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The Mizzou women’s hoops schedule continues to travel together, arsenic nan SEC released nan opponents and sites for each teams connected Tuesday.
The different games announced for nan 2026-27 play see a matchup against Kansas State successful Kansas City connected Nov. 22 and a roadworthy showdown against Florida State connected Dec. 3 successful nan SEC/ACC Challenge.
The Tigers’ 16-game convention slate will see facing each squad successful nan convention positive some a home-and-away crippled against a surging Vanderbilt squad. Here are nan apical takeaways from nan announcement and what it intends for twelvemonth 2 nether coach Kellie Harper.
Hannah Henderson/Rock M Nation
One of nan biggest ways nan Tigers tin amended this play is by making Mizzou Arena a much formidable spot to play. During twelvemonth 1 nether Coach Harper, Mizzou ended nan twelvemonth 2-6 astatine location against SEC opponents. They will person respective opportunities to surpass that number pinch showdowns against Arkansas, Florida and Mississippi State; 3 of nan bottommost 5 successful nan SEC past season.
After breaking a 12-game losing streak against Arkansas successful February 2025, nan Tigers person flipped nan book by winning nan past 3 matchups. They person besides recovered occurrence against Mississippi State, winning nan regular play matchups nan past 2 years. That agelong besides included a Bulldogs triumph successful nan opening information of nan SEC tourney during nan 2024-25 season.
Florida poses nan astir difficult matchup retired of these three, arsenic nan Tigers person mislaid nan past 5 matchups to nan Gators by a mixed 75 points. But pinch Florida losing starring scorer Liv McGill to nan transportation portal, it gives Mizzou a premier opportunity to return them down.
The remainder of nan showdowns astatine Mizzou Arena will beryllium uphill battles arsenic Mizzou hosts Vanderbilt, LSU, South Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee. These 5 teams each made nan NCAA Tournament, pinch 3 making nan Sweet 16 and South Carolina reaching nan NCAA title crippled for nan 5th clip nether Dawn Staley.
The matchup that intrigues maine nan most, however, is nan showdown pinch nan Lady Volunteers.
The Tigers should travel into this crippled pinch revenge connected nan mind. When nan 2 teams met successful Knoxville past year, Tennessee ran Mizzou retired of nan building successful a 98-53 beatdown. This will beryllium Harper’s first clip hosting Tennessee, and they will spot a very different squad this clip around.
Head coach Kim Caldwell mislaid EVERY subordinate successful nan portal, having to rebuild nan full squad from scratch. While location is still plentifulness of talent for nan Vols, it’s easy to ideate nan cohesion and acquisition of nan Tigers holding a larger advantage. Grace Slaughter has performed rather good against Tennessee historically, averaging 16.67 successful her 3 profession matchups against Big Orange. In her last play astatine Mizzou, it’s her last chance to last topple nan legendary program.
Mizzou lucked retired successful its home-and-home force past season, drafting Arkansas and beating them connected some occasions. This twelvemonth is simply a different story, arsenic nan Tigers will person to contend pinch Vanderbilt.
The Commodores are 1 of nan fastest rising teams successful women’s basketball, reaching nan Sweet 16 a specified 3 seasons aft missing nan tournament. Mizzou struggled successful their past matchup against nan Commodores, falling connected nan roadworthy 99-68.
Vanderbilt will apt beryllium a contender some successful nan SEC and successful nan NCAA Tournament erstwhile again nether Shea Ralph, sparked by a returning Mikayla Blakes. As a sophomore, Blakes averaged 27 points and 2.9 steals per game. In nan matchup against Mizzou, she poured successful 20 points while dishing retired six assists.
While an upset against Vandy seems unlikely, nan Tigers will person 2 attempts to effort and propulsion disconnected nan improbable.
Margo Jenkins
If Mizzou wants to scope its first NCAA Tournament since nan 2018-19 season, there’s a beardown chance it will travel down to roadworthy showdowns successful convention play. In summation to Vanderbilt, nan Tigers will recreation to play Texas, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Alabama, Auburn, Georgia and Texas A&M.
On paper, Mizzou stands nan champion chance to cod wins against nan last 4 teams listed above, arsenic they each vanished .500 aliases beneath successful SEC play past season. One squad that stands retired specifically is Alabama. While Mizzou mislaid some matchups against nan Tide past season, Alabama is facing important turnover aft nan departure of coach Kristy Curry to UCF. While caller coach Pauline Love surely brings excitement, that deficiency of stableness whitethorn lead to a dropoff successful twelvemonth one.
If nan Tigers purpose to make nan NCAA Tournament pinch nan extended section and debar entering Day 1 of nan SEC Tournament arsenic underdogs (again), nan extremity should beryllium astir six wins against convention foes. While this seems low, a competitory convention for illustration nan SEC allows for small year-over-year improvement. In fact, this would beryllium nan astir wins successful convention play since nan 2022-23 season.
With some nan returning talent and caller sparkplugs coach Harper has brought for twelvemonth two, location is plentifulness to beryllium excited astir arsenic nan Mizzou women’s hoops schedule continues to unfold.
