WVU at Mizzou in conference challenge

IRVING, Texas — West Virginia will visit Missouri on Dec. 5 as part of the Big 12-SEC basketball challenge announced Tuesday.

The matchup adds another intriguing component to the Mountaineers’ already strong nonconference schedule, which includes home games against Gonzaga and Purdue, a road game at Virginia Tech and a Cancun tournament field that includes Wisconsin and Saint Louis.

Typically these series flip the host teams from season to season, meaning WVU would host an SEC challenge opponent in 2014-15.

“The Big 12 is excited to enter into another partnership with the SEC,” Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby said in a statement. “It will add more quality opponents to our schools’ annually strong non-conference schedules and provide an additional avenue to showcase some outstanding intersectional matchups.”

Most of the games are scheduled for Dec. 2-6, with three taking place outside the four-day window because of scheduling conflicts. Conference officials expect the challenge to be contained across consecutive days in future years.

The leagues and networks have yet to finalize tip times and broadcast information.

Missouri was 23-11 last season — going 12-8 in SEC games — and lost its NCAA tournament opener to Colorado State 84-72.

Mizzou lost four starters, including junior point guard Phil Pressey (11.7 points, 7.1 assists) to the NBA draft’s early-entree wave and senior center Alex Oriakhi, the UConn transfer who averaged 11.2 points and 8.4 rebounds. But the Tigers will add dynamic junior guard Jordan Clarkson, a transfer who sat out last year after scoring 16.5 points per game at Tulsa.

Coach Frank Haith brought in the nation’s 16th-ranked recruiting class according to Rivals.