Missouri’s season-opening rout of Cleveland State gave the Tigers a clean first step, but Friday’s matchup with Saint Louis brings a much different level of competition.
The Tigers rolled past the Vikings 111-50 on Tuesday at Mizzou Arena, setting a program record for largest margin of victory in a season opener. Freshman guard Jason Crowe Jr. paced Missouri with 23 points on 9-for-16 shooting, six other Tigers reached double figures, and Mark Mitchell added a career-high 10 assists.
Saint Louis arrives after a stronger opening performance of its own. The Billikens beat Lehigh 92-67 Monday at Chaifetz Arena, with Kellen Thames and Quentin Jones each scoring 15 points. SLU shot 60% from the field in that win.
This one also brings back an in-state rivalry that has been dormant for more than two decades. Missouri and Saint Louis will meet for the first time since the 2001-02 season, when the Tigers edged the Billikens 69-67 in St. Louis.
The challenge for Missouri is clear. Cleveland State was picked to finish 11th in the Horizon League preseason poll, while Saint Louis finished 15-3 in Atlantic 10 play last season, beat Georgia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and then lost to No.
1 Michigan. Head coach Josh Schertz has been a major part of that turnaround.
SLU’s core includes returners Thames, Amari McCottry, Trey Green, Quentin Jones and Ishan Sharma. Thames’ father played at Missouri from 1993-98 and averaged 13.2 points per game in his career.
The Billikens are also waiting on a decision regarding prospective fifth-year big Robbie Avila, who averaged 12.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game in 35 starts last season. Avila had a hearing for his eligibility Wednesday, and Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the hearing was over and the judge said he would “rule quickly.”
Missouri On SI beat writers will also provide coverage with a live blog featuring score updates and anlaysis throughout Friday's game.
In Other News...
Missouri Opens Texas Week With One Early Advantage
Missouris first SEC availability report for its matchup with Texas brought a bit of clarity to the start of a big week, and the Tigers came out of it in decent shape. The league-required update listed no new injuries for Missouri beyond the players already ruled out, which at least gives the Tigers a clean initial read as they begin preparing for one of the conferences marquee games.
Texas, meanwhile, had a longer list to sort through, with several starters and key contributors showing up as questionable or out, including wide receivers Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo, running back Hollywood Smothers and defensive end Colin Simmons. The reports will be updated daily as kickoff gets closer, so Missouris early edge is only a snapshot, but it is the kind of snapshot a team would rather see on its side heading into a week like this. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzous Shot At A Statement Win May Depend On Texas Saturday
Missouri heads into Saturday with the same injury picture it has been carrying, as Malae Fonoti, Josh Atkins and Gavin Hoffman remain out. The bigger question, though, is what Texas will have available when the Tigers try to turn this into a statement game, because the Longhorns are dealing with a much longer list of concerns and several starters are still in question.
Among the names to watch are Colin Simmons, Ryan Wingo, Cam Coleman, Kade Phillips and Graceson Littleton, all listed as questionable. Texas is already without running back Hollywood Smothers and tight end Nick Townsend, while Trevor Goosby is out for the season, leaving the Longhorns with some real uncertainty on both sides of the ball as Missouri looks to capitalize on the opening. [Read more 🡒]
Ahmad Hardy Just Became Mizzous Biggest Question Against Texas
Ahmad Hardy finally got back on the field in Missouris win over Arkansas, and even in a limited return, the Tigers had to like simply having their returning All-American running back available again. Hardy played five snaps and carried twice for five yards, a modest first step after missing time, but it was enough to signal that Missouri can begin folding him back into the offense as the stakes rise late in the season.
Eliah Drinkwitz has already said Hardys workload should grow against Texas, which adds another layer to a matchup that already has plenty riding on it. Missouri has leaned on Jamal Roberts to lead the SEC in rushing yards, but the Tigers are now trying to balance that production with Hardys return while staring down a Texas defense that will make every carry count. [Read more 🡒]