Mizzou unveils SEC hoops schedule, five non-conference games
Less than three weeks before the NCAA basketball season can begin, we have finally gotten our first semblance of a schedule for Missouri. The SEC released the conference slate for every team Friday morning, which will begin on Dec. 30. Missouri also unveiled five non-conference matchups, putting the team at 23 total games for the regular season.
Missouri could still add up to four more more non-conference games to that schedule, according to a team spokesperson, including a multi-team event and the annual Braggin' Rights matchup against Illinois. The two schools are still in talks about playing the annual rivalry.
Missouri will begin the season on Wednesday, Nov. 25, the first day Division I teams are allowed to play, by hosting Oral Roberts. No time has yet been set for the matchup. Elsewhere in non-conference play, Missouri will travel to Wichita State on Dec. 6, host Liberty Dec. 9 and host Bradley Dec. 22. The Tigers will also host TCU on Jan. 30 as part of the annual SEC-Big 12 Challenge.
The SEC opted to retain its normal, 18-game conference schedule despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With 18 games scheduled across 10 weeks, the league has not built in much flexibility if games get canceled due to players testing positive, although there is room for each team to reschedule one game for March 6, the Saturday prior to the SEC Tournament.
Missouri will kick off SEC play on Dec. 30, when it will host Tennessee. The Volunteers will be one of five teams the Tigers play twice during the conference slate (once at home and once on the road), along with Arkansas, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and South Carolina. In addition, Missouri will host LSU, Vanderbilt, Kentucky and Alabama. It will face Mississippi State, Auburn, Georgia and Florida on the road.
No surprise, Kentucky is currently the highest-ranked team by Ken Pomeroy on Missouri's schedule. The Wildcats come in at No. 10 nationally in KenPom's preseason rankings. Other SEC notables include Tennessee at No. 20, Auburn at 24, Ole Miss at 42 and Arkansas at 54. Missouri sits eighth in the league at No. 58 nationally.
TCU will be Missouri's highest-ranked non-conference opponent — at least, as the schedule stands right now. The Horned Frogs are ranked No. 53 nationally by KenPom. Wichita State is the only other non-conference team inside the top 100, at No. 74. If the Braggin' Rights game comes to fruition, that would certainly beef up Missouri's non-conference slate. The Illini are ranked No. 18 by KenPom.
Like virtually every Division I school, Missouri struggled to put together a schedule this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying testing protocols. The Tigers had to scrap previously scheduled games against Kansas, Utah and Missouri State. They were also scheduled to play in the Myrtle Beach Invitational alongside seven other teams during Thanksgiving week, but that tournament got moved to Orlando and ultimately canceled. However, Missouri is looking to find a new multi-team event between the Nov. 25 season-opener and the team's trip to Wichita State.
The non-conference slate is still subject to change, but here is the schedule in its entirety, as of now.
Nov. 25: Oral Roberts
Dec. 6: at Wichita State
Dec. 9: Liberty
Dec. 22: Bradley
Dec. 30: Tennessee
Jan. 2: at Arkansas
Jan. 5: at Mississippi State
Jan. 9: LSU
Jan. 12: Vanderbilt
Jan. 16: at Texas A&M
Jan. 19: South Carolina
Jan. 26: at Tennessee
Jan. 29: at Auburn
Feb. 2: Kentucky
Feb. 6: Alabama
Feb. 10: at Ole Miss
Feb. 13: Arkansas
Feb. 16: at Georgia
Feb. 20: at South Carolina
Feb. 23: Ole Miss
Feb. 27: Texas A&M
March 3: at Florida
March 10-14: SEC Tournament