If Mizzou Tigers keep winning, especially with Kentucky next, the AP ranking will come
The first chance to see how Missouri’s resounding victory over Illinois influenced the Tigers’ national perception came with the release of the AP poll on Monday: Mizzou appeared on some ballots, but not enough to warrant inclusion in the weekly rankings.
Success in their next test could push the Tigers into the poll, as Missouri plays host to No. 19 Kentucky on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Being unranked seems fine with Missouri coach Dennis Gates, who has said the Tigers could’ve played even better last week in St. Louis against the Illini.
“I’m not being overcritical, I’m just being (about) discipline and detail,” Gates said. “I just don’t think our team played a complete game.”
As SEC plays opens, Missouri (11-1) finds itself in a better place than where the Tigers were projected to finish. The league’s preseason poll had Mizzou 11th.
But computer rankings and polls place the Tigers higher. The analytics site Kenpom.com has Mizzou as the seventh-best SEC team and Bart Torvik (barttorvik) has the Tigers eighth.
Missouri is the 32nd team in the AP poll and seventh from the SEC.
The Tigers’ soft non-conference schedule got them off to a fast start, but those who rank teams wanted to see how Mizzou would fare against better competition. The first big test was a dud, a 28-point home loss to Kansas.
But Missouri responded to that with a buzzer-beating victory over Central Florida (Kenpom No. 58), and that eye-opening triumph over Illinois led by Kobe Brown.
Brown scored 31 points and had eight assists, both career bests, in helping Mizzou to a 93-71 victory. For his effort, Brown was named the SEC and Lute Olson National Player of the Week.
“It means a lot that my hard work, things I put into the game and my everyday lifestyle is paying off,” Brown said. “I’m truly blessed.”
With a 14.4-point scoring average, Brown is one of five Tigers averaging double figures, led by D’Moi Hodge at 16.7. Noah Carter (10.8) Nick Honor (10.5) and DeAndre Gholston (10.4), who knocked in the game-winner against Central Florida, are the others.
Missouri leads the SEC in scoring at 88.8 points, field-goal percentage at 51.3 and assists at 20.0 and ranks second in three-point shooting at 36.9%. Kentucky leads the league in three-point shooting at 39.9%.
The Wildcats (8-3) have dropped games to Michigan State, Gonzaga and UCLA. Their best victory came against Michigan in London.
Kentucky big man Oscar Tshiebwe, the reigning national player of the year, is off to a strong start, averaging 15 points and 13 rebounds per game.
“It’s no different than if you had a Heisman Trophy winner coming in here playing a football game,” Gates said. “He’s elite.”
This story was originally published December 27, 2022 at 1:29 PM.