#ZOUNOTES
• Mizzou Men's Basketball begins its 2015-16 season with an exhibition  opener vs. Missouri Western on Friday, Nov. 6, with a 7 p.m. start scheduled for live broadcast on SEC Network+.

• Head coach Kim Anderson's squad took care of business in its two exhibition games last season, averaging 74.5 points in the two wins (72-31 vs. William Jewell; 77-54 vs. UMSL).

• Anderson begins his second season at the helm with the retooling of his roster underway: six newcomers (four freshmen, two JUCO transfers) join the Tigers.

• The Tigers also welcome two new staff members: assistant coach, Corey Tate (Missouri, '97) and special assistant to the head coach, Steve Shields.

• Anderson, recently inducted into the Mid-America Athletics Associatian Hall of Fame over the summer, had a strong record of success vs. Missouri Western. Anderson's Central Missouri teams went 20-6 against MWSU during his 13 years in Warrensburg.

ABOUT MISSOURI WESTERN
• Mizzou Men's Basketball opens its 2015-16 home schedule with an exhibition matchup vs. Missouri Western on Friday, Nov. 6, starting at 7 p.m. on SEC Network+ from Mizzou Arena.

• The Griffons, a NCAA Division II program based out of St. Joseph, Mo., are a familiar opponent to Mizzou head coach Kim Anderson. The all-time winningest coach in Central Missouri (DII) history, Anderson posted a 20-6 record against Missouri Western in 13 seasons as the Mules' leader.

• Anderson also revealed additional reasoning for scheduling Missouri Western: third-year head coach Brett Weiberg is the nephew of Anderson's former boss at the Big 12 Conference, commissioner Kevin Weiberg. Following Anderson's second stint as an assistant coach on the legendary Norm Stewart's staff (1991-99), Anderson joined the Big 12 as a basketball administrator for three seasons.

CLOSER LOOK AT THE GRIFFONS
• Missouri Western head coach Brett Weiberg's leading returning scorer (8.6) and rebounder (6.2) is senior forward Kevin Thomas.

• Junior guard Aaron Emmanuel will be the likely conductor of Missouri Western's offensive sets. The Griffon is the squad's leading returner in assists, averaging 3.0 per game during the 2014-15 campaign.

• Last season, the Griffons compiled a 12-15 record, also taking a 74-35 exhibition loss to Oklahoma State on Nov. 8, 2014, in Stillwater, Okla., to begin the season.

• Comparitively, the Tigers and Cowboys battled to a 62-62 tie after regulation in the two programs' entertaining contest inside Kansas City's Sprint Center on Dec. 30, 2014. Mizzou eventually yielded to Oklahoma State, dropping a 74-72 overtime result.