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Missouri opens the 2024–25 college basketball season determined to bounce back from its nightmarish 2023–24 campaign, where it lost 19 straight games.
To avoid a similar disaster, Tigers coach Dennis Gates went to business during the offseason and acquired 10 players — five transfers and five freshmen — whom he believed would blend with his seven returnees and make their presence felt in the Southeastern Conference and possibly the nation.
Let's take a closer look into Missouri's upcoming season, from its biggest games to the key players who will help the Tigers come back in the SEC title picture.
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Missouri's biggest games of the 2024–25 season
Missouri will be in for a competitive season, starting with their opener against Memphis on November 4. It will be the 14th time both teams have meeting since 1949-50, with Memphis holding an 8-5 lead in their head-to-head.
Another game worth noting for the Tigers is their ACC-SEC Challenge matchup against California. The game is scheduled on December 3 and is the first ACC-SEC Challenge for the Golden Bears, who joined the ACC this year.
Five days later, Missouri hosts Kansas in its annual showdown dubbed "Border War." This will be the 272nd time the Tigers will meet the Jayhawks and the latter holds a 176-95 edge in their all-time record.
They are also slated to meet Illinois in their "Braggin' Rights" clash on Dec. 22 at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis. The Fighting Illini hold a 34-20 lead in their head-to-head against the Tigers.
Meanwhile, Missouri begins its SEC regular-season games on January 4 at Auburn and will host LSU in its regular-season opener on either Jan. 7 or 8. The Tigers will play Arkansas (Jan. 18 and Feb. 22), Oklahoma (Feb. 11 or 12/Mar. 4/5), and Vanderbilt (Jan. 11/Mar. 1) twice in home-and-away games.
They will host Ole Miss (Jan. 25), Texas A&M (Feb. 8), Alabama (Feb. 18/19), South Carolina (Feb. 25) and Kentucky (Mar. 8) and visit Auburn (Jan. 4), Florida (Jan. 14/15), Texas (Jan. 21/22), Mississippi State (Feb. 1), Tennessee (Feb. 4/5) and Georgia (Feb. 15).
Top Missouri players to watch out for in the 2024–25 season
Dennis Gates has a stacked roster this season, featuring one of the best recruiting classes in the school's history. The five-transfer, five-freshman haul is ranked among the Top 15 in the nation with eight four-star players, as per 247 Sports.
Here are the three Tigers to watch out for this coming season.
#1. Tamar Bates
Tamar Bates was the team's second-leading scorer last season, averaging 13.5 points per game. The transfer from Indiana made a good account of himself, helping Sean East II carry the offensive load.
Bates also contributed 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists per contest and made 92.6% of his attempts from the free-throw line. The 6-5 guard will be one of the primary scoring targets and bring in the veteran presence that the Tigers will need in the coming season.
#2. Marques Warrick
Marques Warrick was a consistent double-digit scorer in his first four years with Northern Kentucky and he hopes to bring that scoring prowess to Missouri.
The 6-2 guard averaged 19.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals last season for the Norse. Like Bates, Warrick is also a dependable free-throw shooter with an 86.7% clip from the 15-foot line.
#3. Mark Mitchell
Mark Mitchell moved to Missouri after two seasons with Jon Scheyer's Duke Blue Devils. Before his transfer, the six-foot-nine forward was one of the top contributors for the Blue Devils, tallying 11.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.
Predictions for Missouri's 2024–25 season
Missouri will have a bounce-back season as the Tigers can win between 15 and 20 games.
The team has the tools to pull off surprises in the tough Southeastern Conference, but it needs to put more effort on defense to secure a better chance of winning each game.
Missouri has tons of scoring options in its arsenal and coach Dennis Gates should know how to utilize his players wisely to achieve its primary objective of winning more than eight games in the 2024–25 campaign.
Will Missouri win more than eight games in the 2024-25 college basketball season? Let us know your views in the comments section.
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