Exhibition times two!
Mizzou Basketball is going to play a game tonight, the game won’t count, and unless you’re a Mountain West fanatic, you might not even get to see it!
The Tigers travel to Las Vegas to take on the Runnin’ Rebels of UNLV. Once a powerhouse of a basketball program in the 1970s and 80s, the Rebels have had a hard time finding consistent relevance in the last 12 years or so. They haven’t made an NCAA Tournament since 2013, and while they’ve only had two losing seasons in that span, they’ve also only hit 20 wins three times, and never more than 21 wins.
They were national champions in 1990 behind names like Greg Anthony, Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon, and Anderson Hunt. They’ve played in four Final Fours, and are 33-19 in the NCAA Tournament over 20 trips. But as college football has caused realignment ripple effects, the Rebels find themselves in what might now be a one bid Mountain West conference.
Mizzou and UNLV have faced each other before, but not since 2005, when the Tigers lost an early February matchup on the road. The season before they beat the REbels by 34 at Mizzou Arena. They also played in 1988 (won by 2 on the road), and then split a 1991-92 home game with a 1992-93 road game. So 3-2 all time with both losses coming on the road.
How to Watch: Missouri vs UNLV
- When | 9:00 p.m. CT
- Where | Thomas & Mack Center; Paradise, NV.
- TV | Mountain West+
The media rights holder goes to the home team, and UNLV plays in the Mountain West. So the only way to watch the game is through a Mountain West subscription.
The Starters
Mizzou (0-0)
PG: Jason Crowe, Jr. (FR)
CG: Kennard Davis, Jr. (SR)
WING: Trent Pierce (SR)
CF: Toni Bryant (FR)
POST: Bryson Tiller (SR)
Notable Bench Players: Mark Mitchell (G-SR), Jamier Jones (SO), Jaylen Carey (SR), Cord Stansberry (SR)
UNLV (0-0)
PG: Cam Miles (SO)
CG: Sebastian Mack (SR)
WING: Dontrez Williams (JR)
CF: Jackson Kiss (FR)
POST: Jeremy Foumena (SR)
Notable Bench Players: Mustapha Loum (JR), Jalen Cunningham (JR), Kota Suttle Jr (FR)
Note: These starting lineups are projected based on who started the last exhibition game for each team.
The UNLV Runnin’ Rebels
For a full preview, head on over to Rock M+ where Matt Harris has put together an excellent lookahead for the Runnin’ Rebels.
Josh Pastner has been in charge with the Rebels after the Kruger redux didn’t pan out. Lon Kruger had a very good run with the Rebels that wrapped up in 2011, but his son Kevin didn’t quite have the same juice. Obviously a lot changed since 2011, but he was let go after 4 solid, if unspectacular, years. Pastner was 18-17 last year and begins the season with a mostly renewed roster, having only returned one player from the rotation.
The Rebels are a bit banged up right now, and we’ll see if more players are available for this matchup versus their last one against BYU. But they lost to BYU 89-77 while missing multiple players expected to start or contribute for them this season.
The leading scorer for the game against BYU? Our old friend Sebastian Mack, he scored 26 points on 20 shots in 33 minutes. Cam Miles shipped in 15, and Jeremy Foumena added 10.
But missing were potential starting point guard Terrance Ford, Jr, Tyrin Jones who could start at either post position, Tyler Harris is expected to jostle with 5th year wing AJ Storr for minutes if Storr is eligible. And then of course Storr is spending time in court trying to be clear for the season.
If everyone is healthy, this is a solid team that could push for the top of the Mountain West. But health has been an issue in Las Vegas the last few years.
0 Keys to the Game
Show up, have fun, don’t get anyone hurt
It’s predictable yes. But I’m going to keep saying it. This game is meant to gain experience. It does not count. Get everyone some time on the floor, get the young guys some run. Play hard, play fast, play physical. But most importantly, get home without any injuries.
The result? Mizzou should win this game. So win, sure. Give Baz (Mack’s nickname) a hug, and wish them good luck this season.
Game Prediction?
KenPom has Mizzou ranked 48th preseason, and UNLV is 78th. But with the players being held out, I’d expect the Rebels NetRating to drop a smidge. Still, let’s keep it where it is. There is a difference of 5.7 points between the two teams NetRatings, which is over the course of 100 possessions. Both teams want to play relatively fast, let’s say 72 possessions, that’s about a four point difference on a neutral court. I think home court advantage is a bit lower than it used to be, but let’s call it three. So a KenPom projection likely means a one point Mizzou win.
I’ll say slightly lower scoring, 71-70.
Same as last time, I don’t plan on running a Study Hall after this game, the tip isn’t until 9, so I’ll do my best to get some thoughts up afterwards. It’s the last exhibition before the real stuff starts next week!