Mizzou's Opponent, Region Revealed for NCAA Tournament

Where the Missouri Tigers are headed for the first round of March Madness.

Dec. 3, 2024; Columbia, Mo. USA; Missouri Tigers guard Tamar Bates (2) leaps up for a dunk during a game against the California Golden Bears at Mizzou Arena. / Amber Winkler/MissouriOnSI

The Missouri Tigers are going dancing out in Wichita, Kan.

In the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the Tigers are set to take on the Drake Bulldogs on Thursday, March 20.

Missouri (22-11, 10-8 Southeastern Conference) comes in as a No. 6 seed, taking on No. 11 seed Drake.

Missouri is hoping its journey through the ringer of the SEC will have served as good preparation for the Tournament. Missouri took on 18 quad 1 opponents in the regular season, winning seven of those games.

"With our schedule, we played a lot of great teams in this conference," Missouri guard Anthony Robinson II said in a press conference after the SEC Tournament. "I believe it prepared us for this next season (the NCAA Tournament) we have."

This will be the ninth NCAA Tournament for coach Dennis Gates, and his third as the head coach of a program. From 2011-2019, Gates was an assistant coach at Florida State during trips to the Sweet Sixteen in 2011 and 2019, and the Elite Eight in 2018.

"It's about getting on a winning streak, but you gotta move one game at a time," Gates said of the NCAA Tournament in a press conference after the SEC Tournament. "You cannot underestimate your first opponent, and we're not gonna underestimate anyone."

In his two previous trips as a head coach, one at Cleveland State in the 2020-2021 season and another at Missouri in the 2022-2023 season, Gates' teams fell in the Round of 64 and Round of 32 respectively.

Mar 18, 2023; Sacramento, CA, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Dennis Gates yells during the first half against the Princeton Tigers at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

"The tournament is about matchups," Gates said. "It's about paths. It's about the madness that actually upsets teams in that journey."

The Tournament bid is especially impressive for Missouri, who finished winless in conference play last season for the first time since the 1907-1908 season. The Tigers were predicted to finish No. 13 in the SEC this season.

"When you have the big view of our program and players committing how they've committed to just my vision, they may not have seen April, in mind. They may not have seen San Antonio in mind, but I remind our guys in every first meeting where the Final Four is at."

Missouri has not advanced past the second round of the NCAA Tournament since the 2008-2009 season where the Tigers fell to UConn in the Elite Eight. The Tigers have never made it to a Final Four.

The first round of the NCAA Tournament will be held on Thursday, March 20 and Friday, March 21.

NCAA Tournament: West Regional

Raleigh
No. 1. Florida vs. No. 16 Norfolk State
No. 8 UConn vs. No. 9 Oklahoma

Seattle
No. 5 Memphis vs. No. 12 Colorado State
No. 4 Maryland vs. No. 13 Grand Canyon

Wichita
No. 6 Missouri vs. No. 11 Drake
No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 14 UNC Wilmington

Providence
No. 7 Kansas vs. No. 10 Arkansas
No. 2 St. John's vs. No. 15 Omaha

This post will be updated with more information.

Read more Missouri Tigers news:

feed