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Brand new Mizzou cast gets 91-58 exhibition win

NCAA Basketball Tournament - Norfolk St v Missouri

OMAHA, NE - MARCH 16: Head coach Frank Haith of the Missouri Tigers reacts as he coaches against the Norfolk State Spartans during the second round of the 2012 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at CenturyLink Center on March 16, 2012 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

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It’s exhibition season in college basketball. The first few weeks full of games that don’t count and a time when teams work out the kinks in their respective systems.

There might not be another major college basketball program that needs this time more that Missouri. With 11 new players, they’ll need as much time together as they can get.

They opened with a 91-58 win in their exhibition opener against Northwest Missouri State at Mizzou Arena.

The transfers had the showing Tigers fans probably wanted to see, Auburn transfer Earnest Ross scored a team-high 22 points about six rebounds while Pepperdine transfer Keion Bell poured in 20 points. Phil Pressey, the Southeastern Conference Preseason Player of the Year, dished out 11 assists in the win.

More important than the win, the Tigers got huge production from the transfers and since the team consists of five from four-year schools, they’ll need to get up to speed as quickly as possible.

It’s an exhibition against a Division II team. But hey, it’s a start.

David Harten is the editor of The Backboard Chronicles. You can follow him on Twitter at @David_Harten.