Mizzou basketball opened their 2017-2018 season on Friday evening and took it to the Iowa State Cyclones. The Tigers won by a score of 75-59 in the new era of MU basketball.
We’re only a few years removed from the Missouri Tigers losing to UMKC in the season opener and just a year removed from when the UCM Mules basketball team almost defeated the Tigers. Having a dominating season opening win over a legitimate force in college basketball was great to see.
This had to have been the most excited Mizzou basketball fans have been in a LONG time. For one, the season tickets sold out, proving that the fan base has a damn good feeling about this season.
The vibe last year was nothing like this. The Tigers were expecting another bad season and that’s exactly what they got. After an offseason filled with changes, the Cuonzo Martin era officially began in Columbia, Missouri.
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If Friday night is any indication of what fans will be treated to this year, then it could be a fun ride for Missouri Tigers fans. They deserve it too! The last three years have been really tough, especially on the court.
On Friday, the Tigers handled the Iowa State Cyclones, a well respected Big 12 team, with ease. They did so without their top player too. Michael Porter Jr. only scored two points and was pulled after just two minutes of his first official college hoops game.
The reasoning became clear later on, as it was announced that Porter had tweaked his hip during warmups. Martin decided to hold him out of the game as a precautionary reason and unlike the tweet below, he was on the bench for the duration of the game.
So yes, without Porter, the guy who was supposed to be the team’s best player, the Tigers still knocked the Cyclones around. Iowa State is no slouch either. This is a team that went into Lawrence, Kansas last year and took down the Jayhawks.
For a Mizzou team who has struggled on the court these last few years, just winning games would be nice. This year, however, the Tigers are going to be a legitimate contender in the SEC. Sure, Friday was just one game, but fans had to be happy with what they saw.
Kevin Puryear, who filled in for Porter, led the Tigers in scoring with 17, followed by Jordan Barnett with 15, and Jeremiah Tilmon with 14. The Tigers looked to be clicking on all cylinders and for the first time in several years, MU fans have a reason to be excited when it comes to hoops season. This team will be fun to watch.
Next up are the Wagner Seahawks of the NEC (yes, that’s a thing), who the Tigers will host on Monday night.