Mizzou Freshman Center to Miss Season Opener

One of three Missouri big men is out for Missouri's clash with the Memphis Tigers.
Jan 11, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; The Missouri Tigers huddle together prior to the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Reed Arena. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images
Jan 11, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; The Missouri Tigers huddle together prior to the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Reed Arena. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images / Erik Williams-Imagn Images
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Missouri freshman center Trent Burns is out for the Tigers' opening matchup against the Memphis Tigers due to an illness, per Jon Rothstein.

Burns is a 4-star freshman from Cypress, Texas who was composite ranked No. 102 in the country according to 247Sports. That also made him the sixth-best player in the state of Texas and No. 20 of all centers.

Arguably the most intruiging trait of Burns' is his physical profile. He stands at 7-foot-5, 230-pounds and has guard-like instincts on offense. This will be the Tigers' second straight season with a big man that is 7-foot-5, following in the footsteps of Conner Vanover.

Burns should have a unique role for the Tigers this season, as did Vanover last year. Burns will need to find efficiency on offense and use his length to rebounds and block shots on the other side of the floor.

Missouri opens its season up against the Memphis Tigers, an intruiging opening-night matchup. The two faced off last season and Memphis left Mizzou Arena with a 70-55 victory.

Memphis was simply the better team in that matchup, with guards Jahvon Quinerly and Jaykwon Walton leading the way. No returners for Missouri stood out in that matchup, with Tamar Bates having the best performance with six points.

The two Tiger squads tip off at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, November 4 at FedExForum on the opening night of college basketball. A challenging matchup for the first one of the year, Missouri has the chance to pick up a tone-setting victory to start the season.

Read More Missouri Basketball News:

Dennis Gates' 3rd Season at Mizzou is the Most Important
A Look at Mizzou Basketball's Revamped Center Group
What Will Mizzou's Forward Rotation Look Like in 2024-'25 Season?


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Michael Stamps
MICHAEL STAMPS

Michael Stamps is a freshman at the University of Missouri pursuing a degree in journalism. He's covered recruiting for MizzouCentral since 2023.  Michael is from Papillion, Nebraska.