Where Mizzou Landed in SEC Basketball Preseason Poll

The Tigers are expected to finish in the top half of the conference.

Mar 20, 2025; Wichita, KS, USA; Missouri Tigers bench reacts in the second half of a first round men’s NCAA Tournament game against the Drake Bulldogs at Intrust Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

After finishing seventh in the Southeastern conference last season, the Missouri Tigers were predicted to finish in the same place for the 2025-26 season by the preseason SEC media poll, released Monday morning.

For Missouri's women's team, the Tigers were selected to finish 13th in the conference in the first year under head coach Kellie Harper, also the same place the team finished last year.

Last season, Missouri's men's team surpassed expectations, being selected to finish 13th in the preseason media poll and finishing seventh and earning a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Missouri did, however, miss out of the first AP Top 25 of the season. The six teams ahead of Missouri in the SEC Media Poll all made the cut for the AP Top 25 though. Missouri received eight votes for the AP poll, the 34th most.

Additionally, forward Mark Mitchell was named to the preseason all-conference second-team. Mitchell finished on the all-conference second-team last season after averaging 13.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and a steal for Missouri last season.

Mitchell, along with junior point guard Anthony Robinson II, are expected to be the two core players Missouri will rely on most in hopes to secure the finish in the top half of the conference. Though Missouri lost guards Caleb Grill and Tamar Bates, two of the team's top-three leading scorers, the Tigers have the development of Robinson, Mitchell along with a promising group of second-year players to lean on.

That group of second-year players include guards T.O. Barrett and Annor Boateng, who head coach Dennis Gates is expecting to see big leaps out of.

"I want those two guys to make the jump that's necessary in their career that allow them the opportunity to push their team forward and play significant minutes," Gates said Monday.

Jumps in Year 2 of a player's development were a pivotal piece for Missouri last season, with Robinson emerging as a playmaker for the Tigers in his sophomore year.

Below is a full look at the SEC Media Poll for men's basketball, plus the preseason all-conference teams.

Predicted Order Of Finish

1. Florida
2. Kentucky
3. Tennessee
4. Alabama
5. Arkansas
6. Auburn
7. Missouri
8. Ole Miss
9. Texas
10. Mississippi State
11. Vanderbilt
12. Oklahoma
13. Texas A&M
14. Georgia
15. LSU
16. South Carolina

Preseason All-SEC Teams

First Team

Otega Oweh — Kentucky (Player of the Year)
Alex Condon — Florida
Josh Hubbard — Mississippi State
Labaron Philon — Alabama
Tahaad Pattiford — Auburn

Second Team

Nate Ament — Tennessee
Boogie Fland — Florida
Ja’Kobi Gillespie — Tennessee
Thomas Haugh — Florida
Mark Mitchell — Missouri

Third Team

Malik Dia — Ole Miss
Aden Holloway — Alabama
Karter Knox — Arkansas
Jaland Lowe — Kentucky
DJ Wagner — Arkansas