How to Watch Connor Vanover's Debut, Mizzou Basketball at Minnesota
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It took a few extra days, but 7-5 center Connor Vanover will finally make his Mizzou Tigers debut Thursday night when the team visits Minnesota for a rare meeting between the college basketball programs.
The 2023 Summit League Defensive Player and Newcomer of the Year at Oral Roberts, Vanover missed the first three games of the year due to his participation in the Portsmouth Invitational. Last year, he was second nationally in blocks (3.2 per game) and 3-pointers by a 7-footer (46).
The center began his collegiate career at Cal, averaging 7.5 points and 3.0 rebounds as a freshman. He played two seasons at Arkansas, where he started 37 games and averaged 5.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks. While leading Oral Roberts to the NCAA Tournament last season he averaged 12.7 points. 7.2 rebounds, 3.2 blocks and made 46 3-pointers en route to being named the Summit League's Defensive Player and Newcomer of the Year.
However, you'll need the Big Ten Network to watch the game.
Who: Missouri (2-1, 0-0 SEC) at Minnesota (2-0, 0-0 B1G)
When: Thursday, 8 p.m. CT
Where: Williams Arena
TV: Big Ten Network. Cory Provus (play-by-play), Shon Morris (color)
Series: Gophers lead 2-0
Last meeting: Minnesota and Missouri played in a home-and-home in 1959 and 1960, with the Gophers winning both, 80-62 (1959 at Williams) and 60-56 (1960 in Columbia).
Scouting the Gophers: Minnesota opened the first week of play with back-to-back home wins over Bethune-Cookman and UTSA, and shot over 50 percent in both games The Gophers are averaging 91 points and shooting 53.5 from the field. They also shot 79.7 from the free-throw line. Dawson Garcia is the Big Ten's Player of the Week after averaging 22.5 points. He ranks second in the league in scoring, fifth in rebounding (10 rbg) and tied for seventh in assists (4.5 apg). Against Bethune-Cookman, he earned a double-double with 23 points, 14 rebounds and added six assists. Garcia also went 14 of 16 on free throws. Isaiah Ihnen also scored a career-high 20 points against UTSA. Braeden Carrington and Elijah Hawkins had 13 and 10 points against Bethune-Cookman. Cam Christie, Joshua Ola-Joseph and Mike Mitchell Jr., had 18, 12 and 11 points respectively against UTSA.
Head coach: Ben Johnson
The latest with the Tigers.
Missouri went 2-1 during its first three games of the season, coming off a 68-50 win over SIU Edwardsville on Monday. Graduate Sean East II has led the team in scoring in all three games, averaging 18.3 points on 74.1 percent shooting. Noah Carter (13.3) and Nick Honor (10.3) are also scoring in double figures for the Tigers. Carter also leads MU with 7.7 rebounds with Caleb Grill chipping in 7.3. Mizzou is averaging 74.7 points, while allowing 66.3 points per game. This is the first road game of the season for the Tigers. The loss was 70-55 to Memphis.
Head coach: Dennis Gates. He's going back to where he made his debut as a college head coach. Leading Cleveland State in 2019, Gates and the Vikings lost to the Gophers, 85-50.
