Missouri picked up its fourth win against a ranked team and was just one of three SEC teams to pick up a win in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
With the win the Tigers showed promising signs of success as they continue their SEC slate, next facing LSU at 8 p.m. Wednesday at Mizzou Arena.
3s and free throws
The Tigers continued to impress from beyond the arc Saturday, following up a 53.3% 3-point shooting performance against Ole Miss by making 46.7% of their 3s against the Cyclones.
The Tigers endured a stretch of poor shooting performances before the Ole Miss game. A continued return to form against a top-15 team is a promising sign that a key part of MU's offense has returned to form, and can help the Tigers get results as conference play continues.
MU also made 12 of its 14 free throw attempts Saturday. While Missouri did not get to the free throw line overwhelmingly, the Tigers showed that they can capitalize on limited trips to the line.
Missouri coach Dennis Gates has called for consistency at the charity stripe all season and said after the Alabama game that the Tigers should aim to take 30 free throws per game. If game trends don't allow Missouri to hit that mark, making the attempts they do earn becomes even more important in tightly contested games going forward.
Missouri's magic number
The Tigers once again scored over 70 points Saturday, and are averaging 83.1 points per game, the eighth-best mark in the nation.
Missouri has scored 70 or more points in 15 of its 16 wins this season, with the Tigers' 68 points in a buzzer-beating win over UCF being the only exception. Missouri's exceptional 3-point shooting in its last two games and its pace of play has helped set the tone all season.
If the Tigers can maintain relative consistency beyond the arc, particularly on the road in the SEC — the Tigers are just 1-3 away from home in conference play — and continue to start games fast, MU can find some success as its SEC slate continues.
Gates emerging as SEC Coach of the Year candidate
In his first season with the Tigers, Gates has led MU to wins over Illinois, Kentucky, Arkansas and now Iowa State, helping the Tigers jump into the AP top 25 Poll multiple times throughout the season, while keeping the Tigers in the NCAA Tournament conversation.
It's a resumé that, depending on results during the rest of conference play, should put Gates in the conversation for SEC Coach of the Year. Gates has improved MU with a team largely built in the transfer portal and three returning players from last season.
If the Tigers can limit underwhelming conference performances, which saw them drop games against Texas A&M and Florida, Gates can put his team in a position for postseason success, and put himself in a position to become the first MU coach to win the award.
The competitiveness of the SEC makes for an interesting race for the award. Alabama coach Nate Oats will certainly be in the running, with the Crimson Tide still yet to lose in conference play. Despite a shocking loss to Oklahoma on Saturday, Alabama remains not only a favorite in the SEC but to make a deep tournament run.
Just behind the Crimson Tide in the conference standings, Tennessee's Rick Barnes and Texas A&M's Buzz Williams are names to watch as well. Barnes has the Volunteers neck-and-neck with Alabama, with an experienced squad that can challenge any team in the country, and is built on defense. The Volunteers' 54.5 points allowed per game ranks No. 1 nationally.
At 7-1 in conference play so far, Texas A&M has been a pleasant surprise in the SEC this season. The Aggies defeated a then-No. 20 Missouri side and took down No. 15 Auburn on the road. Williams will look to keep Texas A&M's momentum going, with difficult tests against Tennessee and Alabama as well as a rematch with the Tigers on Feb. 18.
Auburn's Bruce Pearl has had another impressive season with the Tigers and will hope he prepared them enough for their final stretch of the season. In addition to a home game against MU on Feb. 14, Auburn still has to play both Alabama and Tennessee twice as well as Kentucky on the road. If Pearl, who won the Coach of the Year award last season, can navigate the Tigers through that stretch, he will certainly be in the conversation again this season.
Georgia coach Mike White is another name to watch. Similarly to Gates, White is in his first season after joining the Bulldogs from Florida. White has already helped a Bulldogs program — which won just one conference game last season — to a 14-7 record and four wins in SEC play so far, including a ranked win over then-No. 22 Auburn.