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John Clay

John Clay: Facing the new Mizzou on the road, Kentucky basketball’s SEC opener won’t be easy

When Kentucky travels to Missouri for its SEC basketball opener on Wednesday night, the Cats won’t be facing the same old Tigers. Not by a long shot.

This Mizzou is on the move. Out is Cuonzo Martin’s grind-it-out style for the Tigers. In is new coach Dennis Gates’ up-and-down style which has Missouri fourth in the nation in scoring at 88.8 points per game and seventh in kenpom offensive efficiency. And, oh yeah, did we mention that Missouri is 11-1.

Then No. 6-ranked Kansas trampled the Tigers 95-67 in Columbia, but Missouri bounced back in a big way to rout No. 16 Illinois 93-71 in St. Louis last Thursday. And it wasn’t even that close.

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