The University of Missouri men’s basketball team opens postseason play on Wednesday night, squaring off against Georgia in the SEC First Round. Tipoff in Nashville is at approximately 8:30 p.m. on SEC Network.
ABOUT THE TIGERS
• Missouri completed the 2023-24 regular season with an 8-23 record and 0-18 in SEC play.
• Graduate Sean East II has led Mizzou throughout, averaging a team-best 17.9 points and 4.0 assists.
• East has been at his best as of late, scoring at least 20 points in the last seven games.
• Four Tigers are scoring in double figures as Tamar Bates (13.5), Nick Honor (11.0) and Noah Carter (11.0) follow East’s lead.
• Carter also leads all active Tigers with 4.8 boards.
• The Tigers are averaging 72.6 points and allowing 76.6 points per game.
ABOUT THE BULLDOGS
• Georgia finished tied for 11th in the SEC with a 6-12 conference mark, going 16-15 overall.
• After a strong start to the conference season (4-2), the Bulldogs won just two of their final 12 league games.
• Noah Thomasson (12.8) and Jabri Abdur-Rahim (12.2) lead the team in scoring.
• Russel Tchewa has a team-best 6.8 boards, while Justin Hill leads Georgia with 3.3 assists.
• Georgia averages 75.0 points per game with a scoring defense of 74.7.
SERIES HISTORY
• Missouri owns an 11-9 advantage in 20 all-time meetings, while the Bulldogs hold a slight edge since the Tigers joined the SEC, 9-8.
• The schools met in the conference opener on Jan. 6 this season with Georgia claiming a 75-68 win. The Tigers led with under five minutes left but a late 9-0 run led to the Bulldogs victory.
• Sean East II led four Tigers in double figures with 18 points to go with eight assists.
• While Georgia earned the win over Mizzou this season, the Tigers have had the better of the series as of late – winning six of the last eight.
SEC TOURNEY VERSUS GEORGIA
• The Tigers and Bulldogs are meeting for the fourth time in the last six tournaments.
• Georgia is now MU’s most common opponent in its SEC Tournament history, breaking a tie with Ole Miss.
• Overall, Mizzou owns a 2-1 edge over Georgia – winning the last two contests (2019 and 2021).
SEC TOURNAMENT HISTORY
• Mizzou is competing in its 10th SEC Tournament since joining the league in 2012-13, posting a 7-9 record in its first nine attempts.
• Last year, MU advanced to its first-ever semifinal after defeating nationally-ranked Tennessee, 79-71, in the quarterfinals.
• Overall, the Tigers own a 3-1 record in the first round, winning their last three games on the opening day.
TOP SEC SCHOLAR-ATHLETE
• Sean East II was honored as the best in the SEC for his combination of work on the court and in the classroom, earning SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year accolades on Monday.
• On the court, East ranks fifth in the SEC with 17.9 points and ninth with 4.0 assists.
• In the classroom, East earned his bachelor’s degree in general studies with a 3.64 grade point average, while pursuing his master’s in positive coaching with a GPA of 3.90.
• East is the second Tiger to earn the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor, joining Kobe Brown last season.
TOP NUMBERS
• Overall, Sean East II is enjoying one of the best seasons in years by a Tiger.
• East is currently ranked fifth in the SEC in scoring (17.9) and ninth in assists (4.0).
• East’s 17.9 points per game are the most by a Tiger since Jabari Brown (19.9) in 2013-14.
• East needs nine assists to become the first Tiger in 30 years (and just third ever) with 500 points and 125 assists in a single season (Melvin Booker in 1993-94 and Anthony Peeler in 1989-90).
EAST CATCHES FIRE
• Since returning from an injury, Sean East II has been at his best over the last seven games.
• East has averaged 25.1 points since missing two contests with a knee injury, scoring at least 20 in all seven games since his return.
• The guard is shooting 56.7 percent from the field and 45.0 percent from 3-point range, while averaging 8.1 made free throws during the run.
• Overall, East’s 176 points in the last seven contests are the most by any Tiger in a seven-game run since Anthony Peeler tallied 177 points from Feb. 29, 1992 to March 21, 1992.
20-POINT THREAT
• Sean East II has made reaching the 20-point threshold quite the habit this year.
• After scoring 20 points twice in 90 career games before the year, East has reached the mark 14 times in 2023-24 – the most by a Tiger since Jabari Brown (19) and Jordan Clarkson (14) in 2013-14.
• In addition, East is the first Tiger to score at least 20 points in seven-straight games since Doug Smith had a nine-game run in 1990-91.
