Takeaways from Mizzou's Loss to Auburn to Open SEC Play

Notes from the Missouri Tigers' third loss on the season.

Missouri Tigers guard Marques Warrick (1) draws a foul on Auburn Tigers forward Jahki Howard (3) as Auburn Tigers take on Missouri Tigers at Neville Arena in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. Auburn Tigers defeated Missouri Tigers 84-68. / Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Missouri Tigers (11-3, 0-1) still have reason to be optimistic as they enter play in the Southeastern Conference, but Saturday afternoon, they ran into a team good enough to win a National Championship.

The No. 2-ranked Auburn Tigers are currently favored to do so.

Don't expect to see Missouri go winless through SEC play like it did last season, but a 84-68 loss to Auburn was certainly not the start Dennis Gates' squad was looking for.

Here's three takeaways from Missouri's third loss on the season.

Marcus Allen Another Freshman to Step Up

Missouri has had multiple of their freshmen step into immediate impact roles, and Marcus Allen became the latest example. The former four-star prospect recorded nine points, five rebounds, and three steals in 22 minute play.

The 6-foot-7, 220-pound power forward could continue to impact the game going forward with the physicality he put on display against Auburn.

Another Team Eliminates Anthony Robinson II

It's beginning to become evident how much teams are creating their game plans around containing Anthony Robinson II.

Illinois held the point guard to two points and one rebound. Auburn held him to zero points, two rebounds and two assists. He played 15 minutes against Illinois and 14 against Auburn.

In the 11 games Robinson has appeared in outside of those two losses, he's averaged 11.5 points, 4.2 assists and 4.1 assists. Even though he hasn't showcased it on the SEC stage, his talent and development shouldn't be doubted.

But, both Illinois and Auburn have been successful removing him from the game, defensively and offensively, by focusing on the perimeter. 53% of Illinois' attempts came from outside the arc, and 47% for Auburn.

Both also combatted Robinson's ability as a facilitator offensively by preventing him from driving inside.

Missouri will need to find exactly what opponents are doing to limit their top playmaker. Contributions from players of Allen's size can be a key part in that.

Caleb Grill's Full Return is the Next Step for the Offense

Abscense makes the heart grow fonder for Missouri with Caleb Grill.

To point out the obvious, Missouri will benefit greatly from the return of arguably their best shooter. Grill has played in each of the last two games, easing back in after missing six games due to a neck injury he suffered against Lindenwood on Nov. 27. He's seemingly still not ready to fully reinsert himself though, appearing in 11 minutes against Alabama State, and 14 against Auburn. He missed all three of his three-point attempts against Auburn.

With Grill's misses and limited playing time, Missouri shot seven-for-23 on three-point attempts. It was unable to keep up with Auburn's fast pace, with Auburn making seven of their first nine three-point attempts. Auburn had already built a 29-14 lead by the 8:10 mark in the first half after the run of three-point makes.

Missouri found ways to win through Grill's absence in important victories over California and then-top-ranked Kansas. Against California, it took a gritty performance from Robinson where he made 13 of his 15 free-throw attempts. Against Kansas, Tamar Bates took over in a similar fashion to how he did in SEC play last year, scoring 29 points.

Missouri has all the right offensive tools to be a tournament team. And though Northern Kentucky transfer Marques Warrick is an effective three-point shooter, Grill seems to be the piece the rest of the team can thrive around.

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Missouri will look to continue to grow as a team on Tuesday, hosting LSU on Jan. 7.