Know the Foes: The Mizzou WBB 2024 non-conference slate

They always say there’s no place like home. Robin Pingeton agrees with that sentiment, as an edict confirmed that 10 of the 12 non-conference games for the Mizzou women’s basketball team are set to take place from Mizzou Arena.

The Columbia Tribune’s Calum McAndrew reported nine home games placed on the schedule for the 2024-25 non-con slate through an open records request. These are added to the previously announced home matchup against SMU in the SEC/ACC Classic along with the two games in Florida during the Emerald Coast Classic. However, there is one game that has yet to be made public. It is expected that this matchup will ALSO be in Columbia against rival Illinois after winning the Braggin Rights matchup in Champaign last season.

The games released thus far are below:

Nov. 7 vs. Southern University

Nov. 10 vs. Norfolk State

Nov. 12 vs. Tulane**

Nov. 20 vs. Saint Louis

Nov. 22 vs. Arkansas-Little Rock**

Nov. 25 vs. Syracuse (Emerald Coast Classic)

Nov. 26 vs. Creighton/Wichita State (Emerald Coast Classic)

Dec. 1 vs. Jacksonville State

Dec. 5 vs. SMU (ACC/SEC Challenge)

Dec. 7 vs. Northern Illinois

Dec. 15 vs. Lipscomb

Dec. 18 vs. Oral Roberts

(** indicates home & home matchups)

I know it’s just a bunch of dates and letters all put together. So let’s meet the teams that match up against Mizzou later this year.

Southern

2023 record: 15-15 (13-5 SWAC)

The Southern Jaguars are extremely familiar with Power 6 (5 now, I guess) opponents. Last season of the Jaguars’ 11 non-conference opponents, nine of them came against power teams; all on the road. Familiarity doesn’t mean success, finishing those games with a record of 1-8. The one win came in their final non-con game, outlasting SEC-newbie Oklahoma 79-70.

During SWAC play Southern has a strong season with a 13-5 record to earn the No. 3 seed. However the season came to a tough close with an upset loss to No. 6 Alcon State in the first round of the SWAC Tournament.

It may be another tough year for Southern, as leading scorers Genovea Johnson and Taylor Williams finished up their last years of collegiate basketball. Aleighyah Fontenot is the top returning scorer at 8.5 points per game.

When it comes to transfers, junior D’Shantae Edwards from Bethune-Cookman highlights the class, averaging 8.2 points and 3.5 rebounds last year.

Norfolk State

2023 record: 27-6 (13-1 MEAC)

Another small conference opponent, but the Norfolk State Spartans had a 2023-24 season to celebrate with single-digit losses. The Spartans cruised to the top spot in the MEAC before winning the conference tournament. Norfolk State grabbed a No. 15 seed in the Big Dance, losing to Stanford by 29. The Spartans only played three power opponents last season, losing every game by 20-plus.

The team is led by juniors Diamond Johnson and Kierra Wheeler, who combined for 37.8 points last season. With only one transfer out, it will be an almost identical team for the Spartans next season.

Tulane

2023 record: 12-20 (3-15 American)

The first two opponents were extremely talented in their respective conferences. Tulane, not so much. The Green Wave finished 0-2 against high major opponents, losing to both Virginia and Virginia Tech during the Cayman Islands Classic.

Things didn’t get better in conference play, as Tulane lost their final eight games of the regular season. The only silver lining came in the American Tournament, where the Green Wave won the first two games before falling in a 3OT thriller during the quarterfinals to Temple.

Tulane made a big change during the offseason, hiring former player Ashley Langford as their new head coach. Langford was most recently the head coach at Stony Brook, leading the Seawolves to three consecutive winning seasons.

Langford’s arrival brings four transfers to New Orleans, averaging for over 30 points last season. Two of the transfers (Sherese Pittman and Victoria Keenan) followed their coach after leading Stony Brook to the second round of the inaugural WBIT.

Saint Louis

2023 record: 22-18 (8-9 Atlantic 10)

This is the one rematch announced from last season, as the Tigers and the Billikens met in Chaifetz Arena last season. The home team pulled off the upset with an offensive onslaught to beat Mizzou 93-85.

Fresh off their first NCAA Tournament appearance the Billikens struggled last season, failing to win a surprisingly deep Atlantic 10 conference. Saint Louis rebounded quickly by winning the WNIT, including shocking wins against Wisconsin and Minnesota.

In just two years head coach Rebecca Tillet has turned around the team and shows no signs of stopping. Leading scorer Peyton Kennedy returns for her final year after averaging 16.9 points and 5.3 rebounds. In the portal the Billikens added Mya Glanton from Indiana State, who averaged 11.2 points and 6.9 rebounds. Originally from East St. Louis, Glanton should be a Day 1 starter for Tillet’s squad.

Arkansas-Little Rock

2023 record: 12-18 (11-7 OVC)

Little Rock is no stranger to SEC competition, playing four games against the conference last year. Unfortunately for the Trojans, all four games resulted in losses.

In OVC play, Little Rock finished as the No. 2 seed, earning a double bye to the semifinals. That didn’t help, as they lost their first game to No. 3 UT-Martin, who advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

The team’s only double-digit scorer, Faith Lee, returns for her junior season, but there’s a lot of uncertainty within the roster. The Trojans brought in no incoming transfers but saw SEVEN players transfer out of the team.

Emerald Coast Classic

Syracuse

2023 record: 24-8 (13-5 ACC)

Perhaps the toughest team on the entire schedule for Mizzou is the Syracuse Orange. The two are guaranteed to meet in the first game of the Emerald Coast Classic in Destin, Fla.

A big year for Syracuse included four top-25 victories. The Orange concluded the year with an NCAA Tournament appearance, defeating Arizona before losing by nine points to UCONN in Storrs during the second round.

Syracuse’s breakout star, Dyaisha Fair, was drafted by the Las Vegas Aces before eventually being waived by the defending champs (side note: Expand the league!). Returning from last year’s roster is Georgia Woolley, who was second on the team in points behind Fair with 13.8 points per game.

The Orange picked up Power 4 transfers by the way of Journey Thompson (Arizona State) and Angelica Velez (LSU). While both these players averaged single-digit points, a change of scenery may do them some good under reigning ACC Coach of the Year Felisha Legette-Jack.

Creighton

2023 record: 26-6 (15-3 Big East)

The Blue Jays are one of two potential day two opponents for Mizzou in the Sunshine State. Creighton recorded only six losses last season, five of which came against NCAA Tournament opponents. The Blue Jays entered the Big Dance as a No. 7 seed themselves, defeating UNLV before falling to UCLA by only four points in the second round.

Creighton returns five of their six seniors for the 2024-25 season including double-digit scorers Lauren Jensen and Morgan Maly. One notable player is absent in Emma Ronsiek, who averaged 16.8 points per game last year. She transferred to Colorado State to join her sister.

Coming to Omaha is a pair of transfers including Missouri native Brooke Littrell. Across four years at Central Missouri, Littrell averaged 17.8 points and 8.4 rebounds, eclipsing 20 points a season during her final year with the Jennies.

Wichita State

2023 record: 10-22 (5-13 American)

The other potential opponent for the Tigers isn’t as impressive, as Wichita State struggled mightily last season. The Shockers played two power opponents, Oklahoma and Kansas, losing both games by double-digits. Things didn’t get better in conference play, finishing 13th in the American after a brutal 1-9 start in conference play.

Leading scorer Daniela Abies won’t return after transferring to Miami (FL), but rising sophomore Salese Blow does, averaging 12.3 points per game in year one.

Highlighting the three incoming transfers is Wichita native Taylor Jameson, who averaged 8.9 points last season at George Washington.

Jacksonville State

2023 record: 12-17 (7-9 C-USA)

Jacksonville State struggled in their first year as a member of Conference USA. The Gamecocks played both Auburn and Mississippi State, losing by 20-plus points. Jax State got close to .500 in C-USA play, including a three-game win streak in February.

Bre’Anna Rhodes returns, averaging 8.1 points (tied for the team lead) and 4.6 rebounds last season. More intriguing is the two incoming transfers: Maria Sanchez Ponce from Reinhardt, averaging 16 points and 7.9 rebounds, along with Valentina Saric, who averaged 8.3 points at Morehead State.

ACC/SEC Challenge

SMU

2023 record: 14-16 (8-10 American)

As one of the new ACC additions, the Mustangs may struggle in the deepest women’s college basketball conference. The ACC sent eight teams to the Big Dance last year, but with Stanford that jumps to nine.

SMU played Colorado and Baylor for their power opponents, losing both games. After finishing right below .500 in the American, the Mustangs were upset as the No. 11 seed by the last-place Tulane.

SMU returns only five players, including Chantae Embry, who scored 12.4 points and collected 5.4 rebounds. To replace the depleted roster head coach Toyelle Wilson brought in seven transfers. Nya Robertson, who averaged 16.2 points per game, returns to her home state of Texas after two seasons at George Washington.

Northern Illinois

2023 record: 15-16 (8-10 MAC)

After that brief hiatus, it’s back to struggling mid-majors. The Northern Illinois Huskies only played one power team last year, losing to Wisconsin by 21. After finishing below .500 in MACtion, Northern Illinois lost their opening game of the conference tournament to Kent State (the same Kent State team that beat Mizzou in Daytona Beach last season).

After finishing third on the team in scoring last year with 9.4 points, rising redshirt senior Sidney McCrea returns for another year. Head coach Lisa Carlsen also brought in five transfers, including Alecia Doyle from Southeast Missouri. During her meeting with Mizzou last season, Doyle was held to only five points on 2-10 shooting.

Lipscomb

2023 record: 17-13 (10-6 ASUN)

The Lipscomb Bison were tested a little more than the aforementioned Huskies, facing three power teams during the non-conference schedule; including two SEC teams. However, the Bison lost all three games, though they did keep it within single digits against Kentucky.

In the Atlantic Sun, Lipscomb fared quite well, finishing as the No. 4 seed and hosting the quarterfinal against No. 5 Northern Kentucky. Despite sweeping NKU in the regular season, the Bison lost by 31 points at home to end the season.

Claira McGowan returns for another season after leading the team in scoring despite only starting 10 of the team’s 30 games. Other double-digit scorers Bella Vinson and Molly Heard also return. The Bison are one of a few teams in the nation who are not bringing in a transfer despite losing three.

Oral Roberts

2023 record: 21-11 (11-5 Summit)

The Oral Roberts Golden Eagles are one of the five teams on the Mizzou schedule to eclipse the 20-win mark last season, but one of only two to miss the Big Dance (sorry, SLU). Those wins did not come against power six teams, going 0-5 in those games (all against Big 12 opponents).

Oral Roberts cruised through Summit League play to a No. 3 seed, including a four-game win streak to end the regular season. The Golden Eagles made it to the semifinals of the Summit before falling to North Dakota State. Oral Roberts qualified for the WNIT, but lost its first game at home in a nail-biter against Grambling State.

Rising junior Taleyah Jones led the scoring last season with 17.5 points. The Golden Eagles had five players in double figures last year, four of which are returning this year.

Takeaways

After six games away from Mizzou Arena last year, Robin Pingeton made an effort to cut that number down, featuring no true road games. Of the home games announced none of the opponents finished last season inside the top 100 of the RPI, and seven of the opponents finished outside the top 150.

On paper Mizzou should be favored in ALL of the games at Mizzou Arena, and as an SEC school should be expected to take one game in Florida to finish anywhere but last.

With a schedule like this one would expect Mizzou to finish with a record of at least 10-2 in these games, beefing up the win counter heading into the always tricky SEC schedule.

Cal Tobias/Rock M Nation