Mizzou basketball kicked off once again on Friday night at Mizzou Arena, in exhibition style. The Kansas State Wildcats came to town as both teams sought to get some action in before the regular season rolls around in early November. The Tigers ultimately came out with the 100-91 victory.
“I thought it was important that we saw the things we’ve worked on show up, and we did that,” Gates said. “There are rusty edges on defense — over-running closeouts, not enough rotations. But our guys did a great job of sticking to the overall game plan.”
Mizzou is notably the only SEC team to retain three of its starters from last season, Mark Mitchell, Trent Pierce, and Anthony Robinson II. Robinson II converted the first triple of the night for the Tigers at the 9:28 mark of the first half.
At the 8:44 mark of the first half, Robinson led Missouri's scoring with 11 points and was tied for second in team rebounds with two.
The highly anticipated portal acquisition, Shawn Phillips Jr., showcased the reason behind his hype. Efficiency inside is what the Tigers got from Phillips Jr, scoring 14 and shooting 6-of-7 from the field and collecting ten rebounds. A double double in whole.
“He’s a vertical threat,” Gates said of Phillips. “I’m more proud of his 10 rebounds. He gives us rim protection. He’s a dynamic kid, an unbelievable person. I love coaching Shawn Phillips.”
By halftime, Mizzou had built a 47–39 lead and carried that momentum into the second half behind Phillips, who opened the frame with back-to-back dunks to push the margin to double digits
Later, a Jayden Stone dunk sparked a 17–4 run, extending the lead to 19 at 82–63. From there, the Tigers never looked back, cruising to a comfortable win.
This game also opened the door for players like Boateng, who showed his growth after a limited freshman campaign.
“I really just got that full summer ahead of me compared to last year when I was sitting down a lot because of injury,” Boateng said. “I feel like I’ve developed a lot in this program, and I was able to come out and just produce those results.”
Stone, playing his first game action since March, also made the most of his opportunity, shaking off nerves and scoring 16 points on 4-of-9 shooting.
“I was just grateful that Coach gave me the opportunity to play,” Stone said. “To be here is a real blessing.”