Missouri’s basketball schedule is set. How favorable is it for an NCAA Tournament bid?
Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin will make his much-anticipated return to Knoxville on Feb. 5 when the Tigers head to Tennessee.
The Southeastern Conference announced its full men’s basketball schedule on Friday and Missouri opens its SEC slate with Martin’s former team on Jan. 8, before the return game almost a month later. Martin coached the Vols from 2011-14.
Rick Barnes’ Vols return almost their entire core from last season and are expected to be a top-10 team nationally.
Missouri’s SEC schedule is favorable because the Tigers avoid playing Kentucky at Rupp Arena, where they’ve struggled to score, and at LSU, the site of some disappointing losses. The Tigers return Jan. 23 to Bud Walton Arena, where they nearly beat Arkansas after being down double-digits in the second half. The Razorbacks return center Daniel Gafford, who will face Jontay Porter in a matchup of potential NBA lottery picks.
The Arkansas game will start Missouri’s toughest stretch of the season. They will play five straight games against likely NCAA Tournament teams. After the Arkansas game, Missouri returns home for a game against LSU, which just signed a top-10 recruiting class.
The Tigers then head Jan. 30 to Auburn, another team that returns a large part of a core that won 26 games last season and adds Austin Wiley, who was ineligible because of the FBI’s investigation into college basketball. Missouri returns home for a matchup against Vanderbilt on Feb. 2. The Commodores are another team with a highly touted recruiting class, which includes five-star point guard Darius Garland. Martin’s squad then hits the road to Knoxville.
Missouri closes the regular season with a very favorable three-game stretch that could be crucial if the Tigers are in the mix for a NCAA Tournament bid. The team hosts South Carolina on March 2, and then heads to Georgia four days later. The Tigers wrap up the regular season against Ole Miss on March 9.
Mizzou 2018-19 men’s basketball schedule
All home games at Mizzou Arena in Columbia. Times and TV subject to change. Game results and box scores on Mizzou’s website.
Tuesday, Nov. 6 vs. Central Arkansas, 7 p.m., SEC Network+
Friday, Nov. 9 at Iowa State, 6 p.m., Cyclones.TV
Friday, Nov. 16 vs. Kennesaw State at Paradise Jam in U.S. Virgin Islands, 2 p.m., live stream on flohoops.com
Saturday, Nov. 17 or Sunday, Nov. 18 vs. Oregon State or Old Dominion at Paradise Jam in U.S. Virgin Islands, TBA, live stream on flohoops.com
Monday, Nov. 19 vs. TBA at Paradise Jam in U.S. Virgin Islands, TBA, live stream on flohoops.com
Tuesday, Nov. 27 vs. Temple, 8 p.m., SEC Network
Sunday, Dec. 2 vs. Central Florida, 2 p.m., ESPNU
Tuesday, Dec. 4 vs. UT-Arlington, 7 p.m., SEC Network+
Friday, Dec. 7 vs. Oral Roberts, 6 p.m., SEC Network
Tuesday, Dec. 18 vs. Xavier, 6 p.m., ESPNU
Saturday, Dec. 22 vs. Illinois (at Enterprise Center in St. Louis), 7 p.m., Big Ten Network
Saturday, Dec. 29 vs. Morehead State, 1 p.m., SEC Network+
Tuesday, Jan. 8 vs. Tennessee, 6 p.m., ESPN, ESPN2 or SEC Network
Saturday, Jan. 12 at South Carolina, noon, SEC Network
Wednesday, Jan. 16 vs. Alabama, 8 p.m., SEC Network
Saturday, Jan. 19 at Texas A&M, 2:30 p.m., SEC Network
Wednesday, Jan. 23 at Arkansas, 8 p.m., SEC Network
Saturday, Jan. 26 vs. LSU, 5 p.m., SEC Network
Wednesday, Jan. 30 at Auburn, 7:30 p.m., SEC Network
Saturday, Feb. 2 vs. Vanderbilt, 7:30 p.m., SEC Network
Tuesday, Feb. 5 at Tennessee, 8 p.m., ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU
Saturday, Feb. 9 vs. Texas A&M, 5 p.m., SEC Network
Tuesday, Feb. 12 vs. Arkansas, 8 p.m., ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU
Saturday, Feb. 16 at Ole Miss, 2:30 p.m., SEC Network
Tuesday, Feb. 19 vs. Kentucky, 8 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2
Saturday, Feb. 23 at Florida, 3 p.m., ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU
Tuesday, Feb. 26 at Mississippi State, 6 p.m., SEC Network
Saturday, March 2 vs. South Carolina, 2:30 p.m., SEC Network
Wednesday, March 6 at Georgia, 5:30 p.m., SEC Network
Saturday, March 9 vs. Ole Miss, 2:30 p.m., SEC Network
This story was originally published August 24, 2018 at 12:22 PM.