The end of Kellie Harper’s first year at Mizzou is on the horizon. But while the regular season wrapped up on Sunday, the Tigers now look ahead to the SEC Tournament and a potential bid to the third-ever Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament.
This week I will use this column to look at both the SEC Tournament and the potential of a postseason tournament, as well as looking at the opening round showdown against No. 11 Alabama and a potential showdown with No. 6 Tennessee.
With that said, buckle
up for what may be the final Hoopin’ and Hollerin:
Greatness in Greenville
The SEC Tournament is upon us, serving as a reminder at what may be one of the greatest years for a conference ever in women’s basketball. Currently the SEC is projected to place 11 teams into the NCAA Tournament according to ESPN, with Texas A&M currently sitting on the bubble.
“Real quickly you can figure out that first day you’re gonna play somebody good,” head coach Kellie Harper said. “Hats off to this league. Unbelievable job putting product on the court that really can compete … we are certainly battle tested, night in and night out.”
Alabama
Mizzou faces off against Alabama, who is no exception. The Tide started the season a perfect 14-0 during the non-conference slate, rising as high as No. 21 in the AP Poll. Alabama was holding their own in SEC play until last week at 7-7 and No. 24 in the polls. However back-to-back losses against Vandy and Texas not only dropped them out of the polls, but also into the No. 11 seed in the conference and missing out on a bye.
Alabama enters this showdown as the favorite, winning the last four matchups with Mizzou. This included a matchup earlier this year in Columbia, where the Tide walked away with a 74-63 win. The visitors won the game at the beginning at the end, outscoring the Tigers 43-25 between the first and fourth quarters. Karly Weathers led Alabama offensively with 23 points, 9-13 from the field while grabbing seven rebounds.
Weathers has served as a key auxiliary scoring piece for the Tide, starting every game while averaging 9.5 points while shooting 43.3% from the field and 38% from three. Plus she is the team’s leading rebounder with 6.1 boards per game. If Mizzou hopes to pull off the upset, they need to keep Weathers away from the offensive boards and not fall behind early.
Tennessee
If Mizzou can take down Alabama in a measure of revenge, the Tigers would be treated to a Second Round matchup against No. 6 Tennessee. The Lady Vols started hot with a 6-0 start in SEC play. But February was a bad month for Kim Caldwell’s team, finishing the year with six consecutive losses.
In fact Tennessee’s last win was a 98-53 drubbing of Mizzou in Knoxville in mid-February. The Lady Vols buried Mizzou thanks to a clear advantage on the glass, outrebounding the Tigers 47-26. Plus the home team couldn’t miss, shooting 52% from the field to run up the score.
Janiah Barker was the main offense weapon, leading Tennessee with 22 points while shooting 9-16 and pulling down eight rebounds. Barker is in her first year with the Lady Vols after transferring in from UCLA the previous season. She ranks second on the team averaging 14.0 points on shooting splits of 47/36/73. In addition she is the team’s leading rebounder at 6.7 per game. If the Tigers face off against Tennessee, keeping Barker away from the offensive glass for easy second chance puts gives them the best chance to pull of an upset.
Postseason Possibilities
Harper’s team has a solid resume, but not strong enough to build any sort of case for the NCAA Tournament. However, the strength of their record is strong enough for a potential bid to the Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament, also known as the WBIT. The WBIT started in 2024 by the NCAA, helping cut down on travel costs from the previously non-NCAA funded WNIT.
Currently Mizzou is ranked No. 83 in the NET rankings with a record of 16-15. Last season the lowest ranked NET team in the WBIT with an at-large bit was Toledo at No. 117. However the lowest power conference team to receive a bid last year was Boston College at No. 74.
In previous years an average two teams from the SEC reached the tournament, with only Florida making the tournament last year. Currently the Tigers are the third-highest SEC team projected to miss the NCAA Tournament, putting them right on the bubble of the WBIT.
As of right now, I believe that Mizzou will only make the WBIT if they beat Alabama in the opening round. That win will likely bump them up in the NET rankings and build a stronger case compared to Texas A&M and Florida. So it might take some work, but a potential postseason is not out of the realm of possibility for Mizzou.
Player to Watch: Grace Slaughter
For the final Hoopin’ and Hollerin of the year, we will highlight the Tigers’ MVP of the season in Grace Slaughter. In her third year as a Tiger, Slaughter had her best season to date. The junior averaged 18.9 points on splits of 46/38/78. She finished as the fifth highest scoring in the conference, earning a spot on the Second Team All-SEC.
In the first meeting against Alabama, Slaughter led the way with 23 points, shooting 10-18 with one-made three while grabbing nine rebounds. Eleven of those points came in the second quarter, helping the Tigers keep it close after a tough first quarter. If Mizzou hopes to win a game or two, Slaughter needs to lead the offense and likely score 20+ points.
Slaughter and the rest of the Tigers hope to pull off the upset against the No.11-seed Alabama at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday in Greenville.
