Tamar Bates (left) and Aidan Shaw (right) will be back to lead the Missouri Tigers men’s basketball team into the 2024-25 season. (Photo: Cedric Williams)

Mizzou Basketball – Gameday Info
Game No. 1 – Missouri (0-0) vs. Memphis (0-0)
Date/Time – November 4, 2024 – 7 pm
Location – Fedex Forum — Memphis, TN
Broadcast — ESPN+
Radio — Tiger Radio Network
Live Stats — Memphis Sidearm Stats

Terrance Williams
Staff Writer

MEMPHIS, TN — The University of Missouri men’s basketball team will open the 2024-25 season on Monday with a road matchup at the Fedex Forum against the University of Memphis.

Most teams prefer to not play that tough an opponent in the season opener, but Missouri head coach Dennis Gates said that he and Memphis coach Penny Hardaway both liked the idea of challenging their teams right off the bat.

“To be one of the teams in the country that has put their schedule together and competing at a high level against an opponent like Memphis on the road, it just gives us time to get back to the drawing board to see where we are,” Gates said. “We’re going to find out right away where we stand and how hard our guys compete. We like this challenge.”

Monday’s game marks the beginning of a clean slate for a Missouri squad that ended the 2023-24 season on a 19-game losing streak, all of which came against Southeastern Conference opponents. To fix the deficiencies from last season, Mizzou added 11 new players — five incoming freshmen and six transfers — to its 18-man roster.

With such a large shakeup, Gates has primarily focused on fostering team chemistry between the new additions and the team’s returning players in the offseason.

“You strip everything down (to) the bare bones,” Gates said. “Whenever you have a new program, new team or new season, you have new personalities in the locker room.

“You want to make sure that these guys are connected in a certain way, not just physically — when they go out and perform — but emotionally and mentally, that they have the endurance to stick together and do the things necessary but also sharpen each other’s blade every day.”

Memphis went 22-10 last year and just missed qualifying for the postseason, after getting upset in the first round of the American Athletic Conference Tournament. The blue & silver Tigers bring back just one starter and have number of new faces on their roster.

Monday’s contest should be an interesting first matchup of the season for both sets of Tigers.

Mizzou coach Dennis Gates will begin his third season as the leader of the Tigers’ program when the team takes on Memphis on Monday. (Photo: Chucky Booker)

Players to Watch: Mizzou’s top returning players are guard Tamar Bates, who averaged 13.5 ppg last year, and forward Caleb Grill, who averaged 8.4 ppg and 5.8 rpg, before missing the final 23 games of the season due to a wrist injury.

The black & gold Tigers also added potential big-time scorers in transfers Mark Mitchell from Duke, Tony Perkins from Iowa, and Marques Warrick from Northern Kentucky.

Freshman Marcus Allen, Annor Boateng, and 7-footer Peyton Marshall will make their college debuts on Monday.

Memphis returns one starter in Nicholas Jourdian, who averaged 6.5 points and 4.0 rebounds.

PJ Haggerty led the Tigers with 28.0 points and 9.0 rebounds during the two exhibition games, while Tyrese Hunter had a team-best 5.0 assists.

Up Next: Mizzou will be home for its second game on Friday, November 8, when the Tigers will host Howard University. That matchup at Mizzou Arena will tip off at 6 p.m.

2024-25 Missouri Tigers Men’s Basketball Schedule

DateTimeAtOpponentLocationTV
November 4, 2024 (Monday)7 p.m.AwayMemphisMemphis, Tenn.
November 8, 2024 (Friday)7 p.m.HomeHowardMizzou Arena
November 11, 2024 (Monday)6 p.m.HomeEastern WashingtonMizzou Arena
November 14, 2024 (Thursday)6:30 p.m.HomeMississippi Valley StateMizzou Arena
November 22, 2024 (Friday)6:30 p.m.HomePacificMizzou Arena
November 24, 2024 (Sunday)4 p.m.HomeArkansas – Pine BluffMizzou Arena
November 27, 2024 (Wednesday)5:30 p.m.HomeLindenwoodMizzou Arena
December 3, 2024 (Tuesday)6 p.m.HomeCaliforniaMizzou Arena
December 8, 2024 (Sunday)NoonHomeKansasMizzou Arena
December 14, 2024 (Saturday)11 a.m.HomeLong IslandMizzou Arena
December 17, 2024 (Tuesday)6:30 p.m.HomeJacksonville StateMizzou Arena
December 22, 2024 (Sunday)NoonNeutralIllinoisSt. Louis, Mo. / Enterprise Center
December 30, 2024 (Monday)6:30 p.m.Alabama StateMizzou ArenaMizzou Arena
January 4, 2025 (Saturday)3 p.m.AwayAuburnAuburn, Ala.
January 7, 2025 (Tuesday)8 p.m.HomeLSUMizzou Arena
January 11, 2025 (Saturday)2:30 p.m.HomeVanderbiltMizzou Arena
January 14, 2025 (Tuesday)8 p.m.AwayFloridaGainesville, Fla.
January 18, 2025 (Saturday)5 p.m.HomeArkansasMizzou Arena
January 21, 2025 (Tuesday)8 p.m.AwayTexasAustin, Texas
January 25, 2025 (Saturday)5 p.m.HomeOle MissMizzou Arena
February 1, 2025 (Saturday)NoonAwayMississippi StateStarkville, Miss.
February 5, 2025 (Wednesday)6 p.m.AwayTennesseeKnoxville, Tenn.
February 8, 2025 (Saturday)2:30 p.m.HomeTexas A&MMizzou Arena
February 12, 2025 (Wednesday)8 p.m.HomeOklahomaMizzou Arena
February 15, 2025 (Saturday)2:30 p.m.AwayGeorgiaAthens, Ga.
February 19, 2025 (Wednesday)8 p.m.HomeAlabamaMizzou Arena
February 22, 2025 (Saturday)7 p.m.AwayArkansasFayetteville, Ark.ESPN or ESPN2
February 25, 2025 (Tuesday)8 p.m.HomeSouth CarolinaMizzou ArenaESPN2 or ESPNU
March 1, 2025 (Saturday)5 p.m.AwayVanderbiltNashville, Tenn.
March 5, 2025 (Wednesday)7 p.m.AwayOklahomaNorman, Okla.
March 8, 2025 (Saturday)11 a.m.HomeKentuckyMizzou ArenaESPN or SECN
March 12-16, 2025 TBDNeutralSEC TournamentNashville, Tenn. / Bridgestone ArenaSECN or ESPN