University of Missouri
Florida
Men's Basketball Hosts Florida in SEC Opener Saturday
1/2/2026 2:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
| Missouri (10-3, 0-0 SEC) vs. Florida (9-4, 0-0 SEC) | |
| Game Details | Saturday, Jan. 3 • 7:30 p.m. • Columbia, Mo. • Mizzou Arena | Gameday Info |
| Television | SEC Network |
| Radio | Tiger Radio Network | Sirius XM: 374 | Sirius XM App: 374 |
| Game Notes | Missouri | Florida |
| Game Coverage | Live Stats | Twitter: @MizzouHoops | Instagram: @MizzouHoops |
| Tickets | Ticketmaster | 4 for $40 Ticket Promotion | 1-800-CAT-PAWS |
The Mizzou men's basketball team begins its quest for a conference title on Saturday, hosting No. 22 Florida in its SEC opener at Mizzou Arena. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m. on SEC Network.
PROMOTIONS
• Fans can celebrate the New Year with a special ticket promotion for the SEC opener, locking in four seats for $40 (CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE).
ABOUT THE TIGERS
• Mizzou enters SEC play with a 10-3 overall mark.
• The Tigers are in action for the first time in 12 days and are coming off a setback to No. 20 Illinois on Dec. 22.
• Senior Mark Mitchell leads the Tigers with 17.2 points and 5.8 rebounds, while ranking second with 2.9 assists per game.
• Jacob Crews and Anthony Robinson II follow with 13.9 and 10.9 points, respectively.
• Jayden Stone also scores in double figures with 13.3 points and is expected to return after missing the last seven games with a hand injury.
• Robinson also leads Mizzou with 3.4 assists, while Shawn Phillips Jr. has a team-best 1.5 blocks.
• The Tigers are averaging 83.8 points per game in 2025-26, while allowing 71.5.
ABOUT THE GATORS
• The preseason SEC favorite, the Gators enter conference play with a 9-4 record.
• The Gators have won their last four contests and are ranked No. 22 in both national polls.
• Thomas Haugh leads five scores in double figures as he is averaging 16.7 points per game.
• Alex Condon is second with 14.3 points to go with a team-leading 3.7 assists.
• Rueben Chinyelu has a team-best 10.9 rebounds.
• The Gators are averaging 85.1 points per game, while allowing 70.4 in non-conference action.
SERIES HISTORY
• The teams have met on 17 previous occasions with Florida holding an 12-5 advantage over Mizzou and a 4-3 edge in Columbia.
• Last season, the schools split a pair of games. The Tigers handed the Gators their lone home loss of the season, 83-82, before Florida won in the SEC Tournament, 95-81.
• The win for Mizzou marked the first time the Tigers defeated the eventual national champions since 1983 (NC State).
MIZZOU IN SEC OPENERS
• The Tigers are set to begin their 14th season of play in the SEC on Saturday.
• Missouri is 4-9 in its conference opener since joining the league, including a 3-5 record when opening at home.
• Last season, the Tigers lost at No. 2 Auburn to open league play. Mizzou last won its conference opener during the 2022-23 season – defeating No. 19 Kentucky, 89-75, at Mizzou Arena.
HOME SWEET HOME
• The Tigers will be happy to be opening SEC play in the friendly confines of Mizzou Arena.
• Mizzou is 9-0 this season at home, compared to a 1-3 mark away from Mizzou Arena.
• The team's shooting is the most noticeable difference as the Tigers are averaging 91.3 points on 56.6 percent shooting.
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
• Overall, the Tigers own one of the top home-court advantages in the country over the last two seasons.
• Since the beginning of the 2024-25 season, the Tigers are 27-2 at Mizzou Arena and 5-13 away from Columbia.
• Mizzou's 27 home wins during the last two years are the second-most in the nation, behind only George Mason with 28.
THE CREWS MISSILE
• Graduate student Jacob Crews has been one of the top shooters nationally this season.
• Crews leads the Tigers with 38 made 3-pointers and a clip of 51.4 percent from beyond the arc.
• He currently ranks fourth in the nation in 3-point percentage and 57th with 2.92 triples per game.
• Crews has made at least three triples in eight of the last 10 games - he did so only four times in his first 36 contests a Tiger prior to the current 10-game run.
MR. VERSATILE, MARK MITCHELL
• Mark Mitchell has led the charge for Mizzou and has started the season on an elite level.
• Mitchell is averaging a team-best 17.2 points and 5.8 boards, while ranking second with 2.9 assists.
• In fact, he is the only player in the SEC to have totaled 200 points, 75 rebounds and 35 assists so far this season.
TOP SCORER
• While Mark Mitchell can do it all, he's still best known for his scoring ability.
• Mitchell leads Missouri with 17.2 points, ranking eighth in the SEC and 109th in the nation.
• In addition, Mitchell's 17.2 average is the highest by a Tiger through the season's first 13 games since Jordan Clarkson (19.3) and Jabari Brown (18.4) in 2013-14.
