Consecutive losses mean consecutive weeks falling in the AP Top 25. After dropping four of its last five games, the Missouri Tigers have dropped to No. 21 in the final AP Poll of the season.
They finished the final week of the season 0-2, with losses at unranked Oklahoma and at home against No. 19 Kentucky. In both games, they were largely dominated in all facets for the majority of the contests.
Though the season is far from over, and head coach Dennis Gates has emphasized that the team cares little about its ranking, this should serve as a wake-up call. The time is now, and the program needs to be ready to play its best basketball moving forward.
Despite the slip, they remain in the top 25 for the eighth straight week, marking the longest streak of consecutive weeks ranked in the AP Top 25 since the 2020-21 season, when fans saw them climb as high as No. 10 overall.
Mizzou will finish the year 21-10, with 10 of those wins coming within the conference and just one home loss all season. They are tied for seventh in the SEC.
The last few weeks of games have been far from enjoyable to watch, but that doesn’t change the fact that the turnaround from last season has been incredible. This team has also accumulated some major wins this season.
Looking across the rest of the SEC, the conference was featured the most this week, though several teams suffered losses.
For the first time in nearly a month, only one team remains in the top 3, with Auburn dropping after losing their last two games of the regular season.
Florida and Alabama both moved up to No. 4 and No. 5, respectively, while Tennessee was the last SEC team in the top 10, at No. 8. Meanwhile, Texas A&M and Kentucky were ranked No. 14 and No. 15, respectively. The Tigers were the lowest-ranked SEC team in the top 25 this week, coming in at No. 21 for the first time in four weeks.
Ole Miss received minimal votes for another appearance in the top 25, while Mississippi State did not receive any votes after being ranked No. 25 last week.
In total, seven SEC teams were ranked in the top 25, the most of any conference. The Big Ten had the second most, with a season-high six teams present.
The SEC has had a historically great year of dominating basketball, and as a conference, they hope to showcase that during both the SEC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament next month.
As has been the case all season, Mizzou dropped slightly in the official Coaches Poll, falling to No. 22 overall. The poll also ranked the same seven SEC teams.
With the regular season concluding this past weekend, these polls carry less weight than during the regular season. However, they highlight the unfortunate reality that the Tigers are slipping — fast.
Despite their recent struggles against all competition, their strong start earned them a No. 7 seed in the SEC Tournament, securing a first-round bye.
They’re still fighting for a top seed in the NCAA Tournament, and their performance throughout the SEC Tournament will be a key factor in determining their ranking.
There couldn’t be a better time to respond, with their first opportunity coming Thursday evening against either LSU or Mississippi State.