The Bulldogs have faced 11 Top 25 teams this season and have a 3-8 record against them.
After a drubbing of Oklahoma, the Missouri Tigers (18-6, 7-4 SEC) are looking to continue to build their tournament resume as they travel to face a Georgia Bulldogs squad whose 16-9 record (4-8 SEC) does not do them justice. Of those nine losses, eight of which have come against Top 25 teams, including nailbiters against No. 1 Auburn and No. 22 Mississippi State.
Dennis Gates is 1-2 against Georgia as Mizzou head coach, with he and opposing head coach Michael White both joining their teams at the dawn of the 2022-23 season. Coach White has cultivated the best defense Georgia has had in years, and it has helped them secure huge wins over opponents like St. John’s, Kentucky, and Oklahoma.
Mizzou is 0-2 on the road against unranked opponents this season and actually stand as underdogs for this matchup despite being a ranked opponent. Can they pick up their first win in a situation where they have struggled so far?
Game Info
When | 2:30 p.m. CT
Where | Stegeman Coliseum; Athens, Ga.
TV | SEC Network | ESPN+
Radio | Tiger Radio Network // Sirius/XM -119/199
Twitter | @MizzouHoops
ESPN win probability | 44.1% Chance
The Starters
No. 21 Mizzou (18-6, 7-4 SEC)
G: Anthony Robinson II (SO, 9.1 PPG)
G: Tamar Bates (SR, 13.5 PPG)
G: Tony Perkins (SR, 8.3 PPG)
F: Mark Mitchell (JR, 12.9 PPG)
F: Trent Pierce (SO, 7.3 PPG)
Notable Sixth Man: Caleb Grill (SR, 12.7 PPG)
Georgia (16-9, 4-8 SEC)
G: Silas Demary Jr. (SO, 11.8 PPG)
G: Blue Cain (SO, 8.8 PPG)
G: Dakota Leffew (SR, 10.7 PPG)
G: Tyrin Lawrence (SR, 8.3 PPG)
F: Asa Newell (FR, 15.0 PPG)
Notable Sixth Man: RJ Godfrey (JR, 7.2 PPG)
Note: These starting lineups are projected.
Get to know Georgia: Another non-conference dominator falling victim to the SEC gauntlet
With a 14-2 start featuring wins against St. John’s, Kentucky, and Oklahoma head coach Michael White’s group looked poised to bring Georgia basketball its best season since 1982-83, when the Bulldogs marched all the way down to the Final Four only to lose to Jimmy V and the NC State Wolfpack who were on a run God himself couldn’t have written up better. Since then, the Bulldogs are 2-7 and are at risk of dropping three-straight with No. 21 Missouri, No. 1 Auburn, and No. 3 Florida all on deck.
In any other conference, any other year, this Georgia team is a lock for the tournament, but the SEC is unforgiving and could rid the world of a Cinderella story. As a school, Georgia has only accumulated six tournament wins in their history, half of which coming from the fabled 1982-83 run. Led by freshman big Asa Newell, the Bulldogs play a very opportunistic game relying on near-proximity chances and second-chance buckets.
Defensively, the Bulldogs contest shots in a very tough manner and as such boast the 25th ranked defense in field goal percentage allowed. This style of defense caused them to hold potent offense such as Auburn and St. John’s to low point yields, and has resulted in Georgia having their lowest points-per-game allowed in eight years.
Michael White began his D1 coaching career at Louisiana Tech, where he won the regular season title in the WAC and C-USA three straight years, unfortunately being unable to secure a tournament bid in any of those seasons. His performance with the Bulldogs earned him a job with Florida, where he struggled to materialize a national championship caliber team that the Gator administration was comfortable with. Florida has since gone in a different direction, so he hopped onto Georgia as he attempts to complete one of college basketball’s toughest rebuilds.
Other than Newell, this Georgia team is very guard-driven, with Silas Demary Jr. and Dakota Leffew leading the way offensively. After only accomplishing the feat once this season, DeMary Jr. has been Georgia’s leading scorer two games in a row as the sophomore guard is coming into his own, and is a definite threat for Mizzou as they look to contain Newell.
3 Keys to the Game
Get Hands in Passing Lanes
This Georgia team is 190th in potential quick points allowed off of breakaway steals and Mizzou is one of the best teams in the country at creating those opportunities, so look for active hands all night. Anthony Robinson, Tony Perkins, Tamar Bates, and Caleb Grill are all guys who make a living jumping in passing lanes and with Demary, Cain, and Newell all being underclassmen in Georgia’s starting five expect some sloppiness on the passes from all three.
Be aggressive on the defensive glass
Newell is one of the best players and Georgia is one of the best teams in the country at picking up second-chance points, and we saw how Texas A&M tapped into that strength in the first half last Saturday. The Tigers cannot afford a similar start, and with Mark Mitchell playing his strongest ball and Josh Gray and even Marcus Allen coming into his own, it is imperative that the Bulldogs don’t get cheap second-chance buckets early against the Tigers.
Get the ball out of your hands!
It seems simple, but this Georgia team contests really well but they still allow open looks in their defensive structure. Caleb Grill is going to be watched like a hawk, but something he did really well against Oklahoma was recognize the asset he is as a decoy in the Mizzou offense. He needs to continue luring two defenders with shot fakes, and dishing the ball to bigs on the inside if Mizzou is going to come out with a win here.
Game Prediction
My Prediction: Missouri 74, Georgia 61
I think Mizzou is going to keep the ground running and play a sound game. Look for Mark Mitchell and Jacob Crews in particular to have big games, but don’t sleep on Tamar Bates who will be itching for some buckets after a quiet showing against Oklahoma. Dennis Gates loves to challenge his players, and Trent Pierce has got a lack of minutes as of late but I expect him to come out and rebound strong to begin the game. At the end of the day, I don’t think Georgia’s guards are going to handle Mizzou’s defense all that well, and the cheap points they give up will be too much in the end.