Missouri basketball’s reworked schedule gives Tigers opportunities for quality wins
There wasn’t much going for the Missouri Tigers at first glance of their men’s basketball schedule.
The long-anticipated Border War renewal with Kansas was called off. Their warm, sunny November tournament, the Myrtle Beach Invitational, was canceled. Utah, a high-major foe, was supposed to be the Tigers’ season opener.
While the COVID-19 pandemic created logistical chaos, MU coach Cuonzo Martin’s Tigers are near the end of a strenuous process. They’ve found opportunities in rescheduling to pick up resume-boosting victories for the NCAA Tournament.
“Our guys are probably ready to play,” Martin said. “Though we weren’t here June and July, it feels like our guys are ready to go. With basketball players, you want to play games. You want to play good competition. You want to compete.”
The first domino to fall for the Tigers was actually a coin flip, determining who would host the Braggin’ Rights game against No. 8-ranked Illinois. The thumb flick fell in favor of the Tigers, adding a Dec. 12 Mizzou Arena matchup with the Illini. A win there would not only boost the Tigers’ resume, but garner them some national attention early in the season.
The next piece is a multi-team event that should slot in between the Nov. 25 Oral Roberts season opener and the Dec. 6 game at Wichita State. Martin said Wednesday the Tigers will likely play No. 20 Oregon and Boston College at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, where all that remains is “a matter of signing contracts and getting that done.”
Three games, three high-major teams added to Mizzou’s schedule. Also three opportunities to prove to the NCAA selection committee the Tigers belong in the NCAA Tournament, whatever that looks like come March.
“We talked about all of that,” Martin said. “After having the SEC coaches meeting, we just felt you had to play opponents. Part of being NCAA-eligible, you still have to play preseason opponents. You’re not playing as many games, so you have to play some opponents.”
When Mizzou released its first iteration of the nonconference schedule, there were already a few compelling matchups. Wichita State on the road is a challenging task, though it comes with the caveat that nobody knows what they will look like in a few weeks as Shockers coach Gregg Marshall is under investigation for alleged physical and verbal abuse.
Bradley won back-to-back Missouri Valley championships; Liberty did the same in earning two straight Atlantic Sun crowns. TCU in the Big 12-SEC challenge should provide another home opportunity for a quality win.
Teams usually can play a maximum of 31 games in a regular season. That number was reduced to 27 this season because of the pandemic. Mizzou’s looking at 26 scheduled contests, eight in the nonconference and 18 SEC games.
Martin said they’re likely done with scheduling after the final additions, though it’s 2020, so changes could come at any time. He said they could try to replace games if teams dropped out or the virus canceled any contests, but it would have to be on short notice and teams would need to be nearby.
Mizzou Arena plans to host around 3,000 fans per game this season. There are some exceptions, like Braggin’ Rights, where only family will be able to attend.
“Some might think it’s a little bit different because of the lack of fans that you might have,” Martin said of games this season. “But I think once the ball is tipped, it’s basketball and you’re trying to win a basketball game.”
MU women’s schedule out
Mizzou coach Robin Pingeton said a few weeks ago one of the areas she’s hated navigating during the pandemic has been scheduling. That’s all squared away for her now as the Tigers open their season Nov. 27 against North Alabama.
It’ll be an eight-game nonconference schedule filled with similarly daunting opponents, including road games at Saint Louis and Texas Tech. Home games are highlighted by facing No. 24-ranked Missouri State and TCU.
The 16-game SEC schedule opens Dec. 31 against Alabama and ends Feb. 28. The SEC Tournament is from March 3-7 in Greenville, South Carolina.
Pingeton’s squad is looking to bounce back after a down season in 2019-20 as the Tigers went 9-22 and 5-11 in the SEC. They’ll be led by sophomores Aijha Blackwell and Hayley Frank, along with an intriguing cast that includes transfer talent and new faces.