The Missouri Tigers learned Sunday they earned a No. 6 seed in the West Region of the NCAA Tournament.
"You can't take these moments for granted," Missouri coach Dennis Gates said. "So we're thankful to be in the tournament. I have great respect for all opponents that have made the NCAA Tournament. It means that they have done a great job."
They will head to Wichita for their first-round game against No. 11 Drake on Thursday. The winner of that matchup will face the winner of No. 3 seed Texas Tech and No. 14 seed UNCW on Saturday.
"I don't have anything specifically about our opponent, but we will study it," Gates said. "... It's a first-round game and anything can happen. Rankings and bids and all that other stuff doesn't matter. All teams are capable of winning games and we respect our opponents."
Drake is coached by first-year head coach Ben McCollum who took over after leading the Northwest Missouri State to four national championships (2017, 2019, 2021, 2022) in 15 seasons at the DII powerhouse.
In his first season, he led the Bulldogs to a 30-3 record overall with a 17-3 record in Missouri Valley Conference play.
Drake enters the NCAA Tournament on a seven-game winning streak, including winning the MVC championship on Sunday.
"We'll just dive in how we normally have done our scouting and in terms of, you know, breaking down the opponent," Gates said. "And it's not about looking at the next, it's about looking at our current ... we're going to respect them how we have always respected the opposition."
After opening the season with a loss on the road to Memphis, the Tigers returned to Columbia for 10 consecutive games, winning them all and highlighting the home stretch with a 76-67 Border War win against then-No. 1 kansas on Dec. 8, the first time the Tigers won the rivalry matchup since Feb. 4, 2012.
Mizzou then dropped a close one against Illinois for Braggin' Rights, but rebounded with a win to go into SEC play at 11-2, already surpassing the eight total wins the Tigers had in 2023-24.
Then-No. 2 Auburn handed the Tigers their 19th consecutive regular-season SEC loss to opened conference play, but Missouri responded with four consecutive wins against LSU, Vanderbilt, then-No. 5 Florida and Arkansas.
"Our SEC conference has prepared us from every moment possible," Gates said. "What we cannot predict is what situation will come up in game."
After a loss to Texas, the Tigers responded with wins against then-No. 16 Ole Miss and a road win against then-No. 14 Mississippi State to reach 6-2 in SEC play for the first time in program history.
After dropping two tough games against top-10 opponents, the Tigers then won three in a row, including a 110-98 win against then-No. 4 Alabama, the first time the Tigers ever scored 100 points in an SEC game, let alone 110.
But a down stretch hit through the end of the season as the Tigers lost four of their five final regular-season games, though they averaged 90 points per game in that stretch.
The Tigers responded with another win against Mississippi State to open the SEC Tournament, but lost to eventual-SEC champion Florida in the rematch.
"We have a group of guys that's going to be sitting on the edge of their seat, eyes wide open, ears wide open and being prepared to receive a game plan from us," Gates said. "And I'm excited to participate in this NCAA Tournament."
This story will be updated with quotes after the selection show ends.
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