Why the Missouri Tigers are still courting some consistency in SEC play

Southeastern Conference play has been nothing short of a roller-coaster ride for the Missouri Tigers men’s basketball team.

At 4-4 in the SEC standings, the Tigers have struggled to establish stability. They will have an opportunity to do so when they face two of the weaker teams in the conference, Mississippi State and South Carolina, in consecutive games.

Teetering on the bubble

Mizzou is coming off a road loss to Alabama in which the Tigers were defeated by their second-widest margin of the season — 26 points.

The Crimson Tide handled Missouri too easily, winning 90-64. The Tigers tallied their third-fewest points of the 2025-26 campaign (they scored fewer against Kansas and Illinois).

Mizzou’s season is currently on the edge of breaking in either direction. As of Monday, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has the Tigers as the first of four teams in the “Next Four Out” portion of the bracket projection. To put things bluntly, the Tigers are up against it, but there is still a path towards a tournament berth.

What the Bulldogs bring to the table

Mizzou on Saturday will be facing Mississippi State (11-10, 3-5 SEC), a team that’s coming off a convincing 80-66 road win over LSU on Wednesday night.

The Bulldogs were led that evening by junior guard Josh Hubbard, who scored 15 points, dished out three assists and grabbed two rebounds.

Hubbard has been a constant for Mississippi State this season, averaging 20.7 points per game, as well as 3.6 assists. Following him is experienced senior guard Jayden Epps. A transfer from Georgetown, he’s averaging 14.8 points per game and playing an average of 27.3 minutes a night.

Anchoring the paint for the Bulldogs is another highly experienced college player in senior center Quincy Ballard. Ballard made stops at Florida State and Wichita State before landing in the SEC. His 6.8 rebounds per game will provide a real challenge for Mizzou’s Shawn Phillips Jr.

Battle in the backcourt

Facing a dynamic guard duo presents another opportunity for sophomore T.O. Barrett.

Barrett made the second start of his career in the Tigers’ loss to Alabama. He led MU in scoring with 13 points and had four assists. He also equaled his season total from 3-point range, shooting 2-for-3 on consecutive possessions.

“What you see now is the development of a guard in our system,” Mizzou coach Dennis Gates said on the “Tiger Talk” show Wednesday night. “And T.O. Barrett, that stat line he’s averaging is great.”

Barrett’s increase in minutes comes in conjunction with a period of struggle for junior guard Anthony Robinson II. Robinson once again stumbled in the loss to Alabama, scoring just five points on 2-for-4 shooting.

Gates maintains his confidence in Robinson, however, as he is one of MU’s more experienced players.

“I do believe Ant Robinson will get through his slump,” Gates said. “But the biggest thing is getting these guys on the same page at the same time to maximize our team’s potential.”

Mizzou takes on Mississippi State at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Mizzou Arena.

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