Evaluating Potential March Madness Opponents for Mizzou

With nearly everything set in stone, here's a look at some potential NCAA tournament options the Tigers could square off against.

Mar 13, 2025; Nashville, TN, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Mark Mitchell (25) dribbles the ball against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the first half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Right now, it looks like the Missouri Tigers have firmly locked up a seven seed in March Madness.

After a late stretch of losses in conference play and a quarterfinal exit to the Florida Gators in the SEC tournament, most, if not all, bracketology reports have Missouri playing a 10-seed. With that comes the same projections to face off against the same teams.

It looks like the Tigers will be facing an at-large bid team in the opposing 10-seed, whether it's a Power 5 team or a talented mid-major. Most of those teams on the 10-seed line are power conference squads that slipped up at moments during the regular season, but have enough big wins to justify them being in the tournament.

A good example is the Arkansas Razorbacks. They made plenty of mistakes during the regular season, but have earned enough impactful wins to solidify their position in March Madness.

They might not know their opponent yet, but here's a glimpse into who the Tigers could take on in round one of March Madness.

West Virginia Mountaineers

Right now, West Virginia is the most predicted team the Tigers are expected to see in round one. After finishing the season with a 19-13 record in the Big 12 with a new head coach and mainly new roster, the Mountaineers impressed many in year one of the Darian DeVries era.

Leading the team is guard Javon Small, who's on his third team in four seasons of college basketball. He led the Mountaineers in scoring with 18.6 points per game on 41.8% shooting, emerging as one of the nation's best pure scorers.

Mar 4, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers guard Javon Small (7) brings the ball up the court against the Utah Utes during the first half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

What made the potential run to the NCAA tournament was the ability to do it without one of their best players, the son of coach DeVries. Tucker DeVries, a former Drake Bulldog, averaged 14.9 points per game until his season was shut down due to injuries.

Small stepped up in his absence, as did freshman Jonathan Powell and UIC transfer Toby Okani. That guard depth has led to the success of the Mountaineers, along with forward Amani Hansberry.

Many teams across the country have completely rebuilt in the transfer portal. DeVries and the Mountaineers did exactly and are good for an NCAA tournament appearance because of it.

Utah State Aggies

They say guard play is the most important thing when it comes to success in March. That's again the case for the Aggies, who were one of the best teams in a loaded Mountain West conference this season. Head coach Jerrod Calhoun and the Aggies were recently eliminated from the Mountain West tournament by Colorado State, however, who made a dream run to the championship game and also potentially clinched a NCAA tournament spot.

That being said, what Calhoun did with Utah State this season was impressive. After making the move over from Youngstown State last season, Calhoun brought another season of success to Logan, Utah. Led by a quartet of guards, the Aggies ascended to the two-seed in their conference.

Ian Martinez was the best of the bunch, scoring 16.8 points per game. Behind him was Mason Falslev, who averaged 14.9. The next two are Dexter Akanno with 8.3 and Deyton Albury with 7.7. Outside of Falslev, all of those players transferred into the program, showing a success story of a mid-major program utilizing the transfer portal.

Jan 20, 2024; Logan, Utah, USA; Utah State Aggies guard Mason Falslev (12) lays the ball up against Fresno State Bulldogs guard Isaiah Pope (21) during the first half at Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

This seems like a team built for a March Madness run. Utah State has all the tools and depth to win multiple games. Martinez and Falslev are flamethrower guards who can be hard covers when they're on. The Aggies from the Mountain West would not be a team the Tigers would matchup well with in round one.

Baylor Bears

Baylor is the biggest wild card out of the teams on this list. Their record might be deceiving based on the talent on the team, but the Bears did lose many games they had no business losing throughout the season.

The highlight of the team is veteran forward Norchad Omier, who's been nothing but consistent during his five-year college stint. Averaging 15.9 points and 10.9 rebounds per game, Omier is an undersized forward that plays with pure power and force. Omier would present a fascinating test to Missouri forward Mark Mitchell, assuming he's healthy for March Madness.

Mar 13, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Baylor Bears forward Norchad Omier (15) dribbles the ball as Texas Tech Red Raiders forward JT Toppin (15) defends during the second half at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

Omier's and freshman guard V.J. Edgecombe have been the only constants for the Bears this season. Edgecombe has jump-through-the-roof athleticism and is bound to be a lottery pick in the upcoming NBA draft, with an ever-growing offensive skillset and natural defensive instincts. Those two alone could be game-wreckers in a March Madness battle, but defensive flaws have Baylor back.

There are no guarantees as to who the Tigers will see in round one of the tournament. It's possible that none of the teams listed above are the matchup, but the style of play and skill level compared to other teams will be similar. Expect Missouri to see a high-level mid-major school or a Power 5 team with upset potential as the 10 or 11 seed sitting underneath them on the bracket.