WHERE: Stegeman Coliseum

WHEN: Tuesday, 7 p.m.

RECORDS: Georgia 12-8, 5-8; Missouri 13-5, 6-5

TV/RADIO: SEC Network (Dave Neal, Daymeon Fishback); Georgia Bulldog Radio Network (Scott Howard, Chuck Dowdle, Adam Gillespie)

Georgia prepares for a Missouri team that will bear little resemblance to what it's been for most of the season.

Due to a death in his family, Missouri forward Jeremiah Tilmon is not traveling to Athens. Without the 6-foot-10 and 260-pound Tilmon down low, Missouri will be a much smaller team inside and out. Therefore, head coach Tom Crean is expecting to see Missouri spread the floor and shoot even more from the perimeter.

“They definitely play different, and they played that way against Arkansas (an 86-81 loss), where there was a lot more space on the floor,” Crean said. “The most important thing is that we don’t get confused or locked into something different. We stay focused on what’s most important, which is how we attack them in transition, how we continue to space the floor, how we get on the offensive glass, but most importantly, how we get back on defense. … That also puts another 3-point shooter on the floor in most cases, especially with Torrence Watson coming off a game in which he had three threes the other day. Mitchell Smith made 3s early, Kobe Brown can make 3s. There’s a lot of movement, and it probably makes them a little more similar to Alabama and how you get ready for them.”

The Bulldogs are coming off a defensive performance that saw them allow the Crimson Tide to hit 60 percent of their 3-point attempts in a 115-82 loss. Sophomore guard Jaxon Etter said Georgia put in a high-energy practice on Sunday, which has him confident for a bounce-back game against Missouri.

Although the Bulldogs will need to be cognizant of the 3-point threat the Tigers present, Etter noted Tilmon’s absence should help when it comes to competing in the paint and on the boards.

"It changes the game completely,” Etter said. “He's a huge factor and a monster of a man. So it will be a lot easier for guards to switch; we can switch all five players on the court, which changes the game completely. When he's on the court, it makes blocking out not easier but more realistic."

Forward Toumani Camara agreed with Etter, stating that Georgia benefits tremendously with Tilmon's absence.

“If Jeremiah Tilmon is out, Andrew (Garcia), P.J. (Horne), Tye Fagan, and I can be really crafty down there and grab a lot of rebounds, make a lot of noise,” Camara said. “It's something we're really able to do, and something we work on a lot. At the end of the day, if you're willing to rebound, we will be good at that for sure.”

• K.D. Johnson is coming off back-to-back career-best games, scoring 22 points against Tennessee and 24 points against Alabama.

• Sahvir Wheeler is one assist from tying Sundiata Gaines (2008) at No. 12 among season-best tallies. He's two assists from No. 11 Gerald Cosby (1985) and three assists from No. 10 Pertha Robinson (1996).

• Camara has posted at least eight rebounds in each of the past five games. He’s had at least eight rebounds in a total of 11 games this year, with a career-high 17 rebounds in an early-season game against Montana.

As mentioned, the Tigers will be a smaller bunch without Tilmon inside. But the Tigers have some quick players who will look to run the floor, which could create problems for Georgia’s defense. In particular, guards Dru Smith and Xavier Pinson have put plenty of pressure on opposing teams with the ball in their hands.

“Dru Smith is playing phenomenal basketball,” Crean said. “He’s shooting at a very high level; he’s taking what the defense is giving him. He’s playing like a true guard. He moves the ball and, again, he’s shooting the ball really well. He moves quickly, and he plays with a great pace. Pinson attacks you and can shoot the ball. He can really, really get to the basket."

While the Tigers may attack Georgia in a manner similar to how Alabama did it, it’s worth noting they have lost their past two games. It's evident Tilmon makes them a better team.

Even so, Crean noted that Missouri is an aggressive and experienced team, which is generally a dangerous combination.

“They’re playing so much faster than they have in the past, and if you look at the statistics, it shows,” Crean said. “A year ago, they were scoring in the first eight seconds of the clock, 18-percent of the time. The year before that, it was 10 percent; now it’s 35 percent of the time. They’re playing fast. They have tremendous guard play. They’re one of the older teams in the league, maybe one of the more experienced teams in the country, with what they have. And they’re playing very aggressively."

After this game, Georgia will play at Florida on Saturday.