The 2026 Mizzou Basketball Fan Guide for March Madness

The NCAA Tournament is connected nan horizon, and for nan 3rd clip successful 4 years, Mizzou will beryllium a portion of nan madness.

Below is simply a one-stop assets for everything 1 could want to cognize astir nan Tigers arsenic we participate galore people’s favourite clip of year. It’s loaded pinch statistics, nosy facts, subordinate bios and different accusation to thief you go nan smartest personification successful nan room. Or, if you want to beryllium humble and support each of this info to yourself, that’s alright arsenic well.

What a long, unusual travel it’s been.

Mizzou’s NCAA Tournament resume has seemingly everything. There are elite wins and confusing losses. There were stretches of nan play wherever nan Tigers looked tin of making a heavy tally successful nan NCAA Tournament, while location were besides stretches wherever they looked undeserving of an invitation to nan Big Dance. Luckily for Mizzou, those elite wins and stretches of value hoops were capable for nan Tigers to squeak into nan tournament.

There were a fistful of games that defined this past play for Mizzou, some for amended and for worse.

Dec. 22: Meltdown successful Mound City

If nan building “it’s truthful over” were a game, this year’s version of Braggin’ Rights was precisely that. The Tigers mislaid to Illinois 91-48 successful St. Louis, marking 1 of nan worst defeats successful programme history since World War II.

This was nan darkest constituent of Mizzou’s season. The Tigers not only had a anemic non-conference schedule, but they fumbled nan fewer resume-boosting chances they had entering SEC play. Along pinch nan Braggin’ Rights blowout, Mizzou besides mislaid consecutive games to Notre Dame (bad) and Kansas (not arsenic bad, but still not ideal). Entering January, MU’s champion triumph was against Minnesota, which wasn’t considered an NCAA Tournament squad astatine nan clip and won’t beryllium dancing for nan seventh consecutive season.

Postseason hoops seemed for illustration a distant possibility. But Mizzou’s play was acold from over.

Jan. 3: Chomping Gators (The Redux)

If nan building “we’re truthful back” were a game, past Mizzou’s triumph complete Florida was precisely that. 12 days aft nan Braggin’ Rights fiasco, nan Tigers took down nan defending nationalist champions astatine home.

Since then, Florida has risen backmost to nationalist title contender status, arsenic nan Gators mislaid only 1 much SEC crippled aft this one. For Mizzou, this triumph has aged for illustration Brad Pitt. Beating Kentucky successful Lexington 4 days later maintained affirmative momentum.

Jan. 24: Onions! Double order!

Entering this game, Mizzou had mislaid 3 of its past four. Two of them were overseas roadworthy losses to Ole Miss and LSU, while nan different was a last-second conclusion to Georgia astatine home.

The Tigers were connected nan verge of different bad nonaccomplishment erstwhile they trailed precocious to Oklahoma astatine home, but a double dose of heroics saved them. Trent Pierce nailed a logo 3-pointer astatine nan buzzer to nonstop nan crippled into overtime. With Mizzou down by 2 successful nan waning seconds of overtime, Mark Mitchell pushed nan shot up nan level and drilled a 3-pointer astatine nan buzzer to springiness his squad a season-saving triumph successful electrical fashion.

In retrospect, this crippled might’ve been nan quality betwixt Mizzou making nan NCAA Tournament and Oklahoma conscionable missing it.

This was besides T.O. Barrett’s breakout game, arsenic he sliced and diced done nan Sooner defense each crippled en way to a career-high 21 points.

Feb. 11: Clutching up successful College Station

Despite a 3-point barrage from Texas A&M (one of nan champion 3-point shooting teams successful nan nation), Mizzou near College Station pinch a big-time win. The Tigers made clutch play aft clutch play successful nan 2nd half, and an alley-oop from Mitchell to Shawn Phillips Jr. proved to beryllium nan game-winner.

Trent Pierce besides had a career-high 23 points.

Feb. 14: Getting nan Horns

In a conflict of bubble teams astatine Mizzou Arena, Texas dominated nan 2nd half en way to a 17-point triumph complete nan Tigers. Once again, Mizzou’s NCAA Tournament hopes looked bleak aft this game.

And erstwhile again, it didn’t return agelong for nan Tigers to get backmost connected track.

Feb. 18: A near-collapse against nan Commodores

Against nan Commodores, who arrived successful Columbia astatine 21-4, Mizzou was humming successful seemingly each facet of nan crippled and led by arsenic galore arsenic 21 points. But that lead evaporated precocious successful nan 2nd half, and VU prima defender Tyler Tanner almost deed a occurrence changeable to complete nan comeback:

But alas, Mizzou escaped pinch a big-time win. Five Tigers scored astatine slightest 10 points.

Feb. 24: Rocky Topped

This was a borderline shot crippled fixed really beingness some teams were. The halftime people was 29-26. But nan Tigers ne'er crumbled, and aft a adjacent nonaccomplishment connected nan roadworthy to Arkansas, Mizzou bounced backmost pinch a immense triumph erstwhile again.

Barrett was conscionable astir unstoppable en way to a career-high 28 points, while Mitchell had 23 of his own. Mizzou followed this up by dominating Mississippi State successful Starkville, and astatine that point, it felt for illustration nan Tigers had done capable to get into nan NCAA Tournament.

Mar. 12: Feelin’ nan honky tonk blues

Should Mizzou front retired of nan Big Dance, it could look thing for illustration MU’s nonaccomplishment to Kentucky successful nan SEC Tournament.

Mitchell had 32 points, but he was conscionable astir nan only Tiger who showed up offensively. Mizzou besides committed 15 turnovers and forced conscionable nine. The Tigers clawed backmost successful nan 2nd half and really took a one-point lead pinch 2:34 near successful regulation, but Kentucky ended nan crippled connected a 9-2 run.

The nonaccomplishment came aft 2 consecutive losses to extremity nan regular season: nan first of which was a blowout to red-hot Oklahoma connected nan road, and nan different was an overtime nonaccomplishment to Arkansas astatine home.

Overview: Mitchell is Mizzou’s violative engine. Whether he’s posting up connected nan artifact aliases moving successful transition, MU will effort highly difficult to get him nan ball. He’s a bulldozer who attracts a batch of attraction from opposing defenses, which is partially why he attempts 8 free throws per crippled (he only makes astir 66% of his attempts, though). He’ll effort his champion to get to his near manus astir nan basket, and if he does, he’s usually capable to put up a value shot. Mitchell is besides a amazingly awesome 3-point shooter successful nan clutch, fixed that he averages less than 2 3-point attempts per game.

How he sewage to Mizzou: Mitchell transferred to Mizzou aft nan 2023-24 season. He’d spent 2 seasons astatine Duke arsenic a regular starter.

Overview: If Mizzou had a Most Improved Player award, Barrett would triumph by a landslide. After playing spot minutes arsenic a freshman past season, he took Anthony Robinson II’s domiciled arsenic MU’s starting constituent defender successful precocious January and has yet to relinquish it. Barrett is simply a wildly crafty finisher astir nan handbasket — his assemblage power is elite, and he adjusts done interaction astatine an absurdly precocious level. He’s besides a pesky defender. While Barrett has go a much consenting 3-point shooter arsenic nan play has gone along, he’s still not overmuch of a threat successful that regard, arsenic he’s made conscionable 9 of 41 attempts this season.

How he sewage to Mizzou: Barrett signed pinch Mizzou successful June 2023 and graduated from precocious schoolhouse successful 2024.

Overview: When healthy, Stone has been Mizzou’s firecracker connected nan wing. He’s unafraid to motorboat from measurement downtown and has awesome verticality astir nan basket. The Tigers were noticeably worse connected discourtesy erstwhile Stone missed clip early successful nan play pinch a manus injury.

How he sewage to Mizzou: Stone is 1 of assemblage basketball’s galore nomads. He moved to nan U.S. from Perth, Australia, for precocious schoolhouse hoops and ended up playing astatine 3 different precocious schools. He started his collegiate profession astatine Grand Canyon and didn’t play much, transferring to Detroit Mercy aft 2 seasons. He spent 2 seasons pinch nan Titans and became 1 of their champion scorers, averaging a team-high 20.8 points per crippled successful nan 2023-24 season. Stone past transferred to West Virginia, but he ne'er played for nan Mountaineers aft suffering a concussion and spinal wounded during practice. Stone transferred to Mizzou aft nan 2024-25 season.

Overview: Phillips Jr. is Mizzou’s anchor successful nan paint. On offense, he’s a dunk instrumentality who besides has a soft touch astir nan basket. His free-throw shooting has besides done a complete 180 since nan early portions of nan season. But Phillips Jr. tin look for illustration a food retired of h2o astatine times whenever he has nan shot extracurricular of nan paint.

On defense, Phillips Jr. is MU’s champion rim protector. But he struggles mightily pinch fouls (3.1 per game), and Mizzou’s rim protection is noticeably worse erstwhile he’s disconnected nan floor.

How he sewage to Mizzou: Like Stone, Phillips Jr. is well-traveled. He attended 3 different precocious schools, played 1 play astatine Arizona State and 2 much astatine LSU earlier transferring to Mizzou.

Overview: The 6-foot-11 guardant has taken a sizable leap successful his inferior season. Pierce is simply a bully 3-point shooter (especially connected nan move), arsenic he’s almost 7 percent points amended from beyond nan arc connected greater measurement than past season. Pierce has besides improved his expertise to onslaught nan handbasket disconnected nan dribble, and his magnitude makes him reliable to screen successful nan overgarment for opposing forwards.

How he sewage to Mizzou: Pierce committed to Mizzou retired of precocious schoolhouse — he graduated successful 2023.

Overview: After a breakout sophomore campaign, extracurricular expectations for Robinson II were precocious entering this season. While he’s still an elite defender, he didn’t return nan benignant of leap connected discourtesy that galore thought he would. Most of his violative statistic are nan aforesaid arsenic past season, isolated from for his 3-point shooting, which has been worse contempt higher measurement (29.7% this play vs. 40% past season). Like past season, Robinson II has still struggled pinch fouls, averaging 3.1 per game. While he’s still a regular portion of nan rotation, Robinson II hasn’t started since Jan. 20.

How he sewage to Mizzou: Robinson II committed to Mizzou successful precocious schoolhouse — he besides graduated successful 2023. Robinson II and Pierce could beryllium nan first players to enactment astatine Mizzou for 4 consecutive years since Kobe Brown.

Overview: Crews is simply a 3-point master who besides makes an effect arsenic a rebounder. But he’s conscionable 4-of-15 from beyond nan arc since Valentine’s Day, and his domiciled is constricted if he isn’t making 3-pointers.

How he sewage to Mizzou: Crews started astatine North Florida successful 2020 and played 2 seasons location earlier transferring to Daytona State College, a inferior assemblage successful Daytona Beach, Florida. He spent nan 2022-23 play location earlier transferring to UT-Martin, wherever he earned First Team All-Ohio Valley Conference honors. He past transferred to Mizzou aft 1 play pinch nan Skyhawks.

Overview: Burns would’ve been nan runner-up for a hypothetical Most Improved Player grant down Barrett. After not playing astatine each past play and only seeing garbage clip for astir of this season, Burns has go a regular portion of nan rotation successful caller weeks. At 7-foot-5, Burns’ magnitude makes life difficult for opponents trying to people astir nan basket, though his slender framework makes him prone to being pushed astir astatine times. While he showed flashes of a decent 3-point changeable successful precocious school, he’s conscionable 1-of-13 from beyond nan arc this season.

How he sewage to Mizzou: Burns, who graduated precocious schoolhouse successful 2024, committed to Mizzou successful Oct. 2023.

Overview: Nicknamed “Butta” Randall has only played 120 minutes this season. His 5 minutes of action against Kentucky successful nan SEC Tournament marked his first quality successful a crippled since Feb. 18.

How he sewage to Mizzou: Randall committed to Mizzou successful Oct. 2024 and graduated precocious schoolhouse successful 2025.

Overview: Mack was a regular starter astatine nan opening of nan season, but he fell retired of nan rotation aft nan Notre Dame crippled and hasn’t played since Jan. 27. At his best, Mack is simply a slashing defender who tin get to nan free-throw statement often and a beingness defender connected nan wing.

How he sewage to Mizzou: Mack transferred to Mizzou aft 2 seasons astatine UCLA, wherever he was a regular portion of Mick Cronin’s rotation.

Overview: Northweather’s play has been very akin to Mack’s. The 6-foot-10 agelong large man played astatine slightest 10 minutes successful each 1 of Mizzou’s non-conference games, but his playing clip plummeted erstwhile SEC play began. Like Mack, Northweather besides hasn’t played since Jan. 27.

How he sewage to Mizzou: Northweather transferred to Mizzou aft 2 seasons astatine Oklahoma, wherever he averaged astir 10 minutes per game.

Overview: The latest Porter relative to don nan achromatic and gold, Jevon started successful each of Mizzou’s first 10 games of nan play and showed committedness against lower-level title arsenic a jumbo forward. But Jevon has dealt pinch injuries for overmuch of nan play and hasn’t played since Dec. 14.

How he sewage to Mizzou: Jevon played his first 2 collegiate seasons astatine Pepperdine, wherever he turned into 1 of nan team’s apical scorers. He past spent 1 play astatine Loyola Marymount earlier transferring to Mizzou this past March.

Overview: After not playing overmuch arsenic a freshman, Boateng’s playing clip accrued astatine nan opening of this season, and he moreover started 4 consecutive games successful December. But his playing clip petered retired erstwhile SEC play started, and connected Jan. 31, Boateng suffered a season-ending knee wounded aft slipping while going up for a dunk against Mississippi State.

How he sewage to Mizzou: Boateng committed to Mizzou arsenic a four-star enlistee successful nan people of 2024.

Overview: The 6-foot-2, 155-pound defender hasn’t played this play and, unless thing catastrophic happens to Mizzou’s rotation, Rowe almost surely won’t play successful March Madness.

How he sewage to Mizzou: Rowe graduated from Father Tolton Catholic successful 2025 and signed pinch Mizzou successful Nov. 2024.

After nan 2021-22 season, then-coach Cuonzo Martin was fired, arsenic Mizzou looked for a refresh aft missing nan NCAA Tournament. The programme struck golden erstwhile they hired Dennis Gates.

A erstwhile subordinate astatine California, Gates had coached astatine Cleveland State since 2019, starring nan Vikings to nan NCAA Tournament successful 2021. He’d antecedently been an adjunct astatine respective schools, pinch his longest stint coming astatine Florida State from 2011-19 nether Leonard Hamilton, whom Gates has mentioned arsenic 1 of his closest mentors.

He wears nan aforesaid outfit each game: A achromatic suit jacket, achromatic pants, a achromatic dress garment and a golden tie. While his affectional intelligence and stoicism are high, giving referees an earful aft arguable calls (or no-calls) isn’t uncommon for him.

Gates has helped Mizzou gain 3 NCAA Tournament berths successful 4 seasons arsenic MU’s caput coach. However, successful nan 2 erstwhile NCAA Tournament appearances, Mizzou mislaid to No. 15 Princeton and No. 11 Drake, besides known arsenic 2 teams galore thought nan Tigers would beat.

Dominate nan paint. Mizzou takes (and makes) astir of its shots from wrong nan arc, arsenic Mitchell, Phillips Jr. and Barrett are reliable to grip inside. MU’s corporate magnitude has been an rumor for opponents connected some ends of nan floor.

Get contributions from galore players. Mizzou is astatine its champion erstwhile it isn’t a 1 aliases two-man show. The Texas A&M triumph was a sparkling illustration of this, arsenic it felt for illustration each 7 players who played meaningful minutes performed good successful immoderate regard. Interestingly, Mizzou is 1-4 erstwhile Mitchell scores complete 25 points.

Shoot efficiently from beyond nan arc. The Tigers don’t return galore 3-pointers, but erstwhile they make a batch of them, they almost ever win. Mizzou is 14-2 erstwhile shooting supra 34% (the nationalist average) from beyond nan arc.

Get into foul trouble. Mizzou’s regular rotation features conscionable 7 players, truthful anyone having to beryllium for extended periods of clip is particularly hurtful. Robinson II and Phillips Jr. mean astir 3 fouls per game, and some are captious to nan team’s success: MU’s only different existent constituent guards too Robinson II are Barrett and freshman Aaron Rowe (who hasn’t played a azygous 2nd this season), while Mizzou’s rim protection is overmuch worse erstwhile Phillips Jr. is disconnected nan floor.

Struggle to make free throws. Mizzou is shooting 68.6% from nan kindness stripe this season, which ranks 308th nationally. While Mizzou does a coagulated occupation of getting to nan free-throw line, nan Tigers person struggled erstwhile they get there. MU’s free-throw percent this play is its lowest since nan 2016-17 run and is nan fifth-worst of immoderate NCAA Tournament team.

Free throws costs Mizzou successful its roadworthy conclusion to Ole Miss (12 misses successful a 7-point loss), and it almost costs nan Tigers successful adjacent wins complete Florida, Texas A&M and Southeast Missouri State.

Can’t return attraction of nan ball. Mizzou’s turnover percent is 15.4, which is by acold nan highest among each SEC teams and tied for nan fourth-highest among each powerfulness convention teams.

Allow a precocious percent of 3-pointers to fall. Mizzou’s opponents person changeable 36.5% from beyond nan arc this season, nan highest of immoderate NCAA Tournament team.

That’s Mizzou’s grounds successful games decided by 5 points aliases little this season.

That’s Mizzou’s grounds successful March complete nan past 2 seasons; its only triumph came against Mississippi State successful nan SEC Tournament past season.

That’s nan mean height, successful inches, of Mizzou’s full roster (about 6-foot-7). That’s nan highest number successful Division I. The Tigers besides person 7 players listed astatine 6-foot-8 aliases taller, tying Creighton for nan astir successful nan nation.

MU adjunct coach and erstwhile subordinate Tre Gomillion told maine earlier nan play that he believed Mizzou was nan tallest squad successful nan country, and nan numbers really backmost it up. Here’s nan Google Sheet if you want to dive deeper. (Unsurprisingly, Army is nan shortest squad successful assemblage basketball, arsenic you can’t enlist if you’re taller than 6-foot-8.)

There are a fewer large things you should cognize astir Mizzou’s history successful nan NCAA Tournament.

Historically speaking, Mizzou has been a predominant attendee astatine nan Big Dance. The Tigers will make their 30th quality successful March Madness this season, 1 much than Michigan and 1 less than Georgetown (that’s right, younger readers, nan Hoyas utilized to beryllium not wholly miserable astatine hoops for illustration they are now. For nan older readers, I’m sorry I had to explicate that).

But while Mizzou has plentifulness of postseason hoops nether its belt, nan Tigers haven’t usually participated for long. The Tigers person ne'er made it past nan Elite Eight — they person nan third-most NCAA Tournament appearances without a Final Four berth down BYU and Xavier. Additionally, Mizzou hasn’t made nan Sweet 16 since 2009, erstwhile nan Tigers made nan Elite Eight arsenic a No. 3 seed and mislaid a tight title to top-seeded UConn.

A awesome logic why Mizzou hasn’t made heavy runs successful March is that it’s often fallen to inferior opponents (on paper, astatine least). Since nan NCAA began seeding teams successful 1979, the Tigers person a staggering 8 losses to teams astatine slightest 4 seed lines little than them, including past season’s stinker against No. 11 Drake.

Mizzou is besides 1 of 2 Division I teams that person mislaid to a No. 15 seed twice: nan Tigers fell to Norfolk State successful 2012 and Princeton successful 2023. The different squad to execute this unwanted feat is Arizona, which mislaid to Santa Clara successful 1993 and to Princeton 3 decades later.

As a No. 10 seed this season, Mizzou being upset is highly unlikely. But that was besides nan lawsuit successful 2023, and that’s precisely what happened, truthful don’t norm retired that script altogether.

But astatine nan forefront of a batch of people’s minds is nan truth that Mizzou hasn’t knowledgeable overmuch occurrence successful nan tourney for a agelong time, period. Since that Elite Eight tally successful 2009, the Tigers person won conscionable 2 games successful nan NCAA Tournament contempt making 8 appearances.

Simply making nan Big Dance isn’t capable successful Columbia — group are understandably quiet for success. Since 1976, Mizzou has ne'er gone much than 5 consecutive seasons without an NCAA Tournament berth. Many of Norm Stewart’s awesome teams of nan 1980s and 1990s gave Mizzou fans thing to cheer astir while nan shot squad mostly stunk during that timespan.

Unfortunately, for arsenic cardinal a fig arsenic nan men’s hoops programme has been astatine Mizzou, nan Tigers person ever fallen short of nan eventual glory: winning a nationalist title. Here are 5 NCAA Tournament appearances you should astir apt cognize about, ones that mostly encapsulate Mizzou’s past appearances successful nan Big Dance.

If you’re astir Mizzou fans this week, this is nan 1 tourney you astir apt shouldn’t bring up retired loud.

The 2011-12 squad was conscionable truthful … fun. They had 1 of nan champion offenses successful nan nation, featuring elite scorers each complete nan level and a constituent defender successful Phil Pressey who led nan Big 12 successful assists and steals. Mizzou vanished nan regular play pinch conscionable 4 losses, won nan Big 12 Tournament and secured a No. 2 seed successful nan NCAA Tournament riding a monolithic activity of momentum.

It took little than 2 hours for everything to travel crashing down.

In a colossal upset, MEAC champion Norfolk State hit Mizzou 86-84, arsenic Mizzou’s shoddy defense collapsed against nan Spartans. Pressey’s imaginable game-winning 3-pointer deed nan broadside of nan rim, and he buried his caput into his jersey on pinch (probably) each different Mizzou instrumentality watching.

If location was immoderate metallic lining, it’s that nan Tigers weren’t unsocial successful being connected nan incorrect extremity of a Cinderella story, arsenic No. 15 Lehigh took down No. 2 Duke that aforesaid night. (editor’s note: Thanks, Q. Now I’m lying connected nan level successful nan fetal position rocking backmost and forth)

Mizzou was a No. 3 seed that year, marking nan first clip since 1994 that MU earned a protected seed successful nan NCAA Tournament. The Tigers dominated No. 14 Cornell earlier winning close, high-scoring contests against No. 6 Marquette and No. 3 Memphis, nan second of which featured Marcus Denmon swishing a heave from beyond halfcourt arsenic nan halftime buzzer sounded.

But conscionable for illustration 1994, nan Tigers bowed retired to a No. 1 seed successful nan Elite Eight. This time, it was astatine nan hands of UConn, and a freshman defender named Kemba Walker led nan Huskies pinch 23 points disconnected nan bench. This proved for nan first of galore times that playing Walker successful nan postseason was rather difficult.

Should Mizzou make a heavy tally successful this year’s NCAA Tournament, nan Tigers would travel a akin way arsenic nan ‘02 team, which entered nan tourney arsenic a No. 12 seed and hit Miami (Fla.) successful their first game. They past defeated No. 4 Ohio State earlier beating No. 8 UCLA successful nan Sweet 16. The tally yet came to an extremity against No. 2 Oklahoma successful nan Elite Eight. Clarence Gilbert, 1 of Mizzou’s apical scorers, went afloat ‘94 John Starks, shooting 1-of-16 from nan field.

Three of nan 4 No. 1 seeds successful this tourney grounded to scope nan Final Four. The only 1 that did almost mislaid to Mizzou successful nan Round of 32.

The No. 8-seeded Tigers led top-seeded UCLA by 1 pinch 4.8 seconds near successful regulation. Then, this happened:

UCLA went connected to triumph nan nationalist title (its first since John Wooden’s past play successful 1975), and Tyus Edney’s heroics astatine nan horn to squash Cinderella are a awesome logic why.

This wasn’t conscionable Norm Stewart’s champion squad astatine Mizzou. This was — and still is — nan champion squad successful programme history. The Tigers went 14-0 successful Big 8 play and captured what is still their only No. 1 seed successful nan NCAA Tournament. They blew retired No. 16 Navy, past won high-scoring contests against No. 9 Wisconsin and No. 4 Syracuse earlier gathering No. 2 Arizona successful nan Elite Eight.

At this point, some Mizzou and Arizona were consistently awesome teams successful nan regular season, but neither had ever won a nationalist championship. The Wildcats dominated nan Tigers 92-72 en way to nan Final Four, ending Mizzou’s magical season.

Arizona yet reached nan mountaintop, winning nan nationalist title successful 1997. Mizzou, meanwhile, has still yet to break through.

Doing truthful this twelvemonth would require 1 of nan top Cinderella stories successful nan history of assemblage hoops to unfold. But making a heavy tally successful March arsenic a No. 11 seed has been done before.

It’s going to beryllium difficult.

History is somewhat connected Mizzou’s side, arsenic astatine slightest 1 No. 10 seed has precocious to nan Round of 32 successful each but 2 tournaments. 25 of them person precocious to nan Sweet 16 and 9 person precocious to nan Elite Eight, while only 1 has precocious to nan Final Four.

But a cardinal quality betwixt Mizzou and nan successful No. 10 seeds of nan past is that galore successful nan second group entered nan NCAA Tournament hot. Davidson and Kent State, for example, each entered nan Big Dance riding agelong winning streaks earlier making runs to nan Elite Eight.

The only No. 10 seed that’s gone connected a heavy tally aft limping into nan Big Dance was, funnily enough, nan only No. 10 seed that has made nan Final Four. In 2016, Syracuse mislaid 5 of six games entering nan NCAA Tournament earlier making it to Houston.

Will immoderate of that matter? Probably not. Every twelvemonth is different. This clip around, nan West Region features teams pinch precocious ceilings and debased floors. Here are nan strengths of nan apical six seeds successful nan region:

And present are nan weaknesses:

Some of nan little seeds are besides dangerous. No. 9 Utah State won nan Mountain West regular-season and tourney title, No. 12 High Point possesses nan longest progressive winning streak successful Division I (14) and No. 13 Hawai’i plays a fascinating no-help defense.

First, Mizzou has to get done No. 7 Miami (Fla.), which is simply a reflector image of Mizzou successful galore ways. The Hurricanes don’t return (or make) galore 3-pointers, tally overmuch of their discourtesy done a jumbo forward, utilize a short rotation and are moreover worse than nan Tigers astatine free-throw shooting.

The Hurricanes made their first-ever Final Four successful 2023, but past plummeted to nan bottommost of nan ACC successful nan ensuing 2 seasons. Legendary caput coach Jim Larrañaga stepped down successful Dec. 2024, and erstwhile Duke adjunct Jai Lucas was hired to switch Larrañaga nan pursuing March. The past clip Miami (Fla.) was successful nan 7-10 crippled was 2022, erstwhile it made nan Elite Eight arsenic a No. 10 seed.

The victor of Mizzou-Miami (Fla.) will look nan victor of No. 2 Purdue and No. 15 Queens. The Royals from Charlotte are 1 of nan worst teams successful nan field, but Purdue and Mizzou person some been chapters successful Cinderella stories connected aggregate occasions, truthful who knows? Plus, there’s a fascinating underlying communicative pinch Queens. Not only did they make nan NCAA Tournament successful their first twelvemonth of eligibility (they moved up from Division II to Division I successful July 2022), but nan schoolhouse is besides merging pinch Elon University this summer. This was virtually nan only twelvemonth Queens could’ve made March Madness successful their existent form, which sounds for illustration a quintessential March Madness tale. Plus, their caput coach, Grant Leonard, has become known for wearing festive sweaters connected holidays.

Thankfully, we won’t request to hold agelong for each of this to play out. For Mizzou, nan madness will statesman adjacent to home.

The Tigers sewage a fortunate tie successful wherever they started nan NCAA Tournament, arsenic they’ll play Miami (Fla.) astatine nan Enterprise Center successful St. Louis.

In essence, a bid of fortunate events landed Mizzou conscionable a mates of hours eastbound of Columbia.

This is uncommon for a squad of Mizzou’s caliber. Since 2000, only 19 teams seeded No. 9-16 person played their first NCAA Tournament crippled wrong 2 hours of campus.

If you made it this far, I admit your persistence. I dream you learned thing valuable wrong that oversea of words. Happy March!