University of Missouri

Missouri Tigers return to NCAA Tournament as No. 9 seed. Here’s their bracket

Missouri’s Drew Buggs, center, joins teammates as they listen to head coach Cuonzo Martin, right, before the start of an NCAA college basketball game against TCU Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021, in Columbia, Mo. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)
Missouri’s Drew Buggs, center, joins teammates as they listen to head coach Cuonzo Martin, right, before the start of an NCAA college basketball game against TCU Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021, in Columbia, Mo. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson) AP

The Missouri Tigers men’s basketball team is headed back to the NCAA Tournament.

The Tigers are the No. 9 seed in the West Region and will play No. 8 seed Oklahoma in the first round at 6:25 p.m. Saturday on the North court at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The game will be broadcast on TNT.

The winner of the MU-OU game will face either top-seeded Gonzaga or the First Four winner between No. 16 seeds Norfolk State and Appalachian State in the second round on Monday.

This will be the Tigers’ second NCAA appearance in coach Cuonzo Martin’s four seasons in Columbia.

The Tigers and Sooners are familiar with each other. They met in the CBE Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City in 2019, with Oklahoma prevailing 77-66.

“I remember they had some nice shooters on their team,” MU forward Jeremiah Tilmon said.

Indeed, the Sooners leading scorer that day was Austin Reaves, who finished with 19. Reaves was an all-Big 12 selection this season. Mark Smith led Missouri with 18.

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This story was originally published March 14, 2021 at 5:13 PM.

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Blair Kerkhoff
The Kansas City Star
Blair Kerkhoff has covered sports for The Kansas City Star since 1989. He was elected to the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.
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