Missouri men’s basketball begins 2025-26 season on the road. Here’s what to know
As the weather turns colder, eyes will soon turn to a new season in Columbia:
Basketball season.
Mizzou men’s basketball returns to the court Monday in Washington, D.C., where it will play its season-opener against Howard.
“You want to galvanize your team,” coach Dennis Gates said. “There’s no better way to do that than on the road. You get a sense of team building. You get a sense of camaraderie. You get to uproot them and then you have a slew of games where they’re comfortable.”
Howard is the first of 13 nonconference teams the Tigers will face ahead of the Southeastern Conference opener against Florida on Jan. 3.
Last season, the Bison finished 12-20 overall and 7-7 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. One of their 12 losses was to the Tigers, as Mark Mitchell dropped 16 points and Anthony Robinson II had 13. Missouri won 77-62 on its home court, earning its first win of the season on Nov. 8, 2024.
This season, the Bison return only four players. Two of their main returners, graduate Bryce Harris and senior Ose Okojie, are coming off season-ending injuries. The veterans played in the matchup last year as Harris scored 11 points for Howard. Okojie ended with six.
“(Howard) returns a player of the year in Bryce Harris,” Gates said. “Unfortunately, he had an injury last season and couldn’t compete. But, more importantly, he’s back now, looking to return from their success.”
The Tigers will also have to watch out for the 12 new faces on the squad, with seven freshman padding the roster. Specifically, Missouri will need to pay attention to transfers Cam Gillus and Cedric Taylor III. The two juniors, alongside Harris, received preseason MEAC honors with Harris on the first team, Gillus on the second team and Taylor on the third team.
“They play a team game,” Gates said, “and I’m excited to put my team, our program, on the road against a great program and a great coach and great players, no different than the SEC would present the same problems and pose the same situation.”
Both Mizzou and Howard are coming off wins in their preseason exhibitions. The Tigers defeated Kansas State 100-91 on Oct. 24, while Howard took down American University 77-63 on Tuesday.
Looking closer at the Tigers’ roster after the exhibition, Gates did not confirm or deny if freshman Trent Burns would be ready to play in the season opener after foot surgery earlier this year. Burns has been free of his boot since the exhibition, but more surprising was junior Trent Pierce standing, not in uniform, beside him. Pierce is also injured, according to Gates, and may not see the court against Howard.
Another question for the Tigers is senior captain Mark Mitchell, who took a hard fall in the exhibition against the Wildcats. He did not play in the second half. Pierce and Mitchell have been practicing, according to Gates, but their status is unknown.
“I’ll dive into making a decision on who’s available after I talk and meet with our trainer, but also meet with individual kids on how they’re feeling,” Gates said.
Mizzou men’s basketball will open its season against Howard at 6 p.m. Monday.
Copyright 2025 Columbia Missourian
This story was originally published November 2, 2025 at 1:51 PM with the headline "Missouri men’s basketball begins 2025-26 season on the road. Here’s what to know."