COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Football will host its annual Meet the Tigers day at 6 p.m. on Saturday, August 10, inside the Dan Devine Indoor Practice Pavilion. Admission to the annual event is free. The hour-long event gives Mizzou fans a chance to meet their favorite Tigers, take pictures and get autographs in advance of the 2018 season. Kids 12 and under who sign up for the Truman Kids Club will be allowed to enter at 5:30 PM, a half an hour early, along with 2 chaperones. Sign up for Truman Kids Club here or by calling 573-884-7238.

At Meet the Tigers, Mizzou’s followers will have the opportunity to go onto the indoor practice field and meet Tiger players and coaches and get autographs. Players will be limited to signing one item per fan, with free schedule posters available on the field for those interested and this year will feature an exclusive MEET THE TIGERS poster. Guests bringing multiple items to the gate will be asked to return additional items to their vehicle. Other sports will be on hand as well including members of Mizzou Spirit Squads!

Parking for the event is free, and fans are encouraged to park in the lots immediately surrounding Memorial Stadium and fans are encouraged to use the pedestrian bridge over Providence Street. ADA drop offs can occur in the parking lot east of Devine off Providence Blvd. Entry to Meet the Tigers will be through the doors on the street level on the east side of the Pavilion.

Mizzou Football will open the 2019 season on Aug. 31, 2019, at Wyoming. The home opener at Memorial Stadium will be Sept. 7 vs. West Virginia.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball added transfer 6-foot-2 guard/forward Shannon Dufficy to its 2019-20 roster, announced by head coach Robin Pingeton Tuesday. Dufficy, who played three seasons for Utah State, earned Mountain West All-Conference honors after a junior campaign where she averaged 15.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game with 19 double-doubles.

A two-time Mountain West All-Conference performer, Dufficy chose Mizzou over Duke, Syracuse and Utah. She will sit out the 2019-20 season due to transfer requirements and will have one season of eligibility remaining.

Originally from Preston, Victoria in Australia, Dufficy started 91 of 92 games in her Utah State career, averaging 10.8 points and 9.1 rebounds per game while racking up 164 assists, 51 steals and 30 blocks. Among career program records, Dufficy ranked first in double-doubles (31), second in rebounds (838) and fourth in rebounding average (9.1). Dufficy is a standout student in the classroom as well, earning two Academic All-Mountain West honors (2017, 2018) and is a three-time Joe E. and Elma Whitesides Scholar-Athlete Award recipient.

In her spectacular junior season, Dufficy earned Mountain West All-Conference honors after averaging 15.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game while recording a team single-season record for double-doubles with 19. Dufficy led the Mountain West in rebounding average (10.3) and total rebounds (339), while ranking 26th and 36th nationally, respectively. Among conference ranks, she also ranked in the top-five in offensive rebounds (second – 3.4) and scoring (third – 15.8). In addition to All-Conference honors for her junior campaign, Dufficy was named the 2019 NCAA All-Australian Most Improved Player by The Pick and Roll.

As a sophomore (2017-18), Dufficy averaged 7.9 points per game while pulling down a team-leading 8.2 rebounds per game. Dufficy snagged a career-best 19 rebounds against Southern Utah on Nov. 21, 2017, which was the eighth-best single-game rebounding performance in Aggie history. Dufficy earned Mountain West All-Freshman Team honors in a 2016-17 debut season where she averaged 8.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. She scored in double figures 10 times and recorded double-digit rebounds in 11 contests, including a season-high 17 rebounds against Colorado State (Feb. 8).

As a prep, Dufficy played at Our Lady Mercy College in Heidelberg, Melbourne, Australia, and club basketball for the Diamond Valley Eagles, where she was named the team’s MVP and Big V Youth League Rookie of the Year in 2014. She also played on an all-star team that won the Australia U20 national championship in 2015 and 2016.

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COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Men’s Basketball signed 7-foot junior college center Axel Okongo to its 2019 recruiting class, head coach Cuonzo Martin announced Wednesday. Okongo attended Northwest College in Wyoming for two seasons, shooting 52 percent from the field as a sophomore. He joins Kobe Brown, Tray Jackson and Mario McKinney, Jr., as newcomers heading into Mizzou’s 2019-20 campaign.

Okongo hails from Saacy-sur-Marne, France, where he lived throughout his childhood before moving to Canada to continue his basketball career at Thetford Prep Academy in Quebec. At Thetford, he played for the same coaches who mentored current Toronto Raptor, Chris Boucher. Before finishing his collegiate career at Oregon, Boucher landed at Northwest College in Wyoming, paving the connection for Okongo to follow a similar path.

