The Mizzou men's basketball team plays its second exhibition game of the preseason, traveling to face UNLV on Thursday night. Tipoff is set for 9 p.m. CT and be seen live on MW+.
Thursday's game will stream live on MW+, with Matt Neverett handling play-by-play and Steve Cofield serving as analyst. Fans can watch the game and subscribe to MW+ through UNLV's dedicated page by clicking here.
ABOUT THE TIGERS
• Missouri finished the 2025-26 season with an overall record of 20-13 and an SEC mark of 10-8.
• The Tigers earned their third NCAA Tournament bid in four years under Dennis Gates, falling to Miami in the first round.
• All-SEC performer Mark Mitchell is the team's lone returning starter from last season. Mitchell led Mizzou with 18.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists during the 2025-26 campaign.
ABOUT THE RUNNIN' REBELS
• UNLV finished the 2025-26 season with an 18-17 overall record, including an 11-9 mark against Mountain West foes.
• A trio of Runnin' Rebels earned preseason honors by the Mountain West as Jackson Kiss was named the league's Freshman of the Year, while Tyrin Jones and AJ Storr both collected All-MWC Preseason Team accolades.
• UNLV has played two exhibition games this season, falling to Utah, 79-69, on Oct. 7 and BYU, 89-77, on Oct. 24.
FAMILIAR FACE
• The Tigers will see a familiar face on UNLV's sideline on Thursday.
• Sebastian Mack is in his first year with the Rebels after spending the 2025-26 season at Mizzou.
• Mack led UNLV in scoring in each of its exhibition games – tallying 25 points versus Utah and 26 points versus BYU.
• In his lone season at Mizzou, Mack appeared in 18 games – averaging 7.0 points and 1.3 boards.
BOB COUSY AWARD WATCH LIST
• Freshman Jason Crowe Jr. was recognized as one of the nation's top point guards Oct. 26, earning a spot on the Bob Cousy Award Watch List.
• The Bob Cousy Award is handed out to the nation's top point guard.
• Crowe is one of 20 players on the preseason watch list, including one of just three freshmen.
• A McDonald's All-American, Crowe averaged 43.3 points, 5.8 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 3.5 steals as a high school senior – breaking California's all-time scoring record.
SUSTAINED SUCCESS
• The Tigers are building under head coach Dennis Gates as he re-establishes the team on the national level.
• Mizzou has made the NCAA Tournament in the last two seasons – its first time making back-to-back since a five-year run from 2009 to 2013.
• Additionally, MU has won double-digit SEC games in each of the last two campaigns – a first for the team since joining the conference in 2012.
KANSAS STATE RECAP
• Mizzou fans got their first look at the 2026-27 Tigers last Friday when the team defeated Kansas State, 71-67, in its first exhibition.
• Freshman Jason Crowe Jr. led the Tigers with 21 points and three steals, while senior Trent Pierce also scored in double figures with 10 points.
• On the defensive end, Bryson Tiller led Mizzou with nine rebounds and five blocks, while Mark Mitchell added eight boards.
• After KSU led for most of the first half, Mizzou started the second stanza on a 13-0 run and never gave the lead back en route to the victory.
NATIONAL RANKINGS
• The 2026-27 campaign is a highly-anticipated season for Tigers fans.
• In early preseason polls, MU is ranked as high as No. 14 in the Blue Ribbon Yearbook Top 25, while also placing No. 16 in ESPN's preseason rankings.
• In the preseason AP poll, the Tigers are top team receiving votes with 167 points.
• The 167 points are the Tigers' most in the preseason poll since collecting 664 as the nation's No. 15 team in 2012.
• Mizzou also received 60 points in the coaches' poll and is the third highest team receiving votes.
CHALLENGING SCHEDULE
• The Tigers are set to face one of the nation's top schedules in 2026-27.
• Mizzou is slated to play 11 games against teams ranked in the preseason AP poll – tied for the most in the country with Arizona.
• In non-conference, MU faces No. 3 Illinois and No. 17 Kansas in addition to teams receiving votes in Nebraska, Saint Louis, Indiana and Marquette.
ALL-AROUND LEADER IN MITCHELL
• The team's top returner for 2026-27 is All-SEC performer Mark Mitchell.
• Last season, Mitchell led the Tigers in scoring (18.3), rebounds (5.2) and assists (3.6).
• He became just the second player in program history to lead Mizzou in all three categories, joining Albert White in 1998-99.
VERSATILITY ON DISPLAY
• Mark Mitchell and his all-around game were also evident nationally last season.
• Mitchell finished as just one of eight players in the country to total 600 points, 170 rebounds and 110 assists in 2025-26.