The University of Missouri men’s basketball team kicks off its pursuit of a national championship when they face Drake in the NCAA Tournament’s first round on Thursday. The game is scheduled to start at 6:35 p.m. in Wichita, airing on truTV.
ABOUT THE TIGERS
• Mizzou heads into the NCAA Tournament with a 22-11 record, holding the No. 23 spot in the AP poll and No. 24 in the USA Today Coaches poll.
• The Tigers ended the season tied for sixth in the SEC, a conference that achieved a record-breaking 14 tournament bids. They recorded a 10-8 record during league play, making it to the SEC Quarterfinals.
• Junior Mark Mitchell is the top scorer for the Tigers with an average of 14.1 points per game, closely followed by Caleb Grill at 13.7 and Tamar Bates at 13.4.
• Josh Gray leads the team in rebounds with 5.3, while Anthony Robinson II tops the assists chart with 3.5.
• Mizzou’s scoring offense ranks ninth in the nation at 84.5 points per game, holding a scoring margin of +10.6, which is 23rd nationally.
ABOUT THE BULLDOGS
• Drake secured an automatic NCAA Tournament bid after clinching the Missouri Valley title.
• The Bulldogs come into the tournament boasting a 30-3 record and are ranked No. 25 in the AP poll.
• Bennett Stirtz leads Drake, averaging 19.1 points and 5.7 assists per game.
• Daniel Abreu follows with an average of 10.4 points.
• Cam Manyawu offers a strong presence on the boards with a team-high of 5.4 rebounds.
• Drake ranks first in the nation for scoring defense, allowing just 58.4 points per game, while scoring an average of 70.1 points.
SERIES HISTORY
• The rivalry between these two teams dates back to 1910, with the Tigers leading the all-time series 27-7.
• They have only met twice in the last 70 years, with Mizzou claiming victories in a home-and-home series during 1986 and 1987.
TIGERS VERSUS MISSOURI VALLEY
• Once a member of the Missouri Valley Conference from 1907 to 1928, the Tigers hold a 242-151 record against teams from the league. Since departing the MVC, Mizzou has a 92-44 record against its former conference rivals.
• Mizzou has a perfect 2-0 record against Missouri Valley teams in the NCAA Tournament, defeating Creighton in 1989 and Southern Illinois in 2003.
• The Tigers have won their last three matchups against teams from the Valley, last competing against a league team in 2020, securing a win against Bradley.
NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
• This marks Mizzou’s 30th appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
• The Tigers have an all-time record of 23-29 in their first 52 games within the tournament.
• Mizzou has reached the Elite Eight five times (1944, 1976, 1994, 2002, and 2009).
• Under head coach Dennis Gates, this is the second time in three years that the Tigers have made it to the tournament. In 2023, Mizzou achieved a postseason victory over Utah State but lost to Princeton in the subsequent round.
