Head coach Dennis Gates has truly put together a season to remember for his Mizzou Tigers. They look completely different from the team he coached just a year ago, one that won only 8 total games and went winless in SEC play.
Now, they’re seen by all as a true threat and have been in the official AP Top-25 for nearly two straight months, with several top-ranked wins under their belts. With their multi-year drought of missing the NCAA Tournament seemingly in the rearview mirror, the question remains: where will this deep roster play first come March Madness?
Well, first they have to pad their wins in the SEC Tournament, which starts on Wednesday, March 12, and runs through Sunday, March 16, in Nashville, Tennessee. Initially, it looked like the Tigers may have accumulated a strong enough resume to snag a double-bye.
However, with their recent losses, their path to securing a double-bye has been significantly narrowed, and they no longer have full control over that. As a result, it isn't realistic to assume they'll receive that privilege.
Despite that unfortunate fact, no matter how they perform in next week's tournament, they’ll likely end up with a No. 4-6 seed, serving as the "home team" for their first competition. While their projection could have had them sitting at a much higher seed, playing a far inferior opponent, it’s still impressive to see them where they are nonetheless.
Following the loss at Vanderbilt, many high-profile sports bracketologists (such as CBS, USA Today, and ESPN) projected Mizzou to be a No. 4 seed, likely in the Midwest Region, beginning play in Seattle.
That being said, their upset loss at Oklahoma on Wednesday evening really altered that prediction, and now they may drop a few seeds.
No matter how you slice it, these predictions are subject to change drastically with each day. The way they close out the regular season, with one more game against No. 17 Kentucky on Saturday, and how they perform in the SEC Tournament will be key to securing a top seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The simple fact that it's extremely realistic to say the Tigers will be a high seed in March Madness this year is astounding—and something no fan would have believed if you told them that just a year ago.
It's incredible the results that Gates has piled up this season, and everyone involved in this program has shown they want to win. Finishing strong is all they can do now, as they look to set themselves up for success with the regular season closing this weekend.