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Mizzou Basketball could be major sleeper in NCAA Tournament

By Leigh Oleszczak

ST LOUIS, MO - MARCH 08: Michael Porter Jr #13 of the Missouri Tigers dribbles the ball against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second round of the 2018 SEC Basketball Tournament at Scottrade Center on March 8, 2018 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
ST LOUIS, MO - MARCH 08: Michael Porter Jr #13 of the Missouri Tigers dribbles the ball against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second round of the 2018 SEC Basketball Tournament at Scottrade Center on March 8, 2018 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Mizzou basketball is playing in their first NCAA Tournament game since 2013 on Friday and they have the ability to make a run in the big dance.

With first year head coach Cuonzo Martin taking over the Missouri Tigers hoops program, not many thought the team would be tournament bound in year one of the Martin era. Even with the addition of Michael Porter Jr., a trip to March Madness would have been a nice luxury after some rough seasons.

Well, here we are, and MU is not only in the tournament, but they’re an eight seed. Not only that, but Mizzou has Michael Porter Jr. back on the court after missing pretty much the entire season with a back injury. Porter returned in the SEC Tournament against Georgia and while he started off slow, he ended the day with 12 points.

Porter returning to action will help the Tigers greatly in the tournament, especially with Jordan Barnett being suspended last week. Barnett had been one of MU’s top scorers throughout the season and that’ll be tough to replace.

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The good news, however, is that Missouri couldn’t have really asked for a better seeding in the tournament. They drew an eight-seed in the West Region and will get to play the ninth-seeded Florida State Seminoles in the first round with the game taking place in Nashville.

Nashville is roughly a six-hour drive from Columbia and the Tigers play at 8:50 CST on Friday night, the final tip-off of the first round. That will help get MU fans’ butts in the seats in that arena and should make it seem like a home game for the black and gold.

With that game being a heavy Mizzou crowd and playing in essentially a coin-flip game, I like MU’s chances of advancing to the Round of 32. Unless history is made, the Tigers will get Xavier in the next round.

Yes, Xavier is a number one seed, but they’re arguably the weakest of the top seeds. If Michael Porter Jr. can get it going, there’s no reason why the Tigers can’t pull off that upset. If they are able to knock off the top seeded Musketeers, then Missouri’s next opponent would be either Gonzaga or Ohio State.

Gonzaga is always a trendy pick (for good reason) and the Buckeyes were in a very weak Big Ten Conference this year. Missouri has no pressure on them this year and that’s what makes them a dangerous team.

Had Jordan Barnett not been popped with that suspension, this is a team that could have went on a hell of a run. Let’s see how Porter’s return and the absence of Barnett impacts the Tigers come tournament time, but if Missouri sticks to what they do well, this could definitely be a team who makes it to the Sweet Sixteen… or dare I say it… the Elite Eight.

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