Purdue is gearing up for an exciting showdown in St. Louis as the No. 2 seed in the West Region, set to face off against No. 15 seed Queens (N.C.) on Friday evening at the Enterprise Center.
Should the Boilermakers advance, they'll face the winner of the Miami (Fla.) Hurricanes and Missouri Tigers matchup.
Let's dive into the details on Missouri, who enjoy a bit of a home-court edge, playing just 125 miles from their campus.
Current Record:
Head Coach: Dennis Gates, in his fourth season, has compiled a 75-58 overall record.
Star Player: Mark Mitchell is the standout for Mizzou. The 6-foot-9 forward earned 2nd Team All-SEC honors this season.
With a versatile game, Mitchell leads the team in scoring (18.3 points per game), rebounds (5.2), and assists (3.6). His recent performances have been stellar, dropping 32 points in each of Missouri's last two outings.
Shooting an impressive 55% from the field, Mitchell is a force to be reckoned with.
Supporting Cast: Guard Jayden Stone is right behind Mitchell, scoring 13.2 points per game and pulling down 5.0 rebounds. Forward Trent Pierce, contributing 10.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, has returned strong after missing 13 games with a hip injury.
Sophomore guard T.O. Barrett has made a significant impact since joining the starting lineup midseason, averaging 8.9 points and 3.1 assists, including a standout 28-point performance against Tennessee.
Holding down the paint, Shawn Phillips averages 7.7 points and 5.1 rebounds, leading the team with 1.5 blocks per game.
Recent Form: The Tigers are looking to bounce back from a three-game skid, having closed the regular season with losses to Oklahoma (80-64 away) and Arkansas (88-84 at home). Their SEC Tournament run was cut short with a 78-72 defeat to Kentucky.
Quad Performance: Missouri holds a 5-7 record against Quad 1 opponents, boasting key victories over Florida (76-74), Vanderbilt (81-80), and Tennessee (73-69), all on their home turf. Against Quad 2 teams, they went 4-5, securing wins against Auburn, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Mississippi State.
As Missouri looks to leverage its proximity advantage, the Tigers will need to harness their dynamic roster to turn their recent fortunes around. With Mitchell leading the charge, they have the potential to make some noise in the tournament.