“Axel is a guy who will go to battle to make himself and those around him better every single day,” Martin said. “He’s a talented rim-protector who moves extremely well at his size, and can get out and run and finish in transition. His determination to get better and his willingness to put in time to continually improve will make him successful on and off the court.”

Okongo is lauded for his defensive prowess by his coaches at both the prep and junior college levels, posting five or six blocked shots in a game on multiple occasions and averaging more than three swats per outing. In 22 game appearances in 2018-19, he pulled down 49 rebounds in 231 minutes.

A well-documented hard worker, Okongo balanced time as a student-athlete with a job on the school’s custodial staff to pay his way at his Northwest College. Following his time in Wyoming, the 7-footer earned spots in several Junior College showcases around the country.

Okongo shined at the Evan Turner Showcase in Chicago before signing at Mizzou. The 7-footer is set to bolster the Tigers’ frontcourt alongside experienced veterans Jeremiah Tilmon, Jr., Reed Nikko and Mitchell Smith.

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COLUMBIA, Mo. – For the sixth consecutive season, Mizzou Football will play its annual SEC West crossover rival Arkansas on the Friday following Thanksgiving on CBS, announced today by CBS and the SEC. The Battle Line Rivalry Presented by Shelter Insurance® will kick off at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 29, in Little Rock, in front of a national television audience on CBS.

Mizzou and Arkansas began playing the annual rivalry game on the Friday before Thanksgiving during the 2014 season, which was the second of back-to-back SEC East titles for Missouri. The Tigers won that game, 21-14, and are 4-1 against the Razorbacks since the annual series shifted to the Friday following Thanksgiving. Mizzou won last year’s meeting in dominant fashion, shutting out the Razorbacks, 38-0, at Memorial Stadium. Mizzou and Arkansas have met 10 times in the all-time series history, with Arkansas holding a slight 6-4 advantage. Mizzou, however, has won the last three meetings as head coach Barry Odom has never lost to Arkansas.

For just the second time in the series history, the game will be played in Little Rock rather than in Arkansas’ David W. Reynolds Stadium in Fayetteville. Mizzou and Arkansas last played in Little Rock during the 1963 season, a 7-6 Mizzou win.

Mizzou Football, ranked No. 23 by Athlon Sports in the preseason, opens its season on Aug. 31 in a true road tilt at Wyoming before returning home the following week for the home opener against West Virginia on Sept. 7.

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COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Football kicks off its 2019 season in just 99 days and the preseason accolades are already rolling in for this year’s talented group that is ranked among the top-25 nationally in several preseason polls. Mizzou picked up more individual preseason honors as eight players from its 2019 squad were named to the Athlon Sports Preseason All-SEC Teams, announced this week. Mizzou’s eight selections are fifth-most among the league’s 14 schools while its three first-team selections are the third-most, trailing only Alabama (seven) and Georgia (four). Below are Mizzou’s designations on the four teams:

Athlon Sports Preseason All-SEC First Team

• Senior LB Cale Garrett
  • SEC’s top-graded returning LB, 264 career tackles … 2018 team captain … 2018 All-SEC First Team (PFF)
• Junior TE Albert Okwuegbunam
  • 2018 Mackey Award Finalist … 2017 All-SEC Second Team … 17 career TDs
• Senior OL Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms
  • 2018 First Team All-SEC (AP) … played more than 1,000 snaps without allowing a sack or committing a penalty last year

Athlon Sports Preseason All-SEC Second Team

• Junior RB Larry Rountree III
  • SEC’s second-leading returning rusher from a season ago … 1,919 career yards are most ever for a Mizzou running back through his first two seasons … 1,216 yards in 2018 were fourth-most in the SEC

Athlon Sports Preseason All-SEC Third Team

• Senior CB DeMarkus Acy
  • 2018 Second Team All-SEC (coaches) … three INTs and 13 passes defended as a junior
• Senior DT Jordan Elliott
  • 2018 All-SEC Second Team (PFF) … SEC Defensive Player of the Week (11/26/18)

Athlon Sports Preseason All-SEC Fourth Team

• Junior C Trystan Colon-Castillo
  • Two-year starter at C … 2017 All-SEC Freshman Team
• Senior K Tucker McCann
  • Fourth nationally and second in the SEC in FGs made per game as a junior

Mizzou Football, ranked 23^rd by Athlon Sports in the preseason, opens its season on Aug. 31 in a true road tilt at Wyoming before returning home the following week for the home opener against West Virginia on Sept. 7.

