Missouri basketball enters the season on the wrong side of the preseason AP Top 25, but not by much.
When the poll dropped, seven SEC teams were in the rankings, with Florida sitting at No. 1.
Missouri was left unranked, though the Tigers landed just one spot outside the top 25 with the most receiving votes. Preseason polls are hardly the final word, but it still gives Dennis Gates’ group a little extra edge as it prepares to open with what the source calls his most talented roster.
The schedule won’t offer much breathing room. In non-conference play, Missouri will face Kansas at No. 17 in the Border War and Illinois at No. 3 in Braggin’ Rights.
Nebraska, SLU, Indiana and Marquette are also receiving votes. Once league play arrives, the Tigers will see No.
8 Tennessee and No. 12 Arkansas twice.
On the football side, Missouri’s October 31 trip to Arkansas now has a kickoff time locked in. The game will start at 6:45 p.m. CST and air on the SEC Network.
Around the rest of the program, there’s been plenty going on. On Sunday, Karen Steger’s photo collection highlighted volleyball’s five-set win over Auburn, men’s hoops pro day, tennis practice and baseball’s Fall Ball game against Bradley.
There was also NFL news with a strong Missouri flavor. Luther Burden III keeps carving out a bigger role for Chicago.
With Caleb Williams back on the field, Burden led all receivers in the Bears’ 31-23 win with eight catches for 95 yards. The source notes that “LB3 is thriving in Chicago.”
Elsewhere, Donovan Olugbode stood out in Missouri’s loss to Ole Miss. Even though the Tigers put only three points on the board, Austin Simmons threw for 340 yards, and Olugbode was his favorite target.
He was thrown to 13 times, finished with nine catches for 128 yards, and helped spark the first offensive drive, which ended with a field goal. He’s still flashing what he can become.
There were also positive signs in tennis and swimming and diving. At the ITA Central Regional Championship, Missouri tennis kept building momentum in the Robin Goodman era.
Goodman called it “Another great tournament for us,” and added, “Really proud of the way these girls fight and their willingness to support one another. We are learning what it takes to win at the next level.”
Missouri head coach Andrew Grevers echoed that theme in a MUTigers.com recap, saying, “I am thrilled with the athlete’s attitudes, the way they support each other, and for them to dig deep and give that incredible effort,” followed by, “There’s plenty of room for growth, but the controllables were quite impressive this week.”
Volleyball has also started to settle in. After an uneven early stretch, the Tigers have won three straight, including back-to-back sweeps, and now have a chance to carry that momentum into another road match. The winning run could end up being a turning point.
In men’s basketball, Missouri’s SEC road map includes Texas A&M, which Sam Snelling broke down in a conference preview. His result line had the Aggies 9th in the conference at 9-9, and Missouri will host Texas A&M on Tuesday, January 5th in the Tigers’ SEC home opener.
There’s also a deeper concern for the football team: red-zone production. Missouri still has to deal with the SEC’s two best red-zone defenses by touchdown percentage over the next couple months, Oklahoma at 40% and Texas at 43.75%. The offense needs a bounce-back after the bye week.
Even with the recent road losses to Mississippi State and Ole Miss, the broader picture isn’t all doom and gloom. Missouri beat Kansas in Lawrence, knocked off a ranked Florida team on Homecoming and finally got past Texas A&M.
The source says it plainly: the sky isn’t falling. And with a season many are waiting on, Mizzou hoops is nearly here.
In Other News...
Kansas Gets One Last Allen Fieldhouse Test Before The Real Questions Begin
Kansas is getting one more high-profile tuneup in Allen Fieldhouse before the games count, and the timing could hardly be better. After a 58-game home exhibition winning streak ended with a loss to No. 11 Louisville, the Jayhawks now turn around for another showcase, this one against No. 2 Duke as part of the new Blue Blood Classic series. It is the kind of matchup that tells coaches a lot and gives a fan base an early read on where the roster stands.
Duke arrives with familiar front-line pieces back in place and some notable new additions, which should make this a much sterner test than a typical preseason night in Lawrence. Kansas, meanwhile, plans to adjust its starting lineup for the game, a reminder that even in October the staff is still sorting out how the pieces fit. The real questions will have to wait until the season opens, but this one should offer a revealing last look. [Read more 🡒]
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The uncomfortable part for Jayhawks fans is the company his name has already started to draw. Some of the buzz has linked Stokes to former Kansas player Darryn Peterson, a high draft pick whose college run never quite matched the hype, and that comparison carries a lot of baggage this early in the process. For now, Stokes future impact is still an open question, and Kansas is left waiting to see whether the first glimpse becomes a warning sign or just a rough start. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Homecoming Could Carry Bigger Meaning Than Baylor Game
Homecoming at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium is usually about tradition, alumni and a packed house, but this years visit from Baylor also carries a recruiting edge for Kansas football. The Jayhawks will play their 114th Homecoming game at noon CT, and the weekend is set up to showcase not just the matchup on the field but the broader pitch the program can make to prospects.
High school recruits will be in town to see the facilities, the campus feel and the community atmosphere around the program, all of it folded into a weekend that overlaps with the Big 12 Fall Tour. For Kansas, it is another chance to reinforce what the program can offer future classes, with the homecoming setting giving the staff a built-in stage to make the case. [Read more 🡒]