Missouri Basketball: Can Tigers be a threat in 2021 NCAA tournament?

FAYETTEVILLE, AR - FEBRUARY 22: Parker Braun #42 and Kobe Brown #24 of the Missouri Tigers head to the huddle during a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena on February 22, 2020 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Tigers 78-68. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

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Cuonzo Martin Missouri Basketball (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

Missouri Basketball currently enjoying its best season in its nine years as a member of the South Eastern Conference. In their inaugural season in the SEC, the Tigers compiled a 23-11 overall record while reaching a high of No. 7 in the AP Poll. The Tigers would finish that season outside of the top-25 and go into the NCAA Tournament as a No. 9 seed. Their No. 9 seed would be parlayed into zero victories as they fell to Colorado the No. 8 seed.

The 2020-21 version of the Missouri Tigers has a 13-4 overall record while going 6-4 in the SEC under head Coach Cuonzo Martin. They sit at No.10 in the AP Poll thanks to key victories over Alabama, Tennessee, and Illinois while drastically improving from their 7-11 conference record last season.

Much of their success can be attributed to the fact that they returned over 87 percent of their playing minutes and 88 percent of their scoring. This in itself raises questions as to whether the Tigers underachieved last season or are overachieving this season. With just two former top-100 recruits on their roster, their success can be traced to the four seniors who average over twenty-minutes per game.

Through Feb.10, 2020, the Tigers sit at No. 39 in the NET, No. 40 in Pomeroy, and No. 10 in the AP Poll. Their recent loss to Mississippi dropped them double digits in both the NET and Pomeroy. With six conference games remaining and the best opponents being Arkansas and Florida, the Tigers will be able to win enough to make their projected three or four seed a reality by the time Selection Sunday comes to a close.

Prior to the Mississippi loss, Missouri was projected as a two seed, the last time the Tigers were a two seed happened to be their last season in the Big 12, a season that ended with a two-point loss to No.15 seed Norfolk State. Are the Tigers capable of rinsing the bad taste from the program’s mouth nine seasons later?

A claim to how possible that is will be made, then evidence will be presented and reasoning will be provided to create a point of validity prior to refuting why the Tigers are not destined to do better or worse.

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