The Morning Commute for Thursday, March 5
Welcome to the Morning Commute
Today we’re talking about Mizzou Hoops
Despite Mizzou’s 80-64 loss at Oklahoma on Tuesday night, the Tigers’ NCAA Tournament chances are still in fairly good shape — but they haven’t officially been deemed a lock quite yet.
Per the latest update from ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, Missouri remains in the top spot among the Last Four Byes after Wednesday night’s action in college hoops.
Up next for Mizzou is the regular season finale vs No. 20 Arkansas on Saturday with the Razorbacks coming off a 105-85 win over Texas last night. A golden opportunity for the gold rush, if you will.
So, there’s still some work to do. A win over the Razorbacks would officially cement Mizzou as an NCAA Tournament team. Get it done before having to stress out for the SEC Tournament.
Yesterday at Rock M and Rock M+
The Tigers have one more chance ahead of the SEC Tournament to increase their tournament odds with a home matchup scheduled against their rivals, the Arkansas Razorbacks.
A pivotal one on Saturday. Senior Day in front of a sold-out, gold rush crowd. Beat the Hogs.
Darris Smith is the clear headliner among the returners and a near lock to start. He logged the most snaps of anyone coming back to the position and turned in a four-sack campaign in 2025. With Young and Wilson gone, Smith should see more one-on-one opportunities and more chances to hunt quarterbacks.
Look for Darris Smith to be the leader of the defensive end group.
For Arkansas, they came into this meet looking for a solid away score, as in the new NQS system, they all count. For Mizzou, they were looking to capitalize on last week’s success and stay firmly in the no. 7 spot with a few meets to go. Well, mission accomplished for both teams, as the Tigers held off the Gymbacks 197.425 to 197.225 to move to 3-3 in the SEC.
It was a big win for Mizzou over Arkansas on their Senior Day. Two high-quality teams.
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.
A WBIT appearance would be a good building block in Kellie Harper’s first season if it were to happen.
With this loss and the way they ended the season it’s quite unlikely that Mizzou will receive a bid to the Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament. If it’s truly the end, Harper finished year one with a record of 16-16, battling through offseason changes and a plethora of injuries to stay competitive to the very end.
Some positives to take away from this season.
- Over at Rock M+: Spring football notes, plus an initial survey of potential portal options.
Rock M Radio’s Dive Cuts: Mizzou Hoops is closing out the season strong
Despite the loss to Oklahoma on Tuesday.
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Category: General Sports