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PHOENIX – Mizzou Women’s Basketball’s Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) made the opening night roster for the Phoenix Mercury, as announced by the team Thursday. Cunningham and the Mercury will open the 2019 WNBA season on Saturday, May 25 at 1:30 p.m. CT when Phoenix faces the 2018 WNBA champion Seattle Storm.

Cunningham became Mizzou’s highest ever selection in the WNBA draft when she was selected by the Mercury with the first pick in the second round on April 10. In two preseason games for the Mercury, Cunningham scored 9.5 points per game while shooting 54.5 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from three and drained a game-winning three-pointer against the Los Angeles Sparks on May 11.

Cunningham received AP and USWBA All-America Third Team and WBCA All-America Honorable Mention honors after helping guide Mizzou to its fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance in 2018-19. She earned AP All-America Honorable Mention honors after outstanding sophomore and junior campaigns.

Cunningham was named to her third straight All-SEC First Team by the league’s coaches, becoming the first player in program history to earn All-Conference First Team honors in three consecutive seasons. In addition, she was named to the All-SEC First Team by the Associated Press for the second straight season.

Cunningham closed her Mizzou career as Mizzou’s all-time scoring leader, finishing her historic career with 2,187 points. Among program records, Cunningham also ranks first in free throws made (537), second in three-pointers made (238), third in three-point percentage (40.3), third in free throw percentage (83.9), fourth in points per game (17.0) and fourth in assists (390).

In her senior campaign, Cunningham was the only player in the nation to average 17.0 ppg, make 80 three-pointers, make 150 free throws and record 200 rebounds. In conference play, Cunningham led the SEC in three-point shooting (46.5 percent) and threes per game (2.9). She reached 20 points in 16 games this season, including 10 times against SEC opponents, and 30 points four times.

— Mizzou Athletics —

HOOVER, Ala. – No. 10 seed Mizzou Baseball (34-22-1) competed in yet another tightly-contested ballgame Tuesday at the Hoover Met, falling 2-1 to No. 7 seed Ole Miss. The Tigers jumped on top early with a single run in the second inning, but the Rebels responded with a pair in the home half of the fifth inning.

Both squads’ pitching staffs excelled Tuesday, allowing only three combined runs. Mizzou’s hurlers certainly gave the team a chance to win, but the offense struggled with timely hitting. The Tigers stranded two runners twice against the Rebels, including a pair in the top of the ninth inning to conclude the day.

#SHOWME TOP PERFORMERS VS. OLE MISS

• Konnor Ash: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 K
• Ian Bedell: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R
• Austin James: 1-for-3, 2B, RBI
• Thomas Broyles: 2-for-4, R, 2B

HEAR FROM HEAD COACH STEVE BIESER

Opening statement…

“It was just a tough day for us obviously. We wanted to go win this game and get ourselves rolling in this tournament, but I’m really proud of this team on the way they’ve competed all season long. The way they will continue to compete.”

On Tuesday’s game and NCAA Tournament implications…

“Obviously we wanted to win today and that would’ve sealed it. This is a team that has played 10 Southeastern Conference series’. We’ve only lost four of those. I like our resume and I like this team. This is a team that is going to get healthy in the next week. We’re getting one of our starters back. Everything is rolling our way and we’d be very difficult in a regional. I feel like our resume is really solid. To keep this team out of a NCAA Regional would be a shame.”

#MIZ TAKEAWAYS

• Tuesday marked the Tigers and Rebels’ first-ever meeting in the SEC Tournament.
• Mizzou has played in close games all season long, evident by its 16 total one-run contests. That total is tied for the most among SEC teams, alongside LSU.
• James has been an extra-base hit machine this year, knocking his sixth double Tuesday against Ole Miss. A whopping 10 of his 17 total hits this season have gone for extra bases.
• With a double and single in his first two at bats, Broyles secured his fourth multi-hit game of the year. It was his first multi-hit effort since also collecting a pair of knocks on April 12 vs. No. 8 LSU.
• Ash produced his 12th scoreless appearance of the year Tuesday, topping his seven outings with no runs allowed in his 2018 freshman campaign.
• Bedell was dynamite again out of the bullpen, allowing zero runs for the 12th time this year as well.

