The Missouri Tigers will get their initial look at Presbyterian College when the two meet for the first time Saturday at Mizzou Arena.
Fresh off their 85-82 overtime win Wednesday night against red-hot Vanderbit, the Tigers (7-1) will look to keep their momentum going against the Blue Hose (3-5, 1-1 Big South). Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. (KOMU-TV).
Presbyterian is 0-19 against BCS schools in the three-plus seasons of Division I play. This is the third time the Blue Hose have tipped off against a Big 12 opponent - the first was a 67-52 loss at Nebraska in the team's first-ever Division I game. Presbyterian already dropped a 76-67 decision this season to then-No. 3 Kansas State in the opening round of the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic.
Presbyterian has a common opponent with the 15th-ranked Tigers. The Blue Hose opened the season with an 88-47 loss to Vanderbilt.
Al'Lonzo Coleman leads the Blue Hose in scoring and rebounding. The 6-foot-7 junior is averaging 14.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.
Presbyterian has two more players averaging double digits in Khalid Mutakabbir (12.5 ppg) and Jake Troyli (10.8 ppg). Josh Johnson and Pierre Miller are averaging a little more than nine points per contest.
The Blue Hose have wins over Eastern Kentucky (67-66), Princeton (69-67) and VMI (92-78).
Missouri is led in scoring by Marcus Denmon. The junior is averaging 17 points per game and 22.3 points in the last three. He scored 21 points against Vanderbilt, including 19 in the second half and overtime.
Also in double figures for the Tigers are Ricardo Ratliffe (12.6), Michael Dixon (11.4), Laurence Bowers (10.8) and Kim English (10.6).
Missouri has two more home games before its annual Braggin' Rights contest with Illinois on Dec. 22 (ESPN2-TV) in St. Louis. The Tigers host Oral Roberts at 7 p.m. Thursday and Central Arkansas at 7 p.m. Dec. 18.