Mizzou’s NCAA Tournament Hopes Take a Hit - But the Fight’s Far From Over
Saturday night was supposed to be a statement game for Missouri. A chance to solidify their spot in the NCAA Tournament conversation and show they belong in March.
Instead, the Tigers ran into a buzzsaw in the form of Texas, falling 85-68 in front of a packed house at Mizzou Arena. The loss didn’t just sting - it pushed Mizzou to the outside looking in when it comes to the latest bracket projections.
According to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi and Bracketeer’s Rocco Miller, Missouri now sits as the First Team Out of the field. That’s about as close as it gets without hearing your name on Selection Sunday.
Other outlets, like CBS Sports and The Field of 68, still have the Tigers just barely clinging to a spot as one of the Last Teams In. Bottom line?
This team is right on the cutline, and every possession from here on out matters.
The good news? There’s still time - six regular season games left, to be exact.
The bad news? It’s going to be a gauntlet.
Mizzou faces the second-toughest remaining schedule in college basketball. That’s not hyperbole - it’s a fact.
And it starts immediately with a Wednesday night showdown against a red-hot Vanderbilt squad currently sitting at No. 19 in the AP Top 25.
It’s gut-check time.
The Road Ahead Is Brutal - But Not Impossible
Let’s not sugarcoat it: the Tigers’ path to the tournament is steep. Three of the top four defenses in the SEC are still on the schedule - and Missouri will face one of them twice.
That includes Arkansas (No. 3), Tennessee (No. 2), and Vanderbilt (No.
4). These aren’t just tough matchups - they’re the kind of games that define seasons.
But here’s the silver lining: Missouri has already proven they can beat elite defenses. They knocked off Florida, who boasts the best defensive efficiency rating in the conference. That win showed what this team is capable of when they execute, defend, and play with urgency.
If they can replicate that performance - and do it at least twice more - they’ll have a real shot at dancing in March.
Saturday’s Loss Was a Setback - But Not the End
The 85-68 defeat to Texas was only Missouri’s second home loss of the season, and it came against a Longhorns team that simply found its rhythm early and never let up. The Tigers struggled to match Texas’ pace and physicality, and the game quickly slipped out of reach.
Still, Mizzou’s body of work isn’t without merit. They’ve shown flashes of a tournament-caliber team - but flashes won’t cut it anymore.
Consistency is the name of the game now. Every game left on the schedule is an opportunity to build the résumé - or see it unravel.
A Historic Weekend on the Diamond
While the basketball team was licking its wounds, Mizzou’s diamond sports were making history. On Sunday, the Tigers baseball team exploded for 34 runs - the most by any Mizzou squad since 1902.
Doesn’t matter who the opponent is - 34 runs is a jaw-dropping number in any era. That kind of offensive outburst is the stuff of record books, and it’s a strong early statement from the Tigers as they open their season.
What’s Next?
All eyes are now on Wednesday night. Vanderbilt comes in ranked and rolling, and for Missouri, it’s a must-win - or at the very least, a must-compete.
If the Tigers want to keep their tournament hopes alive, they’ll need to find another gear. The margin for error is gone.
The intensity, the execution, the urgency - it all has to be there from the opening tip.
Six games. One bubble. And everything still to play for.