Men’s Basketball Travels to Face Florida Wednesday

University of Missouri men’s basketball squares off on the road with Florida on Wednesday night. Tipoff at the Stephen O’Connell Center is set for 5:30 p.m. on SEC Network.

ABOUT THE TIGERS
• Missouri is 8-19 during the 2023-24 season with a 0-14 record in SEC action.
• Arkansas earned an 88-73 win over the Tigers on Tuesday thanks to a strong finish to the contest.
• Graduate guard Sean East II led the Tigers with a career-best 33 points versus the Razorbacks.
• East now leads Mizzou with 17.0 points and 4.2 assists per game in his final collegiate season.
• Overall, four Tigers are scoring in double figures as Tamar Bates (13.6), Noah Carter (11.7) and Nick Honor (10.9) follow East’s lead.
• Carter also leads all active Mizzou players with 5.2 rebounds per game.
• The Tigers are averaging 72.0 points and allowing 74.9 points per game.

ABOUT THE GATORS
• Florida is 19-8 during the 2023-24 campaign with a 9-5 mark in SEC play.
• The Gators are currently ranked No. 24 in both the AP and coaches polls.
• Florida has won four of its last five – including a 77-64 win over Vanderbilt Saturday – with its only setback coming in overtime at Alabama.
• Walter Clayton Jr. leads Florida with 16.9 points. 
• Zyon Pullin is second with 15.0 points to go with a team-best 5.0 assists, while Tyrese Samuel is third with 13.0 points and a team-best 7.8 boards.
• The Gators average 84.8 points, while allowing 77.2 defensively.

SERIES HISTORY
• The schools have met on 14 previous occasions with the Gators holding a 10-4 edge over Mizzou.
• Florida earned a 79-67 win earlier in the year in CoMo despite Tamar Bates scoring 36 points for Mizzou – the most ever by a Tiger in a SEC game.
• Overall, the Gators have won their last three games versus Mizzou.
• The Tigers’ last win in the series was also their only victory at Florida (in six attempts), posting a 72-70 win in March 2021.

EAST CATCHES FIRE
• Since returning from an injury, Sean East II has been at his best over the last three games.
• East has averaged 27.3 points and 4.7 assists since missing two contests with a knee injury – shooting 61.1 percent from the field, 50.0 percent from beyond the arc (4-8) and 87.2 percent (34-39) from the free-throw line.
• The point guard is coming off the highest scoring game of his career with a personal-best 33 points at Arkansas on Saturday.
• Overall, East’s 82 points are the most in a three-game span by a Tiger since Thomas Gardner had 83 from Jan. 14 to Jan. 21, 2006.

TOP PASSER AND SCORER
• Graduate guard Sean East II can beat you in a number of ways and not just with his scoring.
• East currently leads the Tigers with 17.0 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 three players in the SEC to rank in the top 10 in both points and assists, placing sixth in points and fifth in assists.

BENCH SCORING
• Because of its injuries, the MU’s depth and bench has been the biggest reason for its SEC slide.
• In their 14 SEC games, the Tigers starters have played their opponents nearly even – being outscored by just 0.4 points, 57.3 to 56.9.
• However, the team’s bench has been outscored in 13-of-14 league contests and by a 293-153 total (average of 20.9 to 10.9).
• The Tigers have failed to score more than 10 bench points in five of their last six games – averaging 7.7.

CHARITY STRIPE DIFFERENTIAL
• One area that has hurt the Tigers this season is at the free-throw line.
• Mizzou ranks 263rd nationally (of 362 teams) in free throws (17.59) and 31st in free throws allowed (23.19).
• Overall, the Tigers are 350th nationally and last among Power 6 schools with 5.59 fewer free throws per game than its opponent.
• Mizzou has not attempted more free throws in a game since Dec. 30 versus Central Arkansas.

FREE-THROW SUCCESS
• When the Tigers get to the free-throw line, they are largely able to take advantage.
• Mizzou ranks ninth nationally by making 78.9 percent of its attempts from the charity stripe.
• Additionally, the team’s clip ranks as the best mark in school history.