Missouri is staring down a pivotal stretch in its season, and Saturday’s matchup against Oklahoma in Columbia isn’t just another game on the schedule - it’s a measuring stick for a Tigers team that’s trying to find its footing in SEC play and keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive.
Coming off a gut-punch 74-72 loss to No. 21 Georgia, Missouri head coach Dennis Gates didn’t sugarcoat the stakes.
“We’ve got to be able to stay above .500 in the next six games,” Gates said postgame. “That’s the art of a full season: try to stay healthy, understand wins are going to come and go.
You’ve got to be able to bounce back if you fail to get a win.”
That bounce-back mentality is now front and center for a Tigers squad sitting at 13-6 overall and 3-3 in SEC play. They’ve dropped three of their last four, and while the losses haven’t been blowouts, they’ve exposed areas that need tightening - especially with a Sooners team coming to town that’s desperate to stop its own slide.
Oklahoma rolls in on a five-game losing streak, the latest setback being an 85-76 road loss to South Carolina. In that one, Xzavier Brown poured in 22 points and Tae Davis added 20, but the Sooners couldn’t overcome their defensive issues - particularly in the paint.
“There was nothing unexpected,” Oklahoma head coach Porter Moser said after the loss. “There was nothing that we didn’t talk to them about, coming out and defending. We’ve been really hurt [against centers]… We’ve really got to do some soul searching for defending [centers].”
That’s a timely concern, because Missouri’s frontcourt is built to challenge teams inside - especially with power forward Mark Mitchell leading the charge. Mitchell, who’s averaging 17.3 points and 5.3 rebounds, isn’t your typical post-up guy.
He does his damage by attacking off the dribble, using his strength and body control to finish through contact. He’s also one of the nation’s leaders in and-one field goals, which speaks to his ability to convert tough buckets in traffic.
Then there’s center Shawn Phillips Jr., a more traditional big who brings size and physicality in the paint. He’s averaging 7.8 points and 4.6 rebounds in just under 20 minutes per game, and while his numbers don’t leap off the page, his touch around the rim and rim-running ability give Missouri a solid interior presence.
“Shawn Phillips has tremendous touch around the rim,” Gates said earlier in the season. “We know how violent he attacks it, especially on dunks.
And Mark is one of the leading players in the country in and-1 field goals. So when you’re thinking about playing through contact, those two are some of the best.”
What makes Missouri’s offense particularly tough to guard, though, is how their perimeter players space the floor. Jayden Stone (15 points, 5.2 rebounds), Trent Pierce (10 points), and Jacob Crews (11.6 points) all provide reliable outside shooting, which opens up driving lanes for Mitchell and low-post opportunities for Phillips. It’s a balanced attack that, when clicking, forces defenses to pick their poison.
Oklahoma, meanwhile, has its own offensive firepower. Brown leads the team with 16.3 points per game, followed closely by Nijel Pack at 15.2.
Davis (13.2) and Derrion Reid (11.7) round out a quartet of double-digit scorers. But while the scoring is there, the Sooners’ issues on the defensive end - particularly against skilled bigs - have made it tough to close out games.
Moser has leaned heavily on a tight seven-man rotation, which can lead to fatigue and matchup challenges, especially against deeper teams. Missouri, on the other hand, has used a 10-man rotation throughout the season, with nine different players having started multiple games. That depth has been both a strength and a work-in-progress, as Gates continues to find the right combinations - especially with forward Jevon Porter sidelined due to injury.
Saturday’s game isn’t just about snapping losing streaks or climbing the conference standings. For Missouri, it’s about proving they can respond to adversity and make a real push toward March. For Oklahoma, it’s about halting a skid before it becomes season-defining.
Two teams. Two different kinds of urgency. One game that could swing momentum in a big way.