Where Mizzou Stands in Bracketology Before SEC Tournament Matchup

Things have changed since the Tigers' high point in the middle of conference play, eyeing down a much harder NCAA Tournament matchup in recent predictions.

Feb 22, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Marques Warrick (1) celebrates with teammates after making a three-point shot at the end of the first quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

The Missouri Tigers are now looking at a lower seed prediction in a recent bracketology prediction after dropping four of their last five SEC matchups.

Losses started piling up for the Tigers after they became one of the hottest and most surprising teams in the conference, appearing to bounce back after a winless conference season a year ago. They have bounced back from last year, but the Tigers' slide over the last two weeks has been somewhat puzzling.

Because of the recent spiral, the Tigers' projected seed in ESPN analyst Joe Lunardi's recent bracket projections has dropped. After sitting around the five-seed line for most of its hot stretch, the Tigers have dropped down to seven-seed territory.

This shouldn't come as any sort of surprise. Missouri's play warrants the decline in seeding despite the tremendous turnaround head coach Dennis Gates has led his team on. Recent defensive struggles against fringe-tournament teams, who've now proved their worth, like Vanderbilt, Arkansas and Oklahoma, have led to the decline.

Now, it's up to Gates and his squad to earn back a seed in the SEC tournament. There are quality wins available and a win or two in the conference tournament could go a long way to rising to the six-seed line.

Joe Lunardi's South Region

1-seed Auburn vs. 16-seed SIU Edwardsville or Southern
8-seed Memphis vs. 9-seed West Virginia
5-seed Oregon vs. 12-seed UC San Diego
4-seed Clemson vs. 3-seed Akron
6-seed Illinois vs. 11-seed Vanderbilt
3-seed Texas A&M vs. 14-seed Troy
7-seed Missouri vs. 10-seed Baylor
2-seed Michigan State vs. 15-seed Bryant

Missouri will play either the 15-seeded LSU Tigers or 10-seeded Mississippi State Bulldogs in the second round of the SEC tournament. Mississippi State is a team the Tigers blew out on the road during the conference slate, a game that put Missouri on the map, in some cases. LSU was also another easy win at home for Missouri, occurring earlier on in the year.

These aren't must-win games for the Tigers because they're already a lock for the tournament. However, if they want to return to mid-conference play form before the start of March Madness, racking up some quality victories beforehand would do just that.

The Tigers will tip-off against either Mississippi State or LSU at 6:00 p.m. CT on Thursday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.