Missouri Tigers reflect on SEC Tournament and road ahead with March Madness up next
Mizzou men’s basketball entered the SEC Tournament with several concerns surrounding the program.
The Tigers (22-11) arrived at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on a three-game losing skid, dropping contests to Vanderbilt (97-93 on March 1), Oklahoma (96-84 on March 5) and Kentucky (91-83 on March 8).
In fact, MU had not yet won in March, with its last win coming against South Carolina 101-71 on Feb. 25 at Mizzou Arena. The triumph served as a bounce-back from a 92-85 loss to Arkansas on Feb. 22 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Another issue entering SEC Tournament play: The Tigers held an 0-3 record in rematches, which didn’t bode well for a team hoping to make a deep conference tournament run.
“We had kind of that mentality (where) we wanted to prove everybody (wrong), and we were doing a lot of the little things and were doing them at a very effective level,” senior guard Caleb Grill said Tuesday in a news conference. “If we get back to flying around and playing at the pace we want to play at. I think we can get back to where we were playing at before.”
The Tigers’ downward turn dropped them from “lock” status to “should be in” territory in the NCAA Tournament, according to ESPN Analytics on Monday.
At halftime against No. 10 seed Mississippi State in the second round of the SEC Tournament, seventh-seeded Missouri seemed to successfully block out all the negative narratives surrounding the teams’ potential big dance placement.
The Tigers held a 39-34 lead over the Bulldogs after the first frame, but standout junior forward Mark Mitchell suffered a right knee injury and was out for the remainder of the tournament.
Missouri coach Dennis Gates explained that it was his choice to sit Mitchell for the quarterfinal matchup against second-seeded Florida, stating he made a similar decision for current Los Angeles Clippers guard Kobe Brown before an 85-64 loss to then-No. 4 Alabama on Jan. 21, 2023.
Senior guard Tamar Bates and graduate guard Tony Perkins more than filled Mitchell’s shoes, contributing respective 25 and 20-point performances in the Tigers’ 85-73 triumph over Mississippi State on Thursday.
“The guys in this locker room always tell me that we go as far as I take us,” Bates said Thursday in a postgame locker room interview. “When I have that certain look in my eyes and that certain aggression, everybody else follows. So I’m looking to just continue that throughout this tournament and throughout March.”
Bates and Perkins also finished Mizzou’s 95-81 loss to Florida with 16 and 13 points, respectively.
Although the Tigers were without Mitchell, who averages a team-leading 14.1 points per game, they still turned in a solid performance against the Gators.
Bates sliced through Florida’s defense for a layup to trim MU’s deficit to 75-70 with 7:02 remaining in the second half, but the void Mitchell’s absence created was too vast.
Missouri finished the SEC Tournament shooting a combined 46.3% (57-for-123) from the field, 30% (12-for-40) from 3-point range and 71.4% (40-for-56) from the free-throw line.
“Our all-conference player only played 10 minutes ... and our guys moved forward. We had unsung heroes,” Gates said Friday. “Aidan Shaw played unbelievable basketball. Josh Gray rebounded the heck out of the basketball. Tony Perkins and Tamar Bates had great games, but collectively, as a unit, we played some great basketball.”
When asked about the current progress toward the preseason goal of competing in the Final Four at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Gates expressed temporary skepticism.
“We won’t know anything until Selection Sunday,” Gates said. “I remind our guys in every first meeting where the Final Four is at. ... It’s about matchups. It’s about getting on a winning streak. But you’ve got to move one game at a time.”
Mizzou basketball hosting Selection Sunday watch party
Entering March, Missouri seemed poised for a No. 4 or No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament. However, after losing four of its last five regular-season games and finishing 1-1 in the SEC Tournament, the Tigers have fallen in the Bracketology projections.
ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi currently projects Mizzou as a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament, facing West Virginia in the first round in Cleveland.
CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm also projects Missouri as a No. 7 seed, facing the Mountain West’s Utah State.
The Tigers will ultimately find out their fate on Sunday following the conclusion of the remaining conference tournament championships. The annual Selection Sunday show (here’s how to watch) is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.
Mizzou is hosting a Selection Sunday watch party at Mizzou Arena. Doors open at 4 p.m.
The Tigers will begin their National Championship quest either Thursday or Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
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