The Missouri Tigers are 21-8 overall and 10-6 in the SEC heading into the final week of the regular season. (Photo: Terrance Williams)
Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
The last two weeks have been very similar for the University of Missouri men’s basketball team.
The Tigers have dominated an opponent at home and then lost a close game on the road. Last week, those games were a 101-71 win over South Carolina and a 97-93 overtime loss to Vanderbilt.
And with that dominating win, but close-knit loss, Missouri dropped one spot — to No. 15 — in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 national poll.
The Tigers dropped a bit further in the USA Today Coaches Poll, down to No. 19.
Missouri is 21-8 on the season and 10-6 in SEC play. That puts the Tigers in fifth place in the SEC standings, with a good chance to move up into the top four, which would land Mizzou a double-bye in the SEC Tournament, which begins next week.
Mizzou needs to win its final two games — they play Oklahoma on Wednesday and No. 19 Kentucky in the regular season finale on Saturday. Mizzou would also need a combination of two losses by either Florida or Alabama this week.
The Gators and Tide play each other on Wednesday. So that means one of them will at least lose that game. Then if Missouri can win both of its games and also have the Florida/Alabama loser lose again on Saturday, the Tigers would be the No. 4 seed in the SEC Tournament.
Florida closes its regular season at home against Ole Miss, while Alabama finishes up against No. 1 Auburn.
ASSOCIATED PRESS TOP 25 MEN’S BASKETBALL POLL
| RANKING | TEAM | RECORD | POINTS | PREVIOUS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Auburn (61) | 27-2 | 1525 | 1 |
| 2. | Duke | 26-3 | 1458 | 2 |
| 3. | Houston | 25-4 | 1396 | 4 |
| 4. | Tennessee | 24-5 | 1326 | 5 |
| 5. | Florida | 25-4 | 1247 | 3 |
| 6. | St. John’s | 26-4 | 1179 | 7 |
| 7. | Alabama | 23-6 | 1176 | 6 |
| 8. | Michigan State | 24-5 | 1165 | 8 |
| 9. | Texas Tech | 22-7 | 947 | 10 |
| 10. | Iowa State | 22-7 | 918 | 9 |
| 11. | Clemson | 24-5 | 905 | 13 |
| 12. | Wisconsin | 22-7 | 815 | 11 |
| 13. | Maryland | 22-7 | 628 | 16 |
| 14. | Louisville | 23-6 | 606 | 19 |
| 15. | Missouri | 21-8 | 603 | 14 |
| 16. | Memphis | 24-5 | 560 | 18 |
| 17. | Michigan | 22-7 | 494 | 15 |
| 18. | Purdue | 20-9 | 454 | 20 |
| 19. | Kentucky | 19-10 | 417 | 17 |
| 20. | Marquette | 22-7 | 409 | 21 |
| 21. | Saint Mary’s | 27-4 | 399 | 23 |
| 22. | Texas A&M | 20-9 | 364 | 12 |
| 23. | BYU | 21-8 | 287 | 25 |
| 24. | Arizona | 19-10 | 162 | 22 |
| 25. | Mississippi State | 20-9 | 87 | 24 |
Others receiving votes: VCU 85, Vanderbilt 78, Oregon 37, Drake 18, UC San Diego 17, Illinois 16, Mississippi 13, UCLA 8, Gonzaga 8, Kansas 5, High Point 4, UConn 4, New Mexico 2, Creighton 2, Akron 1.
2024-25 Missouri Tigers Men’s Basketball Schedule
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | TV/Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 4, 2024 (Monday) | 7 p.m. | Away | Memphis | Memphis, Tenn. | L 83-75 (0-1) |
| November 8, 2024 (Friday) | 7 p.m. | Home | Howard | Mizzou Arena | W 77-62 (1-1) |
| November 11, 2024 (Monday) | 6 p.m. | Home | Eastern Washington | Mizzou Arena | W 84-77 (2-1) |
| November 14, 2024 (Thursday) | 6:30 p.m. | Home | Mississippi Valley State | Mizzou Arena | W 111-39 (3-1) |
| November 22, 2024 (Friday) | 6:30 p.m. | Home | Pacific | Mizzou Arena | W 91-56 (4-1) |
| November 24, 2024 (Sunday) | 4 p.m. | Home | Arkansas – Pine Bluff | Mizzou Arena | W 112-63 (5-1) |
| November 27, 2024 (Wednesday) | 5:30 p.m. | Home | Lindenwood | Mizzou Arena | W 81-61 (6-1) |
| December 3, 2024 (Tuesday) | 6 p.m. | Home | California | Mizzou Arena | W 98-93 (7-1) |
| December 8, 2024 (Sunday) | Noon | Home | #1 Kansas | Mizzou Arena | W 76-67 (8-1) |
| December 14, 2024 (Saturday) | 11 a.m. | Home | Long Island | Mizzou Arena | W 88-61 (9-1) |
| December 17, 2024 (Tuesday) | 6:30 p.m. | Home | Jacksonville State | Mizzou Arena | W 83-72 (10-1) |
| December 22, 2024 (Sunday) | Noon | Neutral | Illinois | St. Louis, Mo. / Enterprise Center | L 80-77 (10-2) |
| December 30, 2024 (Monday) | 6:30 p.m. | Alabama State | Mizzou Arena | Mizzou Arena | W 82-65 (11-2) |
| January 4, 2025 (Saturday) | 3 p.m. | Away | #2 Auburn | Auburn, Ala. | L 84-68 (11-3) |
| January 7, 2025 (Tuesday) | 8 p.m. | Home | LSU | Mizzou Arena | W 83-67 (12-3) |
| January 11, 2025 (Saturday) | 2:30 p.m. | Home | Vanderbilt | Mizzou Arena | W 75-66 (13-3) |
| January 14, 2025 (Tuesday) | 8 p.m. | Away | #5 Florida | Gainesville, Fla. | W 83-82 (14-3) |
| January 18, 2025 (Saturday) | 5 p.m. | Home | Arkansas | Mizzou Arena | W 83-65 (15-3) |
| January 21, 2025 (Tuesday) | 8 p.m. | Away | Texas | Austin, Texas | L 61-53 (15-4) |
| January 25, 2025 (Saturday) | 5 p.m. | Home | #16 Ole Miss | Mizzou Arena | W 83-75 (16-4) |
| February 1, 2025 (Saturday) | Noon | Away | #14 Mississippi State | Starkville, Miss. | W 88-61 (17-4) |
| February 5, 2025 (Wednesday) | 6 p.m. | Away | #4 Tennessee | Knoxville, Tenn. | L 85-81 (17-5) |
| February 8, 2025 (Saturday) | 2:30 p.m. | Home | #10 Texas A&M | Mizzou Arena | L 67-64 (17-6) |
| February 12, 2025 (Wednesday) | 8 p.m. | Home | Oklahoma | Mizzou Arena | W 82-58 (18-6) |
| February 15, 2025 (Saturday) | 2:30 p.m. | Away | Georgia | Athens, Ga. | W 87-74 (19-6) |
| February 19, 2025 (Wednesday) | 8 p.m. | Home | #4 Alabama | Mizzou Arena | W 110-98 (20-6) |
| February 22, 2025 (Saturday) | 7 p.m. | Away | Arkansas | Fayetteville, Ark. | L 92-85 (20-7) |
| February 25, 2025 (Tuesday) | 8 p.m. | Home | South Carolina | Mizzou Arena | W 101-71 (21-7) |
| March 1, 2025 (Saturday) | 5 p.m. | Away | Vanderbilt | Nashville, Tenn. | L 97-93 OT (21-8) |
| March 5, 2025 (Wednesday) | 7 p.m. | Away | Oklahoma | Norman, Okla. |  |
| March 8, 2025 (Saturday) | 11 a.m. | Home | #19 Kentucky | Mizzou Arena |  |
| March 12-16, 2025 | TBD | Neutral | SEC Tournament | Nashville, Tenn. / Bridgestone Arena | SECN or ESPN |