It's been since last year since I posted one of these, mainly due to time constraints and I figured the year off would reduce the amount of bandwith used around here (apparently these posts were not missed either since Bill C. does such a great job breaking down the numbers anyway).

Any way, the pod Mizzou is in has a very unfamiliar MEAC foe, a future SEC conference mate whom the Tigers have never faced and an ACC team that has handled Mizzou in the past.

Records against after the jump...

Norfolk State

(First Meeting)

3-16-2012 * Omaha, NE

* NCAA West Regional Second Round

The Spartans are the MEAC tournament Champ and one of the few teams that the Tigers have not faced from that league (see Coppin State(ahem), Florida A&M, Savannah State, etc.). But considering that the MEAC is usually fodder for the Tigers in the non-con section of the schedule, I think Mizzou gets it done and advances to the 3rd round where things get interesting...

Florida

(First Meeting)

3-19-2012 * Omaha, NE

*NCAA West Regional Third Round

What an introduction this could be...Competing chants of S-E-C could be the most interesting thing about this match-up of future conference foes. The Gators are a jump shooting team and could be very dangerous, their question is do they have the speed at the three and four positions to matchup with Matt Pressey and Kim English.

(Virginia leads 4-1)

2-20-1983 L 53-68 East Rutherford, NJ

2-9-1986 L 62-64 Columbia, MO

1-7-1987 L 50-66 Charlottesville, VA

1-20-2001 L 72-85 Charlottesville, VA

2-3-2002 W 81-77 Columbia, MO

3-19-2012 * Omaha, NE

* NCAA West Regional Third Round

at Columbia, MO: Series Tied 1-1

at Charlottesville, VA: UV leads 2-0

at Neutral Sites: UV leads 1-0

Do NOT look past the Cavaliers (or Wahoos or UVA's, whatever they prefer). This is a matchup made in a history buff's dream. UVA was the first public university in America, Mizzou the first public university in the Louisiana Purchase. The family of Thomas Jefferson thought so highly of this that they sent his original tombstone to Mizzou. It still sits on the North Quad with a Thomas Jefferson statue facing it. Though they are injured, UVA is an ACC team and has historically made life miserable for the Tigers. But if the Tigers get this matchup, they may thank their lucky stars.