Anthony Robinson sparked Mizzou in NCAA Tournament. But Tigers still fell short
Junior Anthony Robinson II hasn’t had the season he imagined. As a captain and entering his third year as a Tiger, Mizzou coach Dennis Gates and the rest of the program looked to him to lead the team.
Well, not everything goes to plan.
Robinson fell into a midseason slump. His aggressive on-ball defense remained, but his production fell off on offense. Soon he was overthinking each move he made on the court, and it showed.
Sophomore T.O. Barrett moved into the starting five ahead of Mizzou’s first meeting with Oklahoma this season, making the most of the minutes he was on the court.
Since then, Robinson has been trying to get back to himself — both on and off the court. Against No. 7 seed Miami on Friday, Robinson made the jump.
In the 80-66 loss that ended the Tigers’ season, Robinson’s fierce energy surfaced in a way that it hasn’t all season. He made quick decisions, whether that be his own shot selection or passes he facilitated, letting the game come to him without forcing it. Defensively he was ruthless, pestering the Hurricanes with consistent on-ball pressure.
“It’s a testament to who I am,” Robinson said of his resilience. “Things didn’t go the way I wanted them to go. I’m just going to come in every day and just work, and that’s who I am as a person. I learned a lot from this year, and it’s just going to make me better in the long run.”
His 11 points were the third-highest on the team, but Robinson anchored the Tigers with more than just his shooting. He entered the game at a pivotal point, with the Tigers’ offense struggling to find success outside of graduate Jayden Stone.
With 14:11 to play in the first half, just over a minute into Robinson’s time on the court, he fired a 3-pointer early in the shot clock. The ball sailed over the outstretched hand of his former high school teammate, Tre Donaldson, and splashed through the net. The Mizzou-centric crowd roared in celebration as the shot tied the score at 7-7.
Something in the air shifted then. The spark caught fire, and all of a sudden a new Robinson entered the Enterprise Center.
“Yeah, the crowd was amazing,” Robinson said. “You could feel it, the electricity was amazing in the building.”
Robinson went on to make two more momentum-shifting plays in the first half that had the crowd on its feet. One was a layup that ended with Robinson on the ground, but he immediately sprang up and celebrated with his team.
With 49 seconds left in the first half, Robinson fired a step-back 3-pointer to cut the Missouri deficit to one.
Robinson hit one more 3-pointer midway through the second half off an assist from senior Mark Mitchell. The ball sank as easily as it was released, in what would end up being his final points of the season.
Robinson tied the team together as a vocal leader on the court and a creator of energy. His directions could be heard over the noise of the crowd, trying to get his team set up on the offensive end.
He finished with 11 points, five assists and four rebounds in his 29 minutes, but his refusal to quit powered Missouri as it fought to stay in the game against the Hurricanes.
Despite the up-and-down season for Robinson, he showed up for his team on the biggest stage. He continuously planted himself and his team firmly in the game, refusing to give up when the Tigers fell into a hole.
Ultimately, it wasn’t enough as No. 10 Missouri fell to No. 7 Miami in the first round of the NCAA Tournament after a back-and-forth showdown to end the day’s action.
Copyright 2026 Columbia Missourian
This story was originally published March 21, 2026 at 6:05 AM with the headline "Anthony Robinson sparked Mizzou in NCAA Tournament. But Tigers still fell short."