UP NEXT

• Mizzou awaits its NCAA Tournament fate next Monday (May 27) with the official Selection Show on ESPNU. Fans can tune-in at 11 a.m. CT.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Men’s Basketball signed Huntsville, Alabama, native Kobe Brown to its 2019 recruiting class, head coach Cuonzo Martin announced Wednesday. The 6-foot-7 forward from Lee High School is rated a four-star recruit by ESPN.com. Brown signed his financial aid agreement and officially joins the Tigers’ talented crop of new comers alongside fellow four-stars Tray Jackson and Mario McKinney, Jr.

A versatile scorer, Brown poured in 24.1 points per game as a senior in 2018-19, adding 12.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game. He was a 2019 Alabama Sportswriters Association First-Team All-State honoree and earned USA Today All-USA Alabama First-Team recognition. Additionally, Brown was tabbed the AL.com Huntsville Region Player of the Year.

“Kobe is a do-it-all guy who can stretch the floor as a forward with his shooting ability,” Martin said. “He’s an excellent passer and has a great feel for the game on both ends. He’s won at a high level and, most importantly, he has the work ethic and drive to succeed that fits our program. We’re very excited to get him here in a few weeks and go to work this summer.”

After racking up Alabama Class 5A Player of the Year honors as a junior, he was a Class 6A Player of the Year finalist this past season. Brown led Lee to more than 20 wins in 2018-19, including an area championship.

Despite battling flu-like symptoms for weeks down the stretch of his senior campaign, Brown helped Lee rip off three postseason wins, highlighted by a 30-point outburst in the area title game. In his final high school game, he put together a 28-point, 13-rebound outing in a four-point loss to the eventual state champion.

Brown averaged 20.9 points, 7.9 and 6.8 assists as a junior, steering Lee to a Northwest Regional championship game appearance. He earned 2018 ASWA Super First-Team All-State recognition.

Brown chose Mizzou over Minnesota, Penn State and Vanderbilt, among others. He and fellow signees Jackson and McKinney will join the Tigers in Columbia for the summer semester in June.

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COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball added transfer 6-foot-4 forward LaDazhia Williams to its 2019-20 roster, announced by head coach Robin Pingeton Thursday. Due to NCAA transfer requirements, Williams will sit out the upcoming 2019-20 season, then will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Williams, a five-star recruit and top-50 prospect from the Class of 2017, has spent the last two seasons at South Carolina where she appeared in 48 games, averaging 1.3 points per game. Williams posted career highs in points and rebounds against Western Carolina (Nov. 30, 2017), scoring 11 points with eight rebounds in 19 minutes.

Originally from Bradenton, Fla., Williams was ranked as the 12th-best forward and the No. 48 overall prospect in the Class of 2017 by ESPN HoopGurlz. Williams was a three-time Florida Association of Basketball Coaches (FABC) All-State Selection and a three-time Bradenton Herald All-Area Player of the Year honoree for Lakewood Ranch High School.

As a senior in 2017, Williams was the Class 8A Player of the Year by FABC and Sarasota Herald-Tribune after averaging 19.6 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game. During her junior campaign, Williams was named the FABC 7A Player of the Year and led Lakewood Ranch to the Class 7A state title game, its best finish in program history. Williams closed her prep career as Lakewood Ranch’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder.

Also Wednesday, Mizzou Women’s Basketball added transfer guard Renetha “Shug” Dickson to its 2019-20 roster, as announced by head coach Robin Pingeton on Wednesday.

Dickson, a St. Louis native, is a 5-9 guard who spent her first two seasons at Tulsa where she earned American Conference All-Freshman Team honors in 2016-17. Dickson attended Texas Tech for the second semester of the 2018-19 season before deciding to join Mizzou.

At Tulsa, Dickson started in 36 of 60 games played and scored in double figures 28 times, including 20+ points in 14 games. She earned All-Freshman Team honors after averaging 8.6 points and 3.5 rebounds per with 51 assists. Following her outstanding debut campaign, Dickson was invited to participate in the 2017 USA Basketball U19 World Cup Team Trials. During her sophomore campaign, Dickson scored 14.1 points per game and grabbed 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting 35.1 percent from three and 88.3 percent game the free throw line.

Dickson was a four-year starter at Lutheran North High School where she was a two-time Class 3A All-State selection and three-time All-Conference performer. During her senior season, Dickson averaged 24.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.8 steals per game. She was ranked as the No. 25 prospect in the Class of 2016 by ESPN HoopGurlz.

— Mizzou Athletics —