Mizzou Madness: The first look at the Mizzou men’s and women’s basketball teams

The first look at the Mizzou men’s and women’s roster was a sight to behold, as the teams gathered under the Columns and in the forefront of a picture-perfect backdrop.

Entering on a ‘gold’ carpet between the Columns, Mizzou fans met the rosters for each team, including newcomers like Aidan Shaw, Isiaih Mosley, Mo Diarra and Averi Kroenke, to name a few.

Karen Steger

The event itself, however, did not teach fans much about what to expect from the team this year. Instead, members from both teams showcased their personalities and interacted with the crowd in their own ways.

The festivities began with a 3-point contest, pitting Sean East III, Noah Carter and D’Moi Hodge against each other while Hayley Frank, Lauren Hansen and Haley Troup faced off on the other half of the court. Hansen and East matched up in the finals with the latter using an early run to win the first event.

Following the 3-point contest, a dunk contest for children in the audience took place. Although Mizzou fans were unable to see Shaw flying through the air for a dunk, the contest did bring in some “celebrity” talent.

A ‘Hot Shot competition’ and an around the arc competition closed out the basketball festivities for the evening, leaving Mizzou fans with little answer on how their program might perform this season.

Instead, the event featured a dance battle between Diarra and Jayla Kelly as well as a second light show, this one several minutes long, followed by closing remarks from head coaches Robin Pingeton and Dennis Gates.

The scenery, crowd and atmosphere made for an experience that Mizzou fans will undoubtedly remember as they look toward the beginning of the college basketball season. For the potential commits in the audience— James Brown, Dallas Thomas and Jordan McCullum— the night offered the first look at what Mizzou basketball is all about.

The men’s basketball program is set to tip off at Mizzou Arena on Nov. 7 against Southern Indiana, while the women’s team will begin regular season play at Missouri State on the same evening.