Fresh off one of the wildest wins of the season, Missouri men’s basketball is back on the road for another SEC showdown - this time against No. 22 Alabama on Tuesday night.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network, and if recent trends hold, we’re in for another tight one.
Tigers Riding High After Overtime Thriller
Missouri enters the matchup at 14-6 overall and 4-3 in the SEC, and they’re coming off an instant classic - an 88-87 overtime win over Oklahoma that featured not one, but two buzzer-beating threes.
Trent Pierce started the magic, drilling a deep three from the logo to force overtime. Then, after Oklahoma grabbed a two-point lead with under five seconds left in OT, it was Mark Mitchell’s turn.
The junior forward took the inbound, rose up, and buried a game-winning triple as time expired. It was the kind of finish that lives in highlight reels for years.
That win wasn’t just dramatic - it was a showcase of Mizzou’s offensive firepower. Three Tigers dropped 20 or more points: Mitchell led the way with 25, T.O. Barrett poured in a career-high 21 in his first collegiate start, and Jayden Stone added 20 of his own.
Mark Mitchell: The Engine That Drives Mizzou
Let’s talk about Mitchell for a second. He’s been everything for the Tigers this season - scorer, rebounder, facilitator, and now, clutch shot-maker.
He leads the team with 17.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, and he’s second in assists at 3.2 per night. That kind of all-around production puts him in elite company.
In fact, he’s one of just seven players nationally to have already surpassed 350 points, 110 rebounds, and 60 assists this season.
Mitchell is flirting with a stat line Mizzou hasn’t seen since Anthony Peeler’s Big Eight Player of the Year campaign in 1991-92. That’s rare air.
T.O. Barrett’s Breakout Moment
While Mitchell hit the game-winner, it was T.O. Barrett who quietly stole the show.
Making his first start, the sophomore guard dropped 21 points - the most by a Tiger in their first career start since Frankie Hughes in 2016. Barrett’s emergence couldn’t be better timed for a Mizzou team that thrives on balanced scoring.
Over his last four games, Barrett is averaging 13.5 points on a scorching 56.3% shooting clip. That’s a massive leap from his early-season numbers, where he had scored in double digits just once in his first 35 career games.
Now? He’s becoming a key piece in the Tigers’ backcourt rotation.
Balanced Attack and Offensive Firepower
Missouri’s offense has been humming all season, averaging 81.1 points per game while allowing 73.0. Alongside Mitchell and Barrett, Jayden Stone (15.4 ppg) and Jacob Crews (11.3 ppg) round out a quartet of double-digit scorers. Anthony Robinson II leads the team with 3.6 assists per game, while Shawn Phillips Jr. anchors the paint with 1.6 blocks per contest.
When the Tigers score, they win. Literally.
Mizzou is 14-0 when scoring at least 73 points - and 0-6 when they don’t. That 73-point threshold has become their magic number.
Close Calls Are the Norm
If you’re tuning into a Mizzou game, buckle up. All seven of their SEC contests have been decided in the final moments.
In fact, five of those games were within a single possession in the final minute. Through seven league games, Missouri has outscored opponents by a razor-thin margin - 532 to 531.
It doesn’t get much closer than that.
Alabama: High-Octane Offense, National Ranking
On the other side, Alabama enters Tuesday at 13-6 overall and 3-3 in conference play. The Crimson Tide are ranked No. 23 in both national polls and boast one of the most explosive offenses in the country, averaging a blistering 92.1 points per game. That number leads the SEC and ranks among the best nationally.
Freshman phenom Labaron Philon is the headliner, putting up 22.2 points and 5.0 assists per game. He’s joined by Aden Holloway (17.7 ppg, 3.6 apg) and Amari Allen (11.7 ppg, 7.8 rpg), giving Alabama a dangerous trio that can score from all over the floor. But for all their offensive firepower, the Tide give up 82.4 points per game - a number that could open the door for Missouri’s scorers to do some damage.
Series History: Home Court Matters
Alabama leads the all-time series 15-8, and home court has been a major factor. The home team has won seven of the last eight regular-season meetings, and Missouri is just 1-8 all-time in Tuscaloosa - their lone win coming in 2018.
Last season, though, Mizzou made a statement. Then ranked No. 15, the Tigers dropped 110 points on No.
4 Alabama at Mizzou Arena - the most ever scored by the Tigers in an SEC game. Mitchell had 31 points that night, and you can bet the Crimson Tide haven’t forgotten.
A Cause Bigger Than Basketball
Tuesday’s game also carries extra significance off the court. The Mizzou coaching staff will participate in Suits and Sneakers Week in support of the NABC Coaches vs.
Cancer initiative - a program that began in 1993 thanks to former Mizzou head coach Norm Stewart. Since its inception, the campaign has raised over $179 million for the American Cancer Society.
What to Watch
This one’s shaping up to be a battle of styles: Missouri’s balanced, clutch-heavy offense versus Alabama’s high-octane, fast-paced attack. If the Tigers can hit that 73-point mark, history says they’ve got a real shot - even in a tough road environment.
And if the game comes down to the wire again? Well, that’s just business as usual for this Mizzou squad.