Missouri Tigers vs. Penn Quakers Preview: 3 Things to Watch

The Missouri Tigers kicked off this season with a win, and now they'll try to keep their record perfect in Friday's matchup against Penn.

Mizzou got off on the right foot to start the 2022-2023 basketball season with a 97-92 win over Southern Indiana. Now, Missouri will host the Penn Quakers as the Tigers hope to keep their record perfect in the second contest of the year. Head coach Dennis Gates, who's in his first season with the program, already has this squad firing on all cylinders in the early goings of his first campaign.

The Quakers come in with an 0-1 record, so they'll be hungry for the win and Missouri will have to be careful. The Tigers, though, should have enough firepower to come out of this one victorious. Here are three things to keep your eye on during the game.

Missouri Tigers F Kobe Brown

Brown is a senior and the leader of this Mizzou team. In the season opener, he led by example, scoring 20 points and collecting a game-high 14 rebounds in the victory. The Hunstville, Ala. native also added two assists and a block in the game. He's the focal point of their offense, having led the team in shots taken against Southern Indiana, and he'll likely be counted on to get a lot of buckets again tonight.

Coincidentally, Penn's center, Max Lorca-Lloyd, also notched 14 rebounds in the Quakers' opener. They lost that one to Iona, 78-50, but the 6-foot-9 Lorca-Lloyd, who also added nine points, could be an interesting matchup for Brown in this game. The Quakers' other starters only registered seven rebounds between the four of them, so keeping Lorca-Lloyd off the glass will be crucial for Brown & Co. 

Tigers Three-Point Shooting

The Tigers did a lot of things very well against Southern Indiana, but shooting from beyond the arc was one area where they struggled. Missouri made just seven of its 28 three-point attempts (25 percent), which won't be enough against SEC competition later this year. Guard D'Moi Hodge, who went two-for-seven from long range, was the only Tiger to make more than a single three-pointer.

It will be interesting to see if Gates and the Tigers continue to struggle from the arc, or if they'll focus more on the interior game. If Missouri's going to continue taking 30-ish three-pointers per game, they've got to make at least ten of them. 

How Transfer DeAndre Gholston Fits In

The Milwaukee transfer averaged over 15 points per game over his first two seasons with the Panthers and has carved out a starting role here at Missouri. Gholston put up 11 points in Mizzou's opener, making four of his ten shots from the field. The 6-foot-5 guard can certainly score when needed but brings an even bigger impact on the defensive end.

With his size and athleticism, Gholston can guard most players in college basketball, regardless of position. He showed as much against Southern Indiana, registering three steals to lead all players in that category. Mizzou came up with 12 total takeaways in the game, which attributed heavily to their victory. Look for Gholston to make some plays on that end tonight when the Tigers host the Quakers at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo. 

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