The Missouri Tigers are back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2021, but they are still seeking their first win in more than a decade.
Following the best college basketball season the Missouri Tigers have had in the last decade-plus, first-year head coach Dennis Gates saw his program rewarded with a No. 7 seed in this year’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament, their highest in 11 years.
At the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California, the Tigers are scheduled to square off against the No. 10 seed Utah State Aggies on Thursday, March 16, with live coverage set to be provided by TNT beginning at 1:40 p.m. ET.
A win in this round of 64 matchup would send the Tigers to the round of 32 against either the No. 2 seed Arizona Wildcats or the No. 15 Princeton Tigers.
But NCAA tournament wins have been hard to come by for Missouri as of late.
Missouri Tigers all-time NCAA tournament record
The Tigers have made 28 NCAA tournament appearances and have a 22-28 overall record. But their last five appearances have seen them bow out in the opening round, including their embarrassing loss to No. 15 seed Norfolk State as a No. 2 seed in 2012, and they are currently riding a six-game losing streak in March Madness.
Their most recent victory came in 2010, when they were a No. 10 seed and opened up the tournament with a win over No. 7 seed Clemson.
Missouri has never made it past the Elite 8, and they haven’t even gotten to the Sweet 16 since 2009.
Since the tournament expanded in 1985, they have made 21 appearances, though their 1994 appearance was ultimately vacated. Here’s a breakdown of how they’ve fared.
- Round of 64: 9-12
- Round of 32: 4-5
- Sweet 16: 3-1
- Elite 8: 0-3
- Overall: 16-21
Let’s take a more in-depth look at how they’ve fared when they’ve made it past the second round (since 1985).
What is the Missouri Tigers’ Sweet 16 record?
- 2009 (No. 3): Beat No. 2 Memphis, 102-91
- 2002 (No. 12): Beat No. 8 UCLA, 82-73
- 1994 (No. 1): Beat No. 4 Syracuse, 98-88
- 1989 (No. 3): Lost to No. 2 Syracuse, 83-80
What is the Missouri Tigers’ Elite 8 record?
- 2009 (No. 3): Lost to No. 1 Connecticut, 82-75
- 2002 (No. 12): Lost to No. 2 Oklahoma, 81-75
- 1994 (No. 1): Lost to No. 2 Arizona, 92-72
Prior to 1985, they competed in the tournament seven times. Here’s a breakdown of how they fared.
- Round of 48: 1-1
- Round of 32: 3-2
- Sweet 16: 1-2
- Elite 8: 0-2
- Regional third place game: 1-0
- Overall: 6-7
Could this be the year Missouri finally gets another NCAA tournament victory after years of coming up short, and if so, how far can this team go?