COLUMBIA, MO. • Kevin Puryear has waited more than two years for the kind of reception that greeted the Missouri basketball teams Saturday at Mizzou Arena. While his teammates were introduced one at a time before the Mizzou Madness preseason showcase on Norm Stewart Court, Puryear soaked in the atmosphere he’s rarely experienced since joining the program.
“Man, I had chills in the tunnel,” the junior forward said after the day’s festivities. “It was crazy. To have this many people come out and support us after the last couple years that were pretty rough, to have a lot of people behind us, was pretty exciting.