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COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Missouri men’s basketball team returns to Mizzou Arena Thursday, Nov. 18 for a 7 p.m. tip against Northern Illinois (1-1). The game will be broadcast on SECN+ and the Tiger Radio Network. Former Mizzou Tiger, Kevin Puryear will be joined by Ben Arnet on the SECN+ broadcast.
GAME PREVIEW
- Thursday’s game will be a contrast of roster experience as Northern Illinois’ roster includes 10 upper classmen, compared to five for Mizzou.
- Kobe Brown is coming off one of the best offensive performances of his career, with 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Brown also contributed four rebounds, a block and a steal.
- Ronnie DeGray III continues to be a spark off the bench for Missouri, putting up his second-consecutive double-digit scoring performance with 14 points against Kansas City. DeGray scored 13 points in the season opener and ranks fourth in the SEC in offensive rebounds per game (4.0).
- Through the first two games, offensive rebounds have figured to be a critical element of Mizzou’s game. The Tigers had 16 in their season-opening win, compared to just six against Kansas City. The 16 were the most in a season-opener for Mizzou since 2014.
THE SERIES
- Thursday serves as the third meeting all-time between the two programs, with Mizzou holding a 2-0 lead.
- The last meeting between Mizzou and the Huskies came in 2015, where Missouri had a seven-point victory.
- Kevin Puryear led the way in the 2015 matchup for the Tigers with a team-high 17 points.
- Monday is just the fifth all-time game for Northern Illinois against a current member of the SEC.
SCOUTING NORTHERN ILLINOIS
- Northern Illinois’ first-year head coach is no stranger to SEC opponents, previously serving as an assistant from 2012-2014 at Florida.
- The Huskies opened their season with a seven-point road win over Washington before dropping an 85-49 contest against Indiana.
- NIU ranks 12th in the country in blocked shots per game, with 7.5 through two. Kingsley Okanu Chinedu led the Huskies with four blocks against Washington.
UP NEXT
Mizzou heads to Jacksonville, Fla. for the on-site portion of the Classic. The Tigers kick off action Sunday at 7 p.m. CT against SMU and will play a final game on Monday against either Florida State or LMU.
FOLLOW THE TIGERS
For all the latest information on Mizzou Men’s Basketball, please visit MUTigers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Tigers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @MizzouHoops. Fans should call 1-800-CAT-PAWS for tickets or buy online today!
