A strong start to the week ended with a disappointing finish for head coach Dennis Gates and his Missouri Tigers. After a dominant win, scoring 110 points and defeating the No. 4 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide, Mizzou was upset just a few days later.
Saturday proved to be a true trap game for Mizzou, as they traveled on the road to face an inferior SEC rival, the Arkansas Razorbacks—a team they had blown out just last month.
However, sweeping any opponent is a challenge, regardless of their record, and Mizzou was unable to finish the job.
MU did earn credit for its strong start to the week, moving up one spot to No. 14 in the AP Top 25.
It’s a solid position, but the Tigers will likely feel uneasy knowing they could have broke into the top 10 with a win on Saturday.
Continuing to rise in the @AP_Top25 📈#MIZ 🐯 pic.twitter.com/fibEF8CoZ1
— Mizzou Hoops (@MizzouHoops) February 24, 2025
The win against the Crimson Tide marked Mizzou's third of the season against a top-5 ranked team. They are one of only two teams with that many victories over top-ranked opponents.
Alabama dropped to No. 6 following their loss at Mizzou Arena last Wednesday.
Their resume is nearly flawless, with victories over some of the best teams in the NCAA this season.
This week, the number of SEC teams in the AP Top 25 dropped to eight after Ole Miss fell out following a loss to conference rival Vanderbilt.
There are still four SEC teams in the top 6, highlighting the continued strength of the conference.
As has been the case all season, the official Coaches Poll ranks the Tigers slightly lower than the AP Poll, placing them at No. 16 overall.
It's important for MU to finish strong, adding more wins to improve its seeding in both the NCAA and SEC Tournaments.
This is Mizzou's sixth consecutive week in the rankings, their longest streak since the 2020-21 season.
The Tigers face South Carolina on Tuesday and Vanderbilt on Saturday this week, hoping to continue climbing in next Monday's rankings.