excellent spacing to their advantage. From a 1-4 High set, the guards Iverson Cut to initiate the action. Missouri knows opposing defenses are going to chase #5 Hodge so he tight curls to the basket and pulls a second defender with him to help at the rim. The lane is completely free for #5 Hodge to cut into and requires the secondary defender to help so aggressively. Seeing his man leave to help on the curl, #13 DeGray III pops back to the wing for a 3. We aren’t overly worried about him shooting 3s, but this is yet another example of the space Missouri plays in offensively.

Missouri Tigers Defense

Similar to how they play offensively, the Missouri Tigers are very aggressive on the defensive end of the floor. Some of the numbers aren’t as impressive because they are one of the worst defensive rebounding teams in the country and struggle to protect the rim due to a lack of size. However, they are fourth nationally in turnover percentage (26.5%) and first in steal percentage (17%). That is what allows you to play really fast and get some easy baskets in transition.

The Tigers will rotate between 2-2-1, man-to-man, and run-and-jump full court pressure. You should expect some sort of press almost anytime you take the ball out of bounds. In the half court, Missouri is a man-to-man team. You will see the numbers on their back one pass a way a lot of times as they are out denying the passing lane hunting steals. When they do come help it is going to be aggressive with two hands and two feet. You will need to make one-on-one individual plays to beat this Missouri team. Drive it hard in a straight line, be ready to kick when they do help, and then shoot it in. We need four guys crashing the offensive glass on every shot attempt too. There should be significant second chance opportunities throughout the game. That is an area we must exploit. Will play some 2-3 zone as well.

Below is a look at their full-court pressure and how steals lead to easy baskets.

Keys to the Game

• Dominate the glass. The Missouri Tigers are 346th nationally with a 64.3% defensive rebounding percentage. We are up to 12th nationally with a 37.6% offensive rebounding percentage. Second chance points will be an important stat today. Need to be above our season average on the offensive glass.
• Take care of the basketball. Live ball turnovers will kill us. They are number one in the country in steal percentage and fourth in turnover percentage overall. 14 or fewer turnovers with no more than half being live ball turnovers.
• No 3s for #5 Hodge or #10 Honor. We can live with some of the other guys knocking in one or two, but only if we do a great job of taking these guys away. Have to take them away from deep. Tighten up. Chase. No help. 3 or fewer made 3’s combined between these two.
• Go score 80. You have to be aggressive at times against the Missouri defense. They will force you into some one-on-one situations and it is up to you to win that battle. Drive it hard in a straight line. We should be shooting layups and rhythm, inside-out 3’s against these guys. Be confident and go make a play when it is there to be made.