3 gifts for the Missouri basketball team in 2019
Missouri basketball was a bit of a letdown in 2019, but the team is young and is learning as it heads into the 2020 calendar year.
Missouri basketball is on a three-game winning streak and is heading into the final game of the 2019 year with a 6-4 record.
It’s a lot better than what it looked like the year was headed earlier this month when the team lost three-straight and had a losing record. The better results are a quiet turnaround for coach Cuonzo Martin and his team, and hopefully they keep up this same intensity heading into 2020.
Here are three presents the Missouri basketball team received.
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Softer SEC — The SEC conference is not what it looked like it was going to be.
Right now, there are only two teams in the conference ranked, and the Tigers are one of a bunch of teams that are looking to soar toward the top of the conference. It looks like maybe five teams can make the NCAA Tournament from the SEC, and with the schedule the Missouri basketball team has, if Mizzou could win more than half of its SEC games, the Tigers could be one of those teams that gets in. A softer schedule in conference will actually benefit the Tigers if they can take advantage of it.
Braggin’ Rights — The 2019 game wasn’t a gift in itself, the Tigers flat out beat their border rival, but it’s a nice present every season.
You can tell the rivalry is there every time these two teams meet in St. Louis. Adding Martin and a few Illinois players on the Missouri side only helps the bitterness. The football team has a rival in Arkansas, and maybe one day the Battle Line Rivalry will get to where the football teams want it. But the the Braggin’ Rights game is already there.
West Virginia — The Mountaineers are ranked and are headed for a January clash with the Tigers.
This offers Mizzou a chance to pick up a big win and a break from its conference schedule. Mizzou hasn’t been part of the Big 12/SEC challenge for the past five years, so it’s great to be back in it. Mizzou and West Virginia was announced last July along with the slate of games scheduled between the two conferences. Now, the Tigers get a better-than-expected Mountaineers program next month that brings a fun challenge to Mizzou. Missouri has a chance to add to its resume with a victory over the Big 12 team.