Kevin Puryear glanced at the student section in Mizzou Arena 40 minutes before Missouri's tipoff against Iowa State.
It was full. Maximum capacity. A sellout.
He clapped his hands and continued warmups with his teammates. He had waited for this game forever, and he knew the fans had too.
"I was just so excited," he said. "A new environment, a new journey with these guys. We've been practicing extremely hard, so the game is like a celebration."
Friday night's 74-59 thumping of Iowa State was a celebration for the Tigers and their fans. Puryear seemed to danced off the court, and his smile was as wide as his wingspan when he walked into the media room for postgame interviews.