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Today we’re talking about Mizzou Hoops
It’s been an up and down start for Missouri Basketball in SEC play with the Tigers currently sitting at 3-2 in the league with notable wins over Florida, Kentucky,
and Auburn — but questionable losses to Ole Miss and LSU.
At the very least, Mizzou has put themselves in position for a chance at back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time since 2012-2013. Right now, Dennis Gates’ squad is in bubble territory — which is a better spot prior to conference play.
Per the first projection from “The Field of 68” — Missouri is among the Last Four In.
The path to the NCAA Tournament is there, but it’s imperative for Mizzou to take care of business at home. Still undefeated at Mizzou Arena (11-0), Missouri hosts No. 21 Georgia later tonight (8:00 p.m. CST on the SEC Network) and Oklahoma on Saturday. 2-0 feels like a must this week.
Yesterday in Dennis Gates’ press conference — Trent Pierce has been named a team captain.
Per the SEC injury report, Jevon Porter remains out for tonight’s game against Georgia.
Yesterday at Rock M and Rock M+
On Sunday, Mizzou nabbed two commitments from late-breaking high school prospects:
It’s always good to land in-state high school recruits.
Up next is a pair of winnable home games. Georgia, who have been in the top 25 for several weeks, and Oklahoma, who can’t seem to catch a break. Two important games to stay ahead of the curve on wins in the league, since you’re only one up on the road.
Win your home games. Simple as that.
The younger brother of USC head coach Lincoln Riley, Garrett made a name for himself when he partnered up with air raid-aficionado Sonny Dykes at SMU and, later, TCU. Together they crafted three devastating offenses that were able to blend tempo, throwing, and strategic running to great affect, especially as they boat raced Michigan in the 2022 Playoff (don’t ask what happened afterwards!). Riley’s meteoric rise with those offenses lead to a rare, “out of the family” hire by Dabo Swinney at Clemson, where Riley had been since 2023.
Garrett Riley is an intriguing hire for Mizzou. Nate breaks it down.
This is a story about progress, because despite the end result, there WAS definite progress shown on the floor of Mizzou Arena on Friday night. You won’t find it in the final score, but it was there.
Mizzou came up short against Oklahoma, but there’s still plenty to be excited about for this team. (editor’s note: The Tigers losing this meet does not matter. I can’t say that enough. Meets are not about the wins and losses like in most sports. It is about building scores and event performances.)
Owens, who has two years of eligibility remaining, follows Luke Work as starting Bulldog lineman who will change allegiances within the SEC this offseason. Columbia will be Owens’ fourth stop in his college career; he started his career at Clemson before moving to Colorado in 2024 and Mississippi State in 2025.
Another experienced offensive lineman? Sign me up.
This is a strong add but also it feels like a depth add. Fields should have a productive season with the Tigers but whether he was “The Guy” for the Tigers this offseason, the way Kevin Coleman was last offseason, is still unknown.
Look for Horatio Fields to be more a depth addition for Mizzou at the WR position. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Next up for the Tigers is a homecoming to the Hearnes Center on Jan. 23 against the No. 5-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys. It will be a huge test for Brian Smith’s squad to see how much they’ve grown since the Illinois dual in November.
A huge opportunity for Tiger Style coming up on Friday night.
Plus, DataMizzou’s latest Bracket Projections.
Rock M Radio’s Dive Cuts with Sam Snelling and Matthew Harris:
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