When | 6:00 p.m. CT
Where | Burr Gymnasium; Washington, D.C.
TV | ESPN+
Radio | Tiger Radio Network
Twitter | @MizzouHoops
Kenpom prediction | Mizzou -19
ESPN win probability | 93.5% chance
The Starters
Mizzou (0-0)
G: Anthony Robinson II (JR, 9.0 PPG in 24-25)
Advertisement
G: Sebastian Mack (JR, 9.6 PPG in 24-25 at UCLA)
F: Jevon Porter (SR, 12.5 PPG in 24-25 at Pepperdine)
F: Mark Mitchell (SR, 13.9 PPG in 24-25)
C: Shawn Phillips, Jr. (SR, 5.4 PPG in 24-25 at Arizona State)
Notable Sixth Man: Trent Pierce (JR, 6.7 PPG in 24-25)
Howard (0-0)
G: Cam Gillus (JR, X PPG in 24-25 at Lehigh)
G: Bryce Harris (GR, 9.6 PPG in 24-25)
G: Ed Holland (RS SR, 5.3 PPG in 23-24 at Penn)
G: Ose Okojie (SR, 4.7 PPG in 24-25)
G: Cedric Taylor III (JR, 15.6 PPG in 24-25 at Morehouse College)
Notable Sixth Man: Calvin Robbins, Jr. (SO, 3.1 PPG in 24-25)
Note: these starting lineups are projected.
Get to know Howard: the MEAC school, not an actual person
From Sam Snelling’s preseason preview:
Advertisement
“As a basketball school, Howard has been a bit up and down. It’s one of the better resourced programs in the MEAC Conference and has battled Norfolk State and North Carolina Central in recent seasons for which program is the best in the league. For the record, Norfolk has been winning this argument and has consistently been the best in the MEAC. But for the Howard they’ve been solid if unspectacular in recent seasons, with their 2023 season being their best.”
The Bison roster is filled to the brim with newcomers, as the team only returns four players. Seven of the team’s 16 players are freshman, including two European imports in Stefan Isailovic from Serbia and Danas Kazakevicius from Lithuania. Head coach Kenny Blakeney also brought in Ed Holland from Penn, Alex Cotton from North Texas and Cam Gillus from Lehigh, plus Cedric Taylor III from D-II Morehouse College and Travelle Bryson from JUCO Vincennes University. Gillus is the likeliest of the group to become a major contributor for Howard after starting 29 games and averaging 9.4 points per game for the Mountain Hawks last year.
The biggest player to watch for Howard is undoubtedly graduate guard Bryce Harris, who was named First Team All-MEAC in 2023-24 and the MEAC Preseason Player of the Year last season before suffering a season-ending injury just seven games into the year. Harris averaged 16.6 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 37.5% from beyond the arc two seasons ago and should again play the leading role in the Bison offense this year.
3 Keys to the Game
Start fast
How does a team get into dangerous territory against an inferior opponent on the road? By stumbling out of the gate. Jacksonville State kept its matchup last year with Mizzou (in CoMo) a bit too close for comfort for the Tigers with a seven point lead halfway through the opening 20 minutes, and opened the game on a 7-0 run before eventually falling to Dennis Gates’ squad, 83-72. A slow start wouldn’t be overly concerning tonight for Mizzou — Howard is rated 308th out of 365 Division I teams on Kenpom — but it could make things more interesting than Gates or the Tigers want during their season opener.
Advertisement
Control the boards
The Bison have just three players who measure 6-foot-8 or higher, with the tallest being 6-foot-10 true freshman Danas Kazakevicius. Mizzou has eight players that reach the 6-foot-8 mark. Height isn’t everything in rebounding, but it sure helps, and the Tigers will have a sizable advantage in that area. The other key factor in grabbing boards, effort and determination, is up for grabs. The more Mizzou can grab second chances on the offensive end and prevent Howard from receiving similar opportunities, the lower the odds of an upset and the wider the scoring margin will get.
Limit turnovers
By now, you can likely tell my keys are all about preventing the factors which can cause high major teams to sweat against low major competition. Barring an outlandish performance from beyond the arc, Howard will need to bog the Tigers offense down with turnovers and capitalize in transition to have a hope of keeping up. Cleaning up on the boards (key #2) and limiting the mistakes on offense would cut the Bison’s already slim hopes of an upset to a margin thinner than the garlic Paulie sliced with a razor blade in Goodfellas.
Game Prediction
My prediction: Mizzou 89, Howard 71.
I don’t expect the Tigers to put triple digits on the scoreboard like they did in their exhibition against Kansas State, but this game lines up well for Mark Mitchell and newcomer Shawn Phillips. Jr., to have strong performances. Mizzou should be able to put its length to good use, making life difficult for Howard in the half court and control the rebounding margin. The Bison have some quality players, especially Harris, to give the Tigers a challenge in some moments. But I’d expect Mizzou to pull away enough for Dennis Gates to tinker with the team’s rotations in the second half and secure the season-opening win.
