The Tigers came back from a 10-0 run to start the game from Tennessee, and won a crucial game to nearly seal their spot in the NCAA Tournament. The 73-69 win over the No. 22 ranked Vols not only unlocked a bubble spot for Mizzou, but it also uncovered a lighting to pair with Mark Mitchell's thunder.
T.O. Barrett, who only recently took over the starting point guard role, dropped a career-high 28 points in the upset win. Mitchell came through with 23 points as well, as the dup combined to score 51 of the Tigers' 73 points. It seems like the Tigers might finally have another elite offensive option as they head into March.
T.O. Barrett comes through for Mizzou when they absolutely needed him
The Tigers are now 19-1 on the season when scoring 73 points or more in a game, and Mizzou has Barrett to thank for this victory. He came in averaging just 8.1 points per game, but his ability to get into the paint and finish was just too much for the Vols to handle. All of Barrett's 28 points came inside the arc or at the free throw line.
Before Barrett's outburst, Mizzou could always rely on Mitchell to score, but didn't have much help on offense besides Jayden Stone. Now, if Barrett can continue to provide a steady stream of points off the dribble, the Tigers will have a pretty lethel three-headed monster heading into the NCAA Tournament.
With the win against Tennessee, the Tigers path to a tournament bid gets much easier. They now likely only need to win one of their remaining three games to secure a spot. With Mississippi State and Oklahoma up next, Missouri might already have their spot wrapped up before ending the season against No. 20 Arkansas.