The resume still remains strong for the Missouri Tigers, but the blemishes are starting to pile up. Losses to Mississippi State, Auburn, and now Ole Miss will do that. If the Tigers want to stay as a top four-seed team in the NCAA Tournament, that can’t happen – especially in a weaker SEC.

Was Wednesday night’s loss a horrible look on the resume standpoint? Not exactly, as Ole Miss on the road was a Quadrant 1 game, and the Rebels just might play their way into the NCAA Tournament at this point if they keep playing like they are. But a 21-point loss sure as heck didn’t pass the eye test.

With all of that being said, Mizzou is still in fairly good position, but the Tigers better be careful as there is little room for error the rest of the way with this schedule. Tomorrow’s game against Arkansas might just become a must-win to stay on the four-seed line. For now, their five Quadrant 1 wins are just barely enough to place them as a No. 3 seed.

Mizzou is one of eight teams in the country that has five or more Quadrant 1 wins right now:

And be sure to tune in for tomorrow’s NCAA Tournament Bracket Preview Show on CBS.

It’ll be interesting to see where the NCAA Selection Committee will seed Missouri, but Andy Katz predicts that Mizzou will be projected as the top No. 4 seed.

TRENDING UP:

• Arkansas (15-5): The Razorbacks have won five out of their last six games with their only loss in that stretch on the road against Oklahoma State in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. That sets the stage for a huge game against Mizzou tomorrow.
• Saint Louis (9-3): The Billikens are back in the Field of 68 after back-to-back wins against the A-10 leader Saint Bonaventure and Rhode Island.
• Virginia (14-3): The Cavaliers are certainly doing this quietly in a down ACC, but they just keep on winning, having won 10 out of their last 11 games.
• VCU (14-4): The Rams are sitting at second place in the Atlantic-10 and have won five out of their last six games. Battle for first place in the A-10 vs Saint Bonaventure tonight.

TRENDING DOWN:

• UCONN (8-5): The Huskies have dropped to the wrong side of the bubble going just 1-4 in their last five games with their lone win at home against Butler in that stretch.
• Purdue (13-8); The Boilermakers are just 2-3 in their last five games and can’t finish close ones on the road, losing to Maryland and Minnesota by a combined four points.
• Texas Tech (14-6): The Red Raiders are 3-3 in their last six games with a lot of missed opportunities to improve their resume, including losing to West Virginia twice. It doesn’t get any easier, as they play at Baylor tomorrow.
• Stanford (12-8): The Cardinal had a prime opportunity to get back in the Field of 68 last night against Colorado, but an 18-point loss at home doesn’t get it done.

Last Few In

These would be among the last in without their conference’s automatic bid.

• LSU (12-6)
• St. John’s (13-8)
• Colorado State (14-4)
• Utah State (14-5)

First Few Out

• Stanford (12-8)
• San Diego State (15-4)
• Wichita State (12-4)
• UCONN (8-5)

TOP 16 SEEDS:

1. Gonzaga (19-0)
2. Baylor (17-0)
3. Michigan (13-1)
4. Ohio State (16-4)
5. Villanova (13-2)
6. Illinois (13-5)
7. Alabama (16-5)
8. Houston (17-2)
9. Virginia (14-3)
10. West Virginia (14-5)
11. Texas (12-5)
12. Missouri (13-4)
13. Iowa (14-6)
14. Tennessee (14-4)
15. Oklahoma (12-5)
16. Texas Tech (14-6)

BY CONFERENCE:

Big 12: 9

Big 12: 7

ACC: 6

SEC: 6

Big East: 5

PAC-12: 4

Mountain West: 3

Atlantic-10: 3

Missouri Valley: 2

WCC: 2

American: 1

THE BRACKET:

FIRST FOUR (Assembly Hall):

• North Carolina A&T (8-9) vs Prairie View (7-4)
• LSU (12-6) vs Colorado State (14-4)
• Bryant (10-5) vs Grand Canyon (12-3)
• St. John’s (13-8) vs Utah State (14-5)

[REGIONAL 1]

• No. 1 Gonzaga (19-0) vs No. 16 North Carolina A&T/Prairie View
• No. 8 Colorado (16-5) vs No. 9 BYU (15-5)
• No. 5 Florida State (10-3) vs No. 12 Belmont (20-1)
• No. 4 Texas Tech (14-6) vs No. 13 Western Kentucky (13-4)
• No. 6 Kansas (14-7) vs No. 11 Saint Louis (9-3)
• No. 3 Missouri (13-4) vs No. 14 Winthrop (17-1)
• No. