SPRINGFIELD, Mo–The Missouri State Bears are playing their last regular season home game Tuesday night against Murray State.

The Bears will be trying to snap a two game losing skid.

And trying to improve their seeding for next week’s Arch Madness.

Setting the tone will be Larry Collins.

But as KOLR 10’s Chris Pinson reports, you’ll know him as D.J. Platinum.

“The perfect marriage is when the music is good and the people are good.”

Since buying his first set of turntables more than 2 decades ago, Larry Collins has embraced that mantra.

As the live DJ for the Missouri State men’s basketball games, DJ Platinum, as he’s known to Bears fans, always tries to rock the house.

“In a place like this it’s all about energy, energy, energy. So I’m still reading this room like I would a night club. I’m playing to so many different groups. You’ve got young college kids right behind me. Older people in the crowd. I see five year olds at their first game, then of course the Sugar Bears, their dancing on beat so I’ve gotta keep that a certain way,” said Collins.

In 2019, MSU hired Collins to come in and create a new atmosphere at home games for patrons and players.

“Larger cities, larger stadiums, they’ve had dj’s for a minute now. B asketball brings a certiain type of element and a certain type of music to it,” said Collins.

The bulk of that music is rap and hip hop, but it’s still a hit for those in attendance.

“I like having a live dj becuase it spices things up and it’s not just fill in music, it actually engages in the students and hypes up the crowd,” said MSU student Riley Ducharme.

Collins does his best work with a front row seat to the action in the student section.

Collins: “There are times when I can literally feel everybody’s breath on my neck or on my ear. They’re usually polite, they apologize if they bump into me but they’re just having a great time.”

With just the click of a few buttons, he’s able to choose from thousands of songs and manipulate them any way he likes.

“With technology, that laptop is my record collection and it plugs into a mixer with virtual turntables and I pretty much have everything with me all of the time,” said Collins.

While the team’s record varies from year to year, the public’s appreciation for Collins only grows.

“I definitely have gotten a lot of feedback. I’m at the store and people go, aren’t you the guy at the Bears game? Aren’t you the dj at the Bears game? And everybody seems very receptive.,” said Collins.

Chris Pinson, Ozarks first.