The Missouri Tigers will be the sixth seed in the West Region and will play MVC champ Drake in the NCAA Tournament first round. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
Terrance Williams
Staff Writer
COLUMBIA, MO — One year after going winless in its conference, the University of Missouri men’s basketball team earned its way back into the NCAA Tournament field.
The Tigers went 21-10 in the regular season and finished seventh in the SEC standings by going 11-7 in conference play, before winning a game then losing a game in the SEC Tournament last Thursday and Friday.
That gave Missouri a 22-11 mark, which was good enough to earn a spot in this year’s NCAA Tournament.
Mizzou found out on Sunday that it will be the No. 6 seed in the West region and that the Tigers will begin tournament play with a matchup against Missouri Valley Conference champion, Drake, on Thursday. The Tigers and Bulldogs will meet in the first game of the Thursday evening session in Wichita.
Tip off is set for 6:35 p.m., and the game will be televised nationally on TruTV.
The winner will meet the evening’s other winner, between No. 3 seed Texas Tech and No. 14 seed North Carolina-Wilmington. The second round game will be on Saturday, with the winner of that contest advancing to the Sweet 16, which will be played in San Francisco.
The Missouri Tigers are 22-11 and will play Drake in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Thursday in Wichita. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
The Tigers are only the third high-major team ever to rebound from a winless conference season and make the NCAA Tournament field the next year. Iowa State managed the feat in 2020-21. Maryland did it in 1987-88.
And after a 0-19 SEC season in 2023-24, Mizzou has done it in 2024-25.
Mizzou (22-11) had several signature wins on its résumé in the 2024-25 season. The Tigers beat then-No. 1 Kansas in the Border War in December, a top-five Florida team on the road in January, and secured a third top-five win of the season over Alabama in mid-February at Mizzou Arena.
But after building a résumé that was competing for a top-four seed in the tournament, Missouri’s season entered somewhat of a lull.
The Tigers lost three straight games to close the regular season before beating Mississippi State on Thursday and falling against Florida on Friday in the SEC Tournament. Mizzou has now lost five of its past seven games entering March Madness.
Mizzou played without All-SEC forward Mark Mitchell against the Gators, as the forward sat out with a right knee injury. After the game, Mizzou coach Dennis Gates said it was his choice to sit Mitchell, who wanted to play.
It seems likely that the Tigers’ leading scorer will return to play in the Big Dance, meaning MU should enter the tournament at full strength.
Gates has often mentioned that this team has Final Four ambitions this season.
Now, the Tigers are officially getting their shot to prove that’s not just talk.
The road starts in Wichita with what should be a fun matchup against Drake.
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. | L 96-84 (21-9) |
| March 8, 2025 (Saturday) | 11 a.m. | Home | #19 Kentucky | Mizzou Arena | L 91-83 (21-10) |
| March 13, 2025 (Thursday) | 6 p.m. | Neutral | #10 Mississippi State | Nashville, Tenn. / Bridgestone Arena | W 85-73 (22-10) |
| March 14, 2025 (Friday) | 6 p.m. | Neutral | #2 Florida | Nashville, Tenn. / Bridgestone Arena | L 95-81 (22-11) |
| March 20, 2025 (Thursday) | 6:35 p.m. | Neutral | #11 Drake | Wichita, Kan. / INTRUST Bank Arena |  |