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Missouri to return to Hearnes Center for October exhibition

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When the 2013-14 season commences the Missouri Tigers will begin their tenth season at Mizzou Arena, making the move to the newer confines from the old Hearnes Center. The Tigers enjoyed some great moments at Hearnes, compiling a record of 401-72 in 31 seasons. In recent weeks there have been questions in regards to the future of Hearnes, with current athletic director Mike Alden weighing his available options.

On Wednesday it was announced that the Tigers will play one more game at Hearnes, hosting Oklahoma City University in an exhibition on October 25. The idea for the exhibition came from head coach Frank Haith, who has enjoyed a good relationship with former Missouri head coach Norm Stewart since his arrival in Columbia back in 2011.

Haith pitched the idea to MU’s administration in recent weeks and discussed the idea with Stewart and several players from that team during Stewart’s Coaches vs. Cancer golf tournament at the Lake of the Ozarks earlier this month.

“He’s been awesome to me. He’s been a mentor, a confidante,” said Haith, who serves on the board of directors for Stewart’s charity organization. “When I got the job here, there wasn’t a big parade for Frank Haith. But he reached out, we talked and he really helped me in terms of just being positive about things. I really appreciated that.”


Missouri lost its last game at Hearnes, falling to Kansas 84-82 on March 7, 2004, so the exhibition allows the program an opportunity to leave Hearnes with a win should it be the last time the Tigers play in the building (the whole “can’t leave on a miss” theory, but the Kansas game actually counted in the standings). And the game won’t be the only attraction, as Missouri will use the occasion (and Homecoming weekend) to also honor the 1993-94 Big 8 champion squad.

One of the players on that 1993-94 team was guard Melvin Booker, who won Big 8 Player of the Year as the point guard on a team that ran through conference play undefeated. His son? Devin Booker, one of the best shooters in the 2014 class and Missouri is one of the schools on his list. Devin will take his official visit Missouri the weekend prior.

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