Mizzou Basketball ranked #16 in AP Poll for first time since January 2014

In early January of 2014, Missouri’s basketball team featured Jordan Clarkson, Jabari Brown, and Earnest Ross and had just completed a non-conference schedule with a 12-1 record. Their only blemish was a loss against Illinois in the Braggin’ Rights game. Their resume wasn’t deep, but it did feature a home win over a ranked UCLA squad.

That team took the floor a couple nights later at Mizzou Arena and lost to a struggling Georgia team 70-64 in Overtime. That may have been the beginning of the end of a really pretty great run of hoops for the Tigers. After going to the NCAA tournament the previous five years, a short bench and a lack of a point guard caused Missouri to limp through the SEC schedule at 9-9, and they finished the season 23-11 after slinking out of the NIT in a home loss to Southern Mississippi.

You know the rest of the story, Frank Haith took the job at Tulsa, Missouri hired Kim Anderson, and promptly ushered in the worst three year stretch since Bob Vanatta roamed the sidelines in the late 60s (Mizzou subsequently hired Norm Stewart who did a pretty good job turning things around).

After claiming spots in Gary Parrish’s top 25 & 1, and Jeff Goodman’s top 25 rankings, the signs were good for Missouri to make their first appearance in the AP Poll since that Monday in early January nearly 8 years ago.

It’s been a long, dark trip. But Mizzou is back in the top 25. The AP Poll came out today:

1. Gonzaga (3-0) 1,541 (54)

2. Baylor (4-0) 1,491 (7)

3. Iowa (6-0) 1,427 (1)

4. Michigan State (6-0) 1,307

5. Kansas (6-1) 1,289

6. Houston (4-0) 1,169

7. Villanova (5-1) 1,163

8. West Virginia (6-1) 1,113

9. Creighton (4-1) 1,037

10. Tennessee (2-0) 941

11. Texas (5-1) 873

12. Wisconsin (4-1) 846

13. Illinois (4-2) 742

14. Texas Tech (6-1) 669

15. Florida State (3-0) 619

16. Missouri (5-0) 491

17 . Virginia (3-1) 456

18. San Diego State (5-0) 455

19. Rutgers (4-0) 396

20. Ohio State (5-0) 392

21. Duke (2-2) 345

22. North Carolina (4-2) 328

23. Louisville (4-0) 164

24. Clemson (5-0) 156

25. Michigan (6-0) 142

Others receiving votes:

Richmond 140, Saint Louis 121, Virginia Tech 115, Xavier 55, Oklahoma State 48, Oregon 31, Indiana 22, Florida 18, Arizona State 13, UCLA 9, Connecticut 7, Arizona 5, Syracuse 4, Georgia 4, Arkansas 4, SMU 1, Minnesota 1

The Tigers were also named the NCAA Team of the Week by Andy Katz: