Missouri posted a 25-10 record and reached the NCAA Tournament last season despite struggling with interior defense and rebounding.
The Tigers ranked 360th among Division I schools last season with a minus-7.2 rebounding differential. They addressed that shortcoming by landing 7-foot-5 Connor Vanover in the transfer portal and recruiting freshmen Jordan Butler, a 7-foot center, and Trent Pierce, a 6-foot-10 wing player.
They will feature their bigger look on Monday when they open their season by hosting Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Columbia, Mo.
Vanover averaged 12.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game last season at Oral Roberts while earning Summit League Defensive Player of the Year honors. Vanover previously played at Arkansas and California.
Other key transfers include forwards John Tonje (Colorado State) and Jesus Carrelero Martin (Campbell) and guards Caleb Grill (Iowa State) and Tamar Bates (Indiana).
Missouri returns forward Noah Carter (9.6 points, 4.0 rebounds per game last season) and veteran point guards Nick Honor (7.9 points, 2.9 assists) and Sean East II (7.3 points, 2.5 assists).
“We got a lot of guys on the team that fill a lot of pieces on this team,” Carter said. “Now we’ve got length, we’ve got athleticism, we’ve got shooting, we’ve got quickness, so I feel like we got everything that we could possibly need.”
Missouri was picked ninth in the preseason Southeastern Conference poll while Arkansas-Pine Bluff was selected to finish 10th in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff finished 10-21 last season while lacking much Division I experience. The Golden Lions return nine players while adding D-I transfers Joe French (Bethune-Cookman), Lonnell Martin Jr. (Montana) and Rashad Williams (Saint Louis).
“Anytime you can bring back nine guys, that’s very important,” coach Solomon Bozeman said. “I think retention is a key to winning. We have nine guys back that understand the culture, understand who I am as a person and how I want things done.”
The key returning player for the Golden Lions is junior guard Kylen Milton, who averaged 13.2 points, 4.2 assists and 4.1 rebounds last season.
–Field Level Media