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Here's what was on my mind right at the final buzzer as Missouri dropped its third game in its last four matchups, losing to Oklahoma 96-84.

I don't know how the primary thought about this game could be anything other than the Tigers have a very, very, very series issue defensively near the rim.

Oklahoma hit its first seven layups and was just attacking, attacking and attacking some more, getting the ball inside throughout the start of the game and getting easy, open looks because the Tigers just can't seem to stop a single drive anymore.

Dennis Gates talked his way around the question when it got brought up that the Tigers allowed more than 40 points in the paint against both Vanderbilt and Arkansas, well they allowed 30 in the first half alone and 48 (!!!) overall against Oklahoma.

I've said it numerous times recently, if there isn't a major change in the defense scheme or something (maybe Trent Burns playing? I don't know) then the Tigers are going to face an early exit in the tournament. The only difference from how I felt about it the past week or two is it won't even take a great post player to do it, it'll just take a team that cares enough to try.

Ya, still this.

It has been so obvious for weeks that the Tigers had an issue defending the paint. When Asa Newell and Collin Murray-Boyles both had great individual games, it was excusable. Those are the best two parts of not great teams, it happens, and the Tigers still won because they stopped the rest of the team.

But when Arkansas dominates you down low, then Vanderbilt, which doesn't have a regular player taller than 6-foot-7, does it as a team, there's clearly an issue.

Over and over again for about the past three weeks, maybe the past month, it's been clear the Tigers cannot defend the paint. And yet nothing has changed.

I said in "What I'm looking at" that I thought a clear defensive adjustment would be what I needed to see to think the Tigers would win, well there was clearly no change.

At least not for the better.

I'm not sure I really saw any.

T.O. Barrett had the flagrant foul on Jeremiah Fears and that was about it for the night.

The rebounding issues against Vanderbilt seemed to be effort related. Vandy just wanted it more and the Commodores were flying around the court. I'm not sure we saw much more from the Tigers tonight.

I can't tell you exactly what happened the past couple of weeks, but this Tiger team just has a vastly different feel to it than it did in January or early February.

There's nothing Mizzou could do now to not make the tournament, 10 wins in the SEC and beating three top-5 teams guarantees the spot.

But the Tigers controlled their destiny for a double-bye in the SEC Tournament and were looking at the possibility of a 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament just a week ago.

I'd be surprised if they're still on the 5 line moving forward. And depending on what happens against Kentucky on Saturday, the Tigers might be looking at a 7 seed.

I just don't understand what has happened the past few weeks past teams figured out the Tiger defense and I guess it's just been demoralizing to have the same thing happen again and again.

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