Mizzou Arena’s last sellout came during the 2013 season.
With the prospects of Michael Porter Jr. and the 7th ranked recruiting class for 2017-18 taking Norm Stewart Court this season, Missouri Tigers fans will be filling up Mizzou Arena on a regular basis after the athletic department announced on Tuesday that season tickets are officially sold out.
Head coach Cuonzo Martin believes this will give his young team a distinct advantage at home.
“The response from Mizzou fans and the excitement here in Columbia and around the state of Missouri has been outstanding,” Martin said. “Our home court advantage has the potential to be tremendous, so we’ll need Mizzou fans night in and night out. Whether it’s a Saturday in December or a Tuesday night in February, our program will work to do its part. We can’t wait to see you all there with us every step of the way.”
Mizzou Arena holds 15,061 fans, and Mizzou Athletics has sold 15,600 season tickets to date, including 6,028 student combo tickets which are good for both Tiger men’s basketball and football games. The athletic department will typically oversell in the student section to accommodate “no-shows.”
Mizzou Arena’s last sold-out men’s basketball game was for the Tigers’ 93-63 victory over Arkansas, March 5, 2013.
“We are looking forward to seeing the excitement and energy at Mizzou Arena this season, and are extremely grateful for all Mizzou fans who have purchased season tickets for the upcoming season,” said Mizzou Director of Athletics Jim Sterk. “I am confident that our fans will provide the Tigers with a tremendous home court advantage this winter.”
Conference Notes
·  Kentucky was the favorite to win the 2018 SEC championship in a preseason poll of media from around the league and nation. Florida’s picked to finish second and is followed by Texas A&M, Alabama and Missouri. There was a three-way tie for Preseason SEC Player of the Year between Yante Maten (UG); Michael Porter, Jr. (MO); Robert Williams (AM).
·  Six SEC teams are receiving votes in the Associated Press preseason poll. Kentucky leads the group at No. 5 while Florida is 8th, Texas A&M 25th and Alabama, Missouri & South Carolina receiving votes.
·  Nine SEC schools have recruiting classes that rank in the Top 40 of ESPN.com’s national rankings – Kentucky (1), Missouri (7), Alabama (8), Florida (11), LSU (19), Arkansas (21), Texas A&M (27), Auburn (29) and Georgia (32).
·  Eight players ranked in the Top 25 of ESPN.com’s Class of 2017 rankings signed with SEC schools, including three of the top 10 players in the class.
·  A quarter (25) of ESPN.com’s Top 100 players have signed with SEC schools in the class of 2017.
·  The SEC’s 17 Lottery Picks since 2010 are the most of any conference. The Big 12 was second with 15 and ACC was third with 14.
·  Over the last seven NBA Drafts, 53 SEC players have heard their names called. Thirty-one of those were selected in the first round and four were the No. 1 overall pick.
·  The SEC has had at least one team in the Final Four in seven of the past 12 years. Thirteen times in the last 25 years the SEC has had at least one team in the Final Four.
·  The SEC was 11-5 in NCAA Tournament games in 2017. It is the seventh consecutive season the SEC has been .500 or better in the NCAA Tournament. It is the 56th time the league has been .500 or better in NCAA Tournament games.
Watch Lists
·  Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award – Collin Sexton, Alabama
·  Jerry West Award Shooting Guard of the Year – Mustapha Heron, Auburn; KeVaughn Allen, Florida; Hamidou Diallo, Kentucky; Quinndary Weatherspoon, Mississippi State
·  Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award – Kevin Knox, Kentucky; Michael Porter Jr., Missouri; DJ Hogg, Texas A&M
·  Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award – Yante Maten, Georgia; PJ Washington, Kentucky; Robert Williams, Texas A&M
·  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award – Austin Wiley, Auburn; John Egbunu, Florida; Nick Richards, Kentucky; Tyler Davis, Texas A&M
·  Oscar Robertson Trophy – KeVaughn Allen, Florida; Hamidou Diallo, Kentucky; Kevin Knox, Kentucky; Yante Maten, Georgia; Michael Porter Jr., Missouri; Collin Sexton, Alabama; Robert Williams, Texas A&M
