Missouri State Game Thread

[muskieman]

When: Fri, Dec 12, 7:00 PM
Where Cintas Center
TV: TruTV announcers Brandon Gaudin (pbp), Jim Spanarkel (analyst), and Jared Greenberg (reporter).
RADIO: 700WLW

Season Overview of the Bears
Record: 4–4 overall, 0–0 in Conference USA play

Head Coach: Cuonzo Martin (second year in current stint, fifth overall season with Missouri State)

Conference Transition: Competing in Conference USA, facing strong programs like New Mexico State, Liberty, and Western Kentucky

Points per game
Missouri State Bears 78.6
Xavier Musketeers 78.7
Rebounds per game
Missouri State Bears 32.6
Xavier Musketeers 33.5
Assists per game
Missouri State Bears 14.9
Xavier Musketeers 18.5
Steals per game
Missouri State Bears 7.6
Xavier Musketeers 7.3
Blocks per game/b]
Missouri State Bears 3.5
Xavier Musketeers 3.6
Turnovers per game
Missouri State Bears 10.8
Xavier Musketeers 8.8
Fouls per game
Missouri State Bears 16.5
Xavier Musketeers 16.7
Field-goal %
Missouri State Bears 45.9%
Xavier Musketeers 42.5%
3-point %
Missouri State Bears 29.7%
Xavier Musketeers 36.7%
Free-throw %
Missouri State Bears 67.5%
Xavier Musketeers 68.1%

QUICK TAKE: MS has shown flashes of offensive firepower but struggles with consistency, especially against high-scoring teams

Recent Game Tulsa 98, Missouri State 74 (Dec 6, 2025):

Bears hit a season-high 13 three-pointers and shot 49% from the field, but defensive lapses and rebounding issues doomed them.

Kobi Williams led with 20 points (7-of-10 FG, 3 triples).

Keith Palek III added 15 points; Trey Williams Jr. chipped in 12.

Despite shooting 58.3% in the second half, Missouri State never cut the deficit below 19.

Tulsa exploited free throws (24-of-30, 80%) and rebounding (42 vs. MSU’s 26) to control the game.

Strengths
Perimeter Shooting: Missouri State CAN get hot from deep (50% vs. Tulsa).

Balanced Scoring: Multiple players capable of double figures (Williams, Palek, King).

Ball Movement: Averaging nearly 15 assists per game.

Weaknesses
Poor 3-point shooting (23.4%) limits spacing and comeback potential.

Inconsistent defense: opponents still shoot nearly 44% from the field.

Free throw struggles could hurt in close games

Rebounding Gap: Opponents often dominate the boards (Tulsa +16).

Turnovers: Costly stretches of giveaways (6 in the first half vs. Tulsa).

Defensive Consistency: Struggles to contain teams with multiple scoring threats.

Key Players
Keith Palek III (F): Team leader in scoring (16.5 PPG) and assists (3.7 APG). Reliable offensive engine.

Michael Osei-Bonsu (F): Strong rebounder (7.7 RPG) and defensive presence with 2.0 steals per game.

Zaxton King (G): Secondary scorer (11.5 PPG) with efficient shooting.

Kobi Williams (G): Facilitator with 3.0 APG, though shooting efficiency is low

Performance Trends
Home vs. Away: All four wins have come at home; all losses except one were away or against stronger mid-majors.

Offensive Output: Missouri State averages 79.3 PPG, but scoring drops significantly in road games (e.g., 49 vs UT Arlington).

Defensive Issues: Allowing 70.4 PPG; opponents like Tulsa exploited defensive lapses with high shooting efficiency.

Close Games: Narrow loss to Arkansas State (by 1 point) highlights late-game execution struggles.


Summary: Missouri State’s men’s basketball team (2025–26 season) has shown flashes of offensive strength but remains inconsistent, sitting at 4–4 overall. Their game-by-game results reveal a pattern: strong wins against weaker opponents, but struggles against tougher competition, especially on the road

[Timeless]

A lot of empty seats. X could be great if they were as good on the inside game as they are from 3 point land. And ah, guys, why are you letting the smaller team get all the O rebounds? The shootout hangover should be over by now.

[connecticut72]

Ugly. I want to like this team but I don’t

[Kevin Reilly]

Lazy first half. We need to move faster on both ends of the court. Robinson didn't get in and N'Diaye played 3 minutes. Wright and Moore played 30 minutes with 3 assists and 4 points combined. Very poor first half.

[Timeless]

Exam week hangover and the rust shows.

I hope they figure it out at halftime. Only two guys seem to know they need points. MSt is not hitting threes but seems to get made layups and short jumpers, and missing one of their best players.

[Timeless]

Seems like someone motivated the guys at halftime.

[Timeless]

X sure loves the 3 point shot

[muskieman]

On to conference play...

[Kevin Reilly]

Well let the fun begin. So many ways this can go. Are Wright and Moore able to hold up in Big East play? Will Pitino let the big guys play? ( Robinson and N'Diaye )? Is Pozzato still on track to return? I think we will stumble out of the gate but get better as the season progresses. I believe Pitino is a good coach and he will get as much as he can out of this roster.

[muskieman]

Well let the fun begin. So many ways this can go. Are Wright and Moore able to hold up in Big East play? Will Pitino let the big guys play? ( Robinson and N'Diaye )? Is Pozzato still on track to return? I think we will stumble out of the gate but get better as the season progresses. I believe Pitino is a good coach, and he will get as much as he can out of this roster.

I think with Pitino, we will see ups and downs in conference play, but it will be fun to watch him adjust in-game. I think he has a squad that no one can be taken for granted, as we have seen Tre, Roddie, Moore, Jovan, Wright, and Filip taking turns being the high scorer. Filip has been the Swiss Army knife for X, being the assist man in many games, but his passing and scoring from three cannot be overlooked.

Sure, it could be fool's gold, but I think the little things that were overlooked the last couple of years are being addressed by RP. The fact that we have all new guys could be a blessing in disguise, as some of the guys we had who have left are showing the same problems... foul trouble in big games, soft D, and inconsistent scoring as the go-to guy.

And the big takeaway from last night's X win was Texas going down and having a worse record than X. 7-4 1-1 in away games.