Missouri vs Arkansas-Pine Bluff: 2023-24 college basketball game preview

Missouri opens its season with a matchup with Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Should the Tigers be on upset alert or will it be smooth sailing?

The Missouri Tigers are slated to open the 2023-24 season on Monday as they welcome Arkansas-Pine Bluff to Mizzou Arena. The Golden Lions have made five prior trips to CoMO, dropping all five of those games by an average of over 40 points. The last time these teams played was in 2015 when the Tigers won by 53 points.

In recent years UAPB has struggled as a program. Over the past five seasons, they have won a total of 38 games, but under Head Coach Solomon Bozeman the Golden Lions have improved their win totals in each of his first two seasons. Last season UAPB won ten games and finished ninth in the SWAC. This season, they are looking to replace two of their top three scorers from a team that had issues consistently scoring the ball, averaging 66.9 points per game. The Golden Lions didn’t light up any statistical category last year, the only thing they did well was get steals. That is one thing that Missouri will need to keep in mind.

For Missouri, this game will give them an opportunity to shake off any rust from the off-season. The Tigers shouldn’t have any problems getting a win, but they shouldn’t take the matchup lightly as a loss would be a horrible start to the season. You don’t always learn a lot from these types of games, but it will be interesting to see what the rotation looks like and who will take the lead role when it comes to scoring. The Tigers should be able to score at will against the undersized UAPB defense, as they don’t have anyone on the roster taller than 6’9”. Noah Carter and the other post players should see plenty of opportunities to score at the rim.

One thing I will be watching closely is the defense. Last season it was often non-existent, especially early in the season when the Tigers should have easily walked off the court with a win. This year with an actual rim protector in Connor Vanover, the defense should be improved, and the same goes for rebounding.

When it comes to defending UAPB, Missouri will need to know where Kylen Milton is on the floor at all times. He is the only returning player for the Golden Lions who averaged double digits last season, scoring just over 13 points per game. The Tigers should be able to use their size advantage to keep the Golden Lions away from the basket, limiting any easy shots. While UAPB didn’t shoot particularly well last season, it didn’t stop them from letting shots fly from behind the three-point line. It will be important for the Tigers to limit any second-chance opportunities and put this game away early.

If the past is any indication of how this matchup will go, then the Tigers should have no problem getting an easy win to start off the season. It will be important for Missouri to focus on the task at hand and not look ahead to their matchup against a good Memphis team at the end of the week. Barring any major disasters the Tigers should open up the season on a positive note.