Mizzou basketball is heading into the season with plenty of buzz around the roster, but not enough to crack the preseason AP Top 25.
The Tigers are unranked in the poll, despite entering the year with what looks like their most talented group under Dennis Gates. Missouri’s haul starts with the highest-ranked recruiting class in program history, led by five-star freshmen Jason Crowe Jr. and Toni Bryant and four-star freshman Aidan Chronister.
The roster also added top-50 transfers Jamier Jones and Bryson Tiller, while Trent Pierce is back as a captain. Kennard Davis, Jaylen Carey and other experienced veterans are in the mix as well.
There’s also a pair of prospective fifth-year Tigers in Mark Mitchell and C.J. Gunn, both currently eligible for the 2026-27 season. Mitchell was Missouri’s leading scorer and earned an All-SEC nod in each of his two seasons with the program.
Even with that kind of talent collection, the Tigers remain on the outside looking in, landing among the first five teams out in the preseason rankings. Missouri sits behind No.
1 Florida, No. 3 Illinois and No.
17 Kansas as it prepares for a schedule packed with ranked opponents.
That schedule is no joke. Missouri will face four preseason top-25 teams in nonconference play, including Illinois and Kansas, plus two more programs that received votes.
In league play, seven ranked SEC teams are waiting, including Florida at No. 1.
The Gators are a familiar name for Missouri, which beat them in the regular season in each of the past two years.
The Tigers have gone 3-7 against ranked teams during the 2025-26 season, with wins over No. 19 Vanderbilt, No.
22 Florida and No. 22 Tennessee.
The losses came against No. 20 Illinois, No.
21 Georgia, No. 23 Alabama, No.
20 Arkansas twice and No. 25 Miami.
Missouri also picked up three wins over top-five opponents in the 2024-25 season.
As for what’s next, the Tigers open with an exhibition against Kansas State at 7 p.m. Friday in Manhattan, Kansas.
They’ll follow that with another exhibition against UNLV at 9 p.m. Oct. 29 in Las Vegas before the regular-season opener at 7 p.m.
Nov. 3 against Cleveland State.
In Other News...
Missouri Found A Few Bright Spots In A Loss Fans Hated
The Missouri Tigers had little to feel good about in a 31-3 loss to Ole Miss, a result that dropped them to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in SEC play. The offense never really found its footing, finishing with just 39 rushing yards and sputtering after an early field goal, which made the final margin feel even heavier for a fan base already unhappy with the performance.
Still, the game was not empty of positives for Missouri. Donovan Olugbode, Nicholas Rodriguez and Jude James each turned in notable individual efforts, including career-best or team-leading production that stood out on a night when almost nothing else did. For a team trying to regroup after a rough loss, those smaller signs of progress may matter as Missouri moves on to the next stretch of SEC play. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou's SEC Opening Could Grow Again This Weekend
Mizzous SEC opening has already taken on extra weight, and the league standings around it keep shifting. The conference race is locked in a four-way tie at the top, with Tennessee, Georgia, Ole Miss and Kentucky all carrying at least one loss after recent upsets sent the picture spinning again. Tennessee fell to Texas, Georgia dropped to Auburn, Ole Miss lost to Florida and Kentucky was beaten by Alabama, leaving the top of the SEC crowded and the path to clarity anything but simple.
That matters for Missouri because the Tigers are still trying to gain ground in a league where every weekend can redraw the board. Week 8 brings another round of notable matchups, and the betting lines attached to those games only underline how little separation there is right now. For a Missouri team looking to make its own move, the opening stretch of SEC play could become even more valuable if the chaos ahead produces a few more favorable breaks. [Read more 🡒]
Former Mizzou Stars Are Making Their Mark All Over The NFL
Former Missouri stars were scattered across the NFL schedule in a way that should have felt familiar to Tigers fans who have watched the program send a steady stream of talent to Sundays. Luther Burden III had the biggest day of the bunch, leading the Bears receivers with 8 catches for 95 yards in a win, while Isaiah McGuire made his presence felt for Cleveland with a sack and four tackles. It was the kind of weekend that reminded everyone how much Missouri alumni are showing up in important moments around the league.
Kris Abrams-Draine added his own headline-grabbing moment for Denver by securing a game-sealing interception, and several other former Tigers chipped in with tackles and key plays across different matchups. For a program that prides itself on developing NFL-ready defenders and playmakers, these kinds of performances are more than just good news from afar. They are another sign that the Mizzou pipeline is not just producing pros, but players who keep showing up when games are on the line. [Read more 🡒]