After a long off-season, head coach Dennis Gates and his Missouri Tigers are finally ready to get the season underway, starting with a road matchup versus Howard.
The Bison finished the 2024-25 campaign with a 12-20 record, featuring an even, 7-7 conference record. They closed the year seventh in the Mid-Eastern Conference.
The team is very young, but lost some of their talent in this offseason. Freshman guard Blake Harper transferred to Creighton after a 2024-25 season that saw him put up 20 points, six rebounds, and over three assists a night.
The guard brought home the MEAC Player and Rookie of the Year, which has never been done simultaneously in the program's 54-year history.
Marcus Dockery also graduated last season, meaning the team will be down another impactful guard. The Washington, D.C., native played three years for the team, after playing a pair for Maryland. Last season, he averaged 11 points, three rebounds, and two assists, shooting 50% from the field.
Returning this season is senior Ayodele Taiwo, who cracked the All-MEAC Defensive Second Team, after leading the Bison in blocks per night. He doesn't have much of an offensive game, but his presence in the paint is enough to limit scoring when the Nigeria native is on the floor.
The squad is led by head coach Kenny Blakeney, who's been on Howard's sidelines since the 2019-20 season. He previously coached with a plethora of other programs, as an assistant, after he secured two NCAA Championships with Duke as a player.
He's 73-96 in his tenure, appearing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament twice, and winning the MEAC Coach of the Year in 2023.
As a team last year, Howard averaged just under 78 points a night, shooting 46% from the field, and adding 16 assists per night. They also notched over three blocks a night, showing their ability to be impactful from both sides of the ball.
With the start of a new season, the level of play needs to start strong, and they need to play until the final whistle. With a much different look coming from the Tigers, it'll be interesting to see how they play, but it's important they don't underestimate a talented Bison club.
The teams tip-off from D.C. on Monday evening, at 6 pm cst.