Men’s Basketball Hosts No. 5 Tennessee Tuesday

Missouri returns to Mizzou Arena for the first time in 10 days, hosting nationally-ranked Tennessee Tuesday night. Tipoff between the Tigers and No. 5 Volunteers is set for 6 p.m. on SEC Network.
 
PROMOTIONS
• The first 2,000 fans will receive throwback hats.
 
ABOUT THE TIGERS
• Missouri is 8-17 during the 2023-24 season with a 0-12 record in SEC action.
• The Tigers lost a close contest in their last game, falling at Ole Miss, 79-76.
• After missing the previous two contests with an injury, Sean East II returned at Ole Miss – tallying 25 points and six assists.
• Overall, East leads the Tigers with 16.0 points and 4.2 assists per game.
• Four Tigers score in double figures with Tamar Bates (14.0), Noah Carter (11.5) and Nick Honor (10.8) following East’s lead.
• Carter also leads all active Mizzou players with 5.0 rebounds per game.
• The Tigers are scoring 72.2 points per game, while allowing 74.5.
 
ABOUT THE VOLUNTEERS
• Tennessee enters Tuesday’s contest with a No. 5 nationally ranking in the AP and coaches polls.
• The Volunteers are 19-6 overall this season with a 9-3 mark in SEC play.
• UT has won its last two by an average of 32 points, coming off an 88-53 victory over Vanderbilt.
• Dalton Knecht leads UT with 20.1 points.
• Jonas Aidoo is second with 11.7 points to go with a team-leading 7.5 rebounds, while Zakai Zeigler adds 11.0 points a team-best 5.6 assists.
• The Volunteers average 80.4 points this season, while surrendering 67.2.
 
SERIES HISTORY
• In 21 all-time meetings, Tennessee holds a slight edge over the Tigers, 11-10. MU, however, won a pair of games last season over the Volunteers.
• The Tigers won at No. 6 Tennessee, 86-85, thanks to a buzzer-beating triple from DeAndre Gholston.
• MU added its second win at the SEC Tournament, defeating No. 17 UT, 79-71, with D’Moi Hodge scoring 26 points and Kobe Brown adding 24 – advancing to its first-ever SEC semifinal.
• Overall, the road team has won the last five meetings in the series.
 
TOP-FIVE OPPONENTS
• With No. 5 Tennessee visiting Mizzou Arena, it presents an opportunity for the Tigers.
• MU owns a 23-90 all-time record versus top-five opponents, including a 14-29 mark in Columbia. 
• Mizzou has lost the last 12 versus top-five schools with its most recent win in 2013 versus Florida.
• The good news for Mizzou is that it has won the last two times it has faced a top-10 Tennessee team (2021 and 2023).
 
TOP PASSER AND SCORER
• Graduate guard Sean East II can beat you in a number of ways.
• East currently leads the Tigers with 16.0 points and 4.2 assists per game.
• East is aiming to be the sixth player in MU history to average 15.0 points and 4.0 assists in a season.
• East is one of just three players in the SEC to rank in the top 10 in both points and assists, placing ninth in points and third in assists.
 
WELCOME RETURN
• The team’s leader in scoring and assists, it was a welcome return for Sean East II on Saturday.
• The guard chipped in 25 points and six assists versus the Rebels. His 25 points are his most in a Mizzou uniform and his most since scoring 26 as a member of the UMass program in 2019.
• Additionally, it marked the fourth time this season that East has tallied at least 20 points and six assists in a game
• East is one of 22 nationally to do so and the first Tiger since Melvin Booker in 1993-94.
 
BATES LEADS TIGERS IN SEC PLAY
• Junior Tamar Bates has been especially strong since conference play started.
• Bates leads MU with 18.4 points in 12 SEC games – the second-highest average by a Tiger in league play since joining the conference in 2012.
• Overall, Bates ranks fifth in SEC games only in scoring (18.4), fifth in field goal percentage (51.6) and third in free-throw percentage (92.0).
 
NEW INSIDE PRESENCE
• The Tigers received a nice boost from two of its forwards on Saturday.
• Sophomore Aidan Shaw and freshman Jordan Butler both tallied 10 points versus the Rebels.
• It marked the third time Shaw reached double figures in his career, while Butler hit the mark for the first time in his career.
• In fact, Butler doubled his previous career high in points, accomplished twice in non conference.
• Overall, Mizzou outscored the Rebels, 30-20, in the paint on Saturday – its third-largest margin in SEC play this season.