Mizzou's Non-Conference Schedule Looks Familiar

Luke ThompsonAug 18, 2009

The defending Big 12 Tournament champions released their non-conference schedule today, and it bears a lot of similarities with the one that helped the Tigers start last season 13-2.

Once again, Missouri has five road/neutral games mixed in with 10 mediocre to bad teams at home. That includes repeat trips from Chattanooga and Arkansas Pine-Bluff, which the Tigers beat by 28 and 54, respectively, last season.

Unless the Tigers are worse than I think they are, the Big 12 Conference opener against Kansas State in Columbia should be the first real challenge to the Tigers’ 19-game win streak at Mizzou Arena. Georgia and Oregon — two lower-tier BCS conference teams — are probably the best Missouri will see at home before January 9.

As usual, the biggest game on the schedule is the annual Braggin’ Rights Game in St. Louis, where the Tigers will try to finally end a nine-game losing streak against their intrastate rivals.

Circle that one on your calendar, because the Scottrade Center is going to be rocking.

But ending the streak won’t be easy against an improved Illinois team, which returns three of the five starters from their dominating 75-59 victory last season. The Illini also boast a solid recruiting class and are ranked 10th in an early poll by Dickie V.

Andy Katz put them just outside his Top 25.

The Tigers could face two challenges from the SEC, which should be much stronger than it was last season. The first test of the season for Mike Anderson’s team is a potential matchup with Mississippi State in the South Padre Island Championship.

The Bulldogs will be an excellent first test for Missouri, and they could be outstanding if heralded recruit Renaldo Sidney can resolve his amateur status. The 6'10" center from California was cleared to play academically on Monday.

Four days after their final game in Padre Island, the Tigers will head to Nashville to take on a Vanderbilt team that underachieved last season.

If Missouri wants to make a big statement on the road before Big 12 play begins, this is its only chance. It’s just too bad this game didn’t happen a year earlier, when Vanderbilt transfer DeMarre Carroll could have shown his old coach how much he had improved.

Missouri’s schedule certainly won’t be compared to the one played by Kansas anytime soon, but the Tigers undoubtedly play a tougher slate each year than other Big 12 teams like Kansas State, Texas A&M, and Baylor.

It’s a good mix for team with several new players and a lot of scoring to replace, especially with the front loading of mid-majors at home.

Any non-conference loss at home should be considered an upset, and I’d have to believe the Tigers will be favored on a neutral court against Old Dominion in the first round at Padre Island. The game against Oral Roberts in Tulsa could be interesting, considering the Golden Eagles are consistently near the top of the Summit (formerly Mid-Con) League and only lost by nine in Columbia last season.

But the three games where we’ll find out what this team is really made of are the ones against the SEC schools and Illinois. If the Tigers can take one of those three and avoid getting upset at home, they should be satisfied. If they can win two or three and finish 13-2 again or better, they’ll be in great shape for a spot in the Top 25, not to mention another tournament bid.

The full non-conference schedule is below. For your convenience, the Big 12 schedule and my thoughts on it are here.

Nov. 6, vs. Truman State
Nov. 13, vs. Northwest Missouri State#
Nov. 17, vs. Tennessee-Martin
Nov. 22, vs. Texas-Pan American&
Nov. 24, vs. Chattanooga&
Nov. 27, vs. Old Dominion$
Nov. 28, vs. Mississippi State or Richmond$
Dec. 2, at Vanderbilt
Dec. 5, vs. Oregon+, 4 p.m., ESPNU
Dec. 9, at Oral Roberts
Dec. 12, vs. Fairleigh Dickinson
Dec. 19, vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Dec. 23, vs. Illinois%, 8:30 p.m., ESPN2
Dec. 27, Austin Peay
Dec. 30, UMKC
Jan. 2, Georgia
Jan. 6, Savannah State

#—Exhibition Games
&—Opening Rounds of the South Padre Island Invitational, Columbia, Mo. (Mizzou Arena)
$—South Padre Island Invitational, South Padre Island, Texas (South Padre Island Convention Centre)
+—Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series
%—Busch Braggin’ Rights Game, St. Louis, Mo. (Scottrade Center)