I wanted to see what it took to get Mizzou into the tournament as a #8 seed in 2018. Mizzou had 5 Q1 wins, 7 Q2 wins and 1 Q3 loss. They also avoided the dreaded Q4 loss.
So far this year, Mizzou has 1 Q1 wins (Illinois) and two Q2 wins (Temple, Florida). Temple is straddling the line of a Q1/Q2 win. They are #80 in the latest NET rankings, and you need to be Top #75 for a road win to be considered Q1.
The Good News: While it appears the Tigers are pacing well behind their 2017-2018 pace, they actually aren't that far behind where they stood on this date two years ago. On the 14th of January, the Tigers had one Q1 win and three Q2 wins. The Tigers have a chance to match the 2017-2018 team's resume tonight with a Q2 win against Mississippi State.
The Bad News: The Tigers have a brutal Q4 loss on their schedule that they need to make up for. That will be a black eye on their resume all year. Additionally, the SEC isn't quite as strong up at the top as it was in 2017-2018. There were more Q1 win opportunities and virtually no landmines on the schedule. Here is how the rest of this year's schedule breaks down.
@Mississippi St Q2
@Alabama Q1
A&M Q3
@WVU Q1
Georgia Q2
@South Carolina Q2
@A&M Q2
Arkansas Q1
@LSU Q1
Auburn Q1
Ole Miss Q3
@Arkansas Q1
@Vanderbilt Q2
Mississippi St Q3
@Ole Miss Q2
Alabama Q2
6 Q1 win opportunities left (3 on the road, 3 at home), 7 Q2 win opportunities left (5 on the road, 2 at home), 3 Q3 win opportunities left (3 at home).
The Summary: Mizzou isn't dead yet when it comes to the NCAA tournament. In fact, they really aren't in that bad a spot. They really only need to climb 10-15 spots in the NET rankings to have a great shot at an at-large bid. If you go strictly by the NET rankings to do Bracketology, they actually would be in the Next 4 out as things stand today.
While I used the 2017-2018 team as a benchmark, it's worth noting that their resume was good enough for an 8-seed. Mizzou won't have to match those marks to make the tournament. They will simply have to come close.
It's unfortunate that the Charleston Southern game happened. They will likely have to win an extra Q1 game than they would have otherwise to make up for that loss.
So far this year, Mizzou has 1 Q1 wins (Illinois) and two Q2 wins (Temple, Florida). Temple is straddling the line of a Q1/Q2 win. They are #80 in the latest NET rankings, and you need to be Top #75 for a road win to be considered Q1.
The Good News: While it appears the Tigers are pacing well behind their 2017-2018 pace, they actually aren't that far behind where they stood on this date two years ago. On the 14th of January, the Tigers had one Q1 win and three Q2 wins. The Tigers have a chance to match the 2017-2018 team's resume tonight with a Q2 win against Mississippi State.
The Bad News: The Tigers have a brutal Q4 loss on their schedule that they need to make up for. That will be a black eye on their resume all year. Additionally, the SEC isn't quite as strong up at the top as it was in 2017-2018. There were more Q1 win opportunities and virtually no landmines on the schedule. Here is how the rest of this year's schedule breaks down.
@Mississippi St Q2
@Alabama Q1
A&M Q3
@WVU Q1
Georgia Q2
@South Carolina Q2
@A&M Q2
Arkansas Q1
@LSU Q1
Auburn Q1
Ole Miss Q3
@Arkansas Q1
@Vanderbilt Q2
Mississippi St Q3
@Ole Miss Q2
Alabama Q2
6 Q1 win opportunities left (3 on the road, 3 at home), 7 Q2 win opportunities left (5 on the road, 2 at home), 3 Q3 win opportunities left (3 at home).
The Summary: Mizzou isn't dead yet when it comes to the NCAA tournament. In fact, they really aren't in that bad a spot. They really only need to climb 10-15 spots in the NET rankings to have a great shot at an at-large bid. If you go strictly by the NET rankings to do Bracketology, they actually would be in the Next 4 out as things stand today.
While I used the 2017-2018 team as a benchmark, it's worth noting that their resume was good enough for an 8-seed. Mizzou won't have to match those marks to make the tournament. They will simply have to come close.
It's unfortunate that the Charleston Southern game happened. They will likely have to win an extra Q1 game than they would have otherwise to make up for that loss.
