07. Missouri Tigers
2024-25 Record: 22-12 (10-8 SEC)
Missouri bounced back to make the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three years, largely due to the improvement on offense. Dennis Gates had Missouri’s offense humming once again last season, mostly due to the return of solid three-point shooting. The Tigers made 36.7 percent from behind the arc, which was the 44th best in the country. Much of the scoring from deep came from Caleb Grill and Tamar Bates, but with both of them moving on to the NBA, a large portion of the perimeter scoring will fall on the shoulders of Jacob Crews (5.6 ppg) and Trent Pierce (6.7 ppg). Luckily for Mizzou, they won’t have to do it all on their own. Transfers Jevon Porter from LMU, Luke Northweather from Oklahoma, and Jayden Stone from West Virginia are all threats to score from deep.
Missouri has the depth and talent to compete for the SEC title this season, but its success will largely be determined by how well the Tigers shoot from deep. Crews and Pierce showed flashes last season of what they are capable of doing from behind the arc, but they were never the most consistent scorers. Porter and a healthy Stone should provide a little more power from deep, but their impact will likely fluctuate throughout the season. Mitchell should once again be a consistent inside scorer, but Sebastian Mack will need to take on a large portion of the mid-range scoring along with Robinson.
The defense should be the best it's been under Gates, especially with Robinson on the opposing team's best player. And that’s not to forget that Mitchell is also a really good defender in his own right. Add in Trent Pierce and occasionally Shawn Phillips at the rim, then the defense should perform well this season.
Missouri has closed the gap a little on the top third of the conference - the teams capable of winning it all. The concerns around perimeter scoring might limit the Tigers' offense, but if all goes well this season, Missouri could surprise quite a few teams - finishing towards the top of the conference standings.