With a chance to extend the program’s best start in three years, Missouri plays host to winless South Carolina State on Tuesday in Columbia, Mo.
Missouri (6-0) last won its first six games in head coach Dennis Gates’ debut year in 2022-23, when the Tigers began the season 9-0. Missouri is taking advantage of a favorable part of its nonconference schedule, as it has only faced one power conference opponent, beating Minnesota 83-60 on Nov. 12.
The Tigers returned a pair of year-long starters in Mark Mitchell and Anthony Robinson II. Mitchell paces Missouri with 18.7 points per game and most recently poured in 22 points in a 102-68 victory over South Dakota on Thursday.
“I just love to sit back and watch Mark,” Gates said. “He is a very unselfish player. Most of his turnovers come from him being unselfish. I want his turnovers to be minimized and his assists to be increased. When he draws two guys, he needs to be as strong as he can and get to the foul line.”
Jayden Stone, who missed all of last year at West Virginia due to injury, scores 13.3 points per game, while Jacob Crews adds 13.0 and Robinson chips in 12.8 points and a team-high 3.7 assists.
South Carolina State (0-6) continues a brutal stretch of its nonconference slate. The Bulldogs have played just once at home and will be on the road for 12 of their first 14 games.
Head coach Erik Martin’s team nearly pulled off its first victory on Sunday but had two jumpers rim out in the final seconds of an 82-81 loss at South Dakota.
South Carolina State is facing its first of three Southeastern Conference opponents on Tuesday, before it takes on South Carolina and Tennessee in December.
“To win games at Louisville, at Missouri, at South Carolina, at Tennessee, you’ve got to be tougher,” Martin said. “I do think we’ll be better in January than in November, but we do need to get tougher and become better at our practice habits.”
The Bulldogs were picked third in the MEAC preseason poll and boast the conference’s preseason player of the year, sophomore Jayden Johnson. Owen Bronston Jr. leads the team with 12.5 points per game, followed by Cameron Clark at 12.0.
