I’m on temporary semi-Mizzou duty — for those who don’t follow these things closely, our Mizzou writer, Graham Watson, is now blogging for ESPN.com and we haven’t replaced her yet so me, Jeremy Rutherford, Vahe Gregorian, Stu Durando, Kathleen Nelson and anybody else not going anything in particular is filling in until we get someone new in place — so I’ve been slightly negligent in posting. Sorry.

Some thoughts on the basketball schedule:

Nebraska is the only new home-and-home on the series. The Kent State, BC and Detroit series ends this season. The rest are buy games. There are several new home-and-home series coming on line in the 09-10 season (sorry I don’t know who they are). The Southern Illinois series will continue and Missouri State should rejoin the schedule.

Missouri-St. Louis may not seem like a dazzling opener for Chaifetz, but it may be the best under the circumstances. With Kent State, Boston College and then three road games coming up, the top of the schedule will be a challenge for a team with eight freshmen. A game with UMSL will at least give them a win to start the season. Even if BC isn’t a great team, a team with eight freshmen getting a lot of minutes is going to need some time to learn Majerus’ complex offense. (Remember by late last season, the team was still having troubles grasping everything.) And as for playing a DII school, the three extra games generated by the Findlay Toyota Las Vegas Classic (probably the last time I use the full name) gives SLU plenty of games.

Once you get past those three road games, the schedule doesn’t look that bad and the team can roll up some wins. The early stage of this season is going to be a complete crap shoot. Yes, they’re talented freshmen, but they’re freshmen, and there will be ups and downs.

The conference season opens at Xavier, so that will be a test right off the bat. The Thursday-Saturday Dayton-Fordham games will be a challenge (and I face the choice of where to spend Friday night: Dayton or New York?) and the dreaded St. Bonaventure trip comes in late February. I haven’t reviewed the weather patterns for that time of year.

And, in one of the rarest sights, the season finale at home! Haven’t seen that since 2004 and before that, 1995.

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Considering ordering replica jerseys? Here are the numbers for the new guys on the team:

23 — Kyle Cassity

14 — Brian Conklin

3 — Kwamain Mitchell

33 — Willie Reed

41 — Brett Thompson

No numbers yet for Ruben Cotto and Femi John, who apparently have asked for the same number. Not sure on the number. According to our files, Cotto wore 15 last year in high school (Barry Eberhardt’s already wearing it), John wore 13.

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Just to tie up a loose end, Adam Knollmeyer has transferred to Missouri Science and Technology, formely Missouri-Rolla. I don’t think I ever wrote that.

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The third assistant coach could be named soon. I’m in favor of Alex Jensen, who’s been filling in that post over the summer. I think it’s the right thing, and I don’t think another season of him being the senior graduate manager will make much difference.