Mizzou... actually may have something to play for?

Over the past several weeks, we’ve been trying to diagnose what went wrong in the 2019-2020 basketball season. A campaign that started with such hope hit the skids almost immediately in SEC play, and the bottom seemed to drop out once the Tigers started losing players and winnable games in droves.

However, the past 10 days have been just the shot in the arm the program needed. After wins over Arkansas and Auburn (and a near win over LSU), hope seems to be rising both in the fan base and the locker room.

Weirdly enough, Mizzou basketball has some momentum — momentum that can carry them somewhere if they are able to ride it out.

• It may seem crazy to think Mizzou could actually have postseason basketball to play for, but the SEC standings give them an opportunity. Souichi Terada examines how Mizzou can move up in the SEC standings after the last two weeks of solid play.
• Dave Matter has Mizzou slow moving upward in the SEC Heat Check after a successful week against some of the SEC’s best. Slumping teams just ahead of them could create even more room near the middle.
• Gabe DeArmond wrote out his regular Monday morning feature, with many, many thoughts on basketball, with a few extras thrown in. Subscribers can get access to that, and a statistical preview of tonight’s Ole Miss game.
• The program itself has noticed the uptick in support, and it’s leaning in.

On an editorial note, it has been incredible to see the spike of fan support over the past few weeks. It feels like years since Missouri has had a sense of pride in its basketball team and it’s weirdly starting to come back in the midst of a disappointing season? Sports are weird, y’all.

More Links:

• Woj always has the scoop, and this one tells him former Mizzou great DeMarre Carroll is headed to the Rockets after a buyout.

• Sean Williams at PowerMizzou has a breakdown on blue chip recruit Jakailin Johnson’s Top 6 schools, of which Missouri made the cut. Subscribers only, y’all.
• The Athletic’s Alex Schiffer did a feature on former Mizzou standout Travon Bryant, now an assistant with the Brooklyn Nets.
• ESPN’s FPI is not looking favorably at Mizzou Football in year one under Eli Drinkwitz.
• Onward and upward for Mizzou Tennis, which improved to 8-2 with a match win on Monday.

• Thinking about taking in some Mizzou sports this week? Check out this nifty calendar to plan ahead.

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