By Brant Daughtry
You may have noticed that I haven’t made a preview for every game Auburn has played. I’ve been taking some days off whenever Auburn plays a weaker opponent. I won’t be doing that for SEC play. For one thing, you’re deep in the season now. Every game matters more than the last, and when you’re fighting for the top overall seed in the big dance, every opponent is worth scouting.
The main thing though, is this. There’s not an opponent in the SEC that’s an easy win. Yes, there are some teams that pose more of a threat than others, but this year’s SEC is one of the best conferences in the history of the sport. There are teams up and down the league capable of winning on any given day, and they all deserve respect, even the ones that may not be in the national spotlight. Auburn plays one such team Saturday.
Missouri is coached by Dennis Gates, who is in his third season in the chair. He over-achieved at Mizzou since he arrived, winning 25 games in his first year. He won SEC Coach of the Year that season, and is one of the better producers in the league.
This year is no different. Missouri hasn’t played the hardest schedule in the world, but they did take down Kansas earlier this year, who was ranked first in the country at the time. While the Jayhawks have slipped in the rankings since then, they’re just outside the top 20 in NET, so that’s a major scalp. They’re 49th in NET themselves, so while this won’t be a Quad 1 game, it’s nothing to sneeze at.
Like Auburn, they’re very deep and like to lean on that depth, with the player who has the most minutes averaging 25 per game and 11 player averaging double-digit minutes. The approach to roster building is similar to Auburn, but they’re just a touch behind from a talent perspective.
Players to Watch For:
Forward Mark Mitchell, #25- Mitchell is the team leader in minutes, points per game, and rebounds. He’ll be on the floor the most, and his scoring is what they lean on. He’s a big body at 6-9, 230, and he throws that weight around. He also leads the team in blocks and is third in assists. He does a little bit of everything and is the first guy you notice watching this team.
Guard Tamar Bates, #2- There are three players for Missouri who have started every game, and Bates is one of them, alongside Mitchell and center Josh Gray, who plays only 15 minutes a game. Bates has good size for a guard, standing at 6-5, and is second in just about everything behind Mitchell. He’s a very capable shooter, hitting at a 36% clip right now. His size also makes him a solid wing defender.
I confess that this section was tough to write. Missouri has a lot of dudes worth mentioning, and picking just two was hard. They have a lot of bodies they throw at you, and that battle of attrition will win them a lot of games this year. While I’m here, I’ll mention Anthony Robinson, the starting point guard. He’s another double digit scoring, but his passing is where he makes his money. He has 46 assists on the year in 13 games, so he’s more than capable of beating you in different ways.
Look, as far as this league goes, Auburn has a very favorable schedule. The first three games against Missouri, Texas, and South Carolina, are all against teams that are, as of this writing, outside the NET top 30. That’s the last easy stretch for Auburn. There will be individual games against some of the bottom of the league, but never for a three-game stretch. This league is incredible, and Bruce Pearl has said as much. Auburn will lose a few games in this league, but Saturday is an opportunity to start strong.
