Kevin Puryear knows what he’ll be feeling when he steps onto the floor Friday night in Missouri men’s basketball’s season opener against Iowa State.
It’s a feeling he can trace back to his freshman year of high school and one he says he’s felt every opening night since.
“There’s always a little pit in my stomach, like butterflies every year,” Puryear said Wednesday. “I think that’s necessary. Like I think when you lose that type of anxiousness or excitement, then you probably shouldn’t even be playing basketball anymore.”
When the Tigers tip off on Friday in Mizzou Arena, the pit in Puryear’s stomach will be nothing new.