Sophomore Aidan Shaw slams one down in Mizzou’s loss to Georgia last Saturday. (Photo courtesy: Mizzou Athletics)
Mizzou Basketball – Gameday Info
Game No. 15 – Missouri (8-6, 0-1) at #6 Kentucky (11-2, 1-0)
Date/Time – January 8, 2024 – 6 pm
Location – Rupp Arena — Lexington, KY
Broadcast – ESPN
Live Stats – Mizzou StatBroadcast
Terrance Williams
Staff Writer
LEXINGTON, KY — The University of Missouri men’s basketball team will head south for its first road SEC game of the season, Tuesday night, when it takes on No. 6 Kentucky at historic Rupp Arena. Missouri is coming off a 75-68 loss at home to Georgia this past Saturday, while Kentucky had to rally late but pulled off a 87-85 comeback win over Florida.
Kentucky is 11-2 on the year and has won nine of its last 10 games. Mizzou, on the other hand, is struggling. The Tigers are 8-6 and have lost four of their last five.
It’s only the second game of the SEC season, but Mizzou is getting awfully close to must-win range. Hardly anyone ever goes into Rupp Arena and leaves with a win over the Wildcats. But the Tigers really need one and will no doubt, have to play their best game of the season to get it.
Players to Watch: The Tigers were doomed by two lengthy scoreless spells — one that lasted more than seven minutes in the first half, when the Tigers fell behind by 17 points, and one that lasted nearly four minutes late in the game.
“I didn’t really see anything during the scoring droughts because obviously, we’re trying our hardest to get buckets,” Tigers forward Noah Carter said. “But specifically, down the stretch, what got us in trouble is just not getting rebounds.
“The scoring droughts come, they go. This team is very skilled offensively so I’m not really worried about that.”
One positive for Missouri against Georgia was the play of forward Aidan Shaw, who scored a career-high 14 points. Tigers coach Dennis Gates has been trying to get Shaw to become more assertive offensively.
“It was a good game for me because I was going off the game plan, really just doing what I do most and what I’m good at,” Shaw said. “I was cutting 45 (degrees) in from the corner and watching my point guards go baseline.”
The Tigers are paced by guard Sean East, who averages 17.1 points and 3.9 assists per game. Carter is averaging 11.5 points and 6.3 rebounds.
Kentucky coach John Calipari credits his team’s newfound depth for its strong start. The Wildcats sport a balanced offensive attack, featuring five players with scoring averages in double figures: Antonio Reaves (19.0 points per game), Rob Dillingham (13.7), Tre Mitchell (12.7), Reed Sheppard (12.6) and D.J. Wagner (12.1).
Up Next: Mizzou will be back at home on Saturday, when it hosts upstart South Carolina in a game at Mizzou Arena.
That contest is scheduled to tip off at 2:30 p.m., and will be televised nationally on SEC Network.
MIZZOU TIGERS STARTERS
| Player | Yr. | Pos. | Ht./Wt. | PPG | RPG | Assists | Steals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Tamar Bates | Jr. | Guard | 6’5/195 | 9.8 | 1.6 | 13 | 8 |
| 10 Nick Honor | Gr. | Guard | 5’10/200 | 11.3 | 1.5 | 28 | 9 |
| 23 Aidan Shaw | So. | Forward | 6’8/205 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 5 | 7 |
| 35 Noah Carter | Gr. | Forward | 6’6/235 | 11.3 | 6.5 | 18 | 13 |
| 55 Sean East | Gr. | Guard | 6’3/180 | 17.1 | 2.8 | 46 | 15 |
KENTUCKY WILDCATS STARTERS
| Player | Yr. | Pos. | Ht./Wt. | PPG | RPG | Assists | Steals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Justin Edwards | Fr. | Forward | 6’8/203 | 9.5 | 4.4 | 12 | 13 |
| 2 Aaron Bradshaw | Fr. | Center | 7’1/226 | 7.7 | 4.7 | 0 | 5 |
| 4 Tre Mitchell | Sr. | Forward | 6’9/231 | 12.7 | 7.3 | 42 | 15 |
| 12 Antonio Reeves | Sr. | Guard | 6’4/192 | 19.0 | 4.2 | 19 | 7 |
| 21 D.J. Wagner | Fr. | Guard | 6’4/192 | 12.1 | 2.2 | 42 | 13 |
2023-24 Mizzou Tigers Men’s Basketball Schedule
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 9, 2024 (Tuesday) | 6 p.m. | Away | #6 Kentucky | Lexington, Ky. |  |
| January 13, 2024 (Saturday) | 2:30 p.m. | Home | South Carolina | Mizzou Arena |  |
| January 16, 2024 (Tuesday) | 6 p.m. | Away | Alabama | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | |
| January 20, 2024 (Saturday) | TBA | Home | Florida | Mizzou Arena | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| January 23, 2024 (Tuesday) | 8 p.m. | Away | Texas A&M | College Station, Texas | |
| January 27, 2024 (Saturday) | Noon CT | Away | South Carolina | Columbia, S.C. | |
| January 31, 2024 (Wednesday) | 7:30 p.m. | Home | Arkansas | Mizzou Arena | |
| February 3, 2024 (Saturday) | 2:30 p.m. | Away | Vanderbilt | Nashville, Tenn. | |
| February 7, 2024 (Wednesday) | 8 p.m. | Home | Texas A&M | Mizzou Arena |  |
| February 10, 2024 (Saturday) | 7:30 p.m. | Home | Mississippi State | Mizzou Arena | |
| February 17, 2024 (Saturday) | 7:30 p.m. | Away | Ole Miss | Oxford, Miss. | |
| February 20, 2024 (Tuesday) | 6 p.m. | Home | #5 Tennessee | Mizzou Arena | |
| February 24, 2024 (Saturday) | 11 a.m. | Away | Arkansas | Fayetteville, Ark. | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| February 28, 2024 (Wednesday) | 5:30 p.m. CT | Away | Florida | Gainesville, Fla. | |
| March 2, 2024 (Saturday) | 7:30 p.m. | Home | Ole Miss | Mizzou Arena | |
| March 5, 2024 (Tuesday) | 8 p.m. | Home | Auburn | Mizzou Arena | |
| March 9, 2024 (Saturday) | 7:30 p.m. | Away | LSU | Baton Rouge, La. | |
| March 13-17, 2024 (Wednesday) | TBA | Bridgestone Arena | SEC Tournament | Nashville, Tenn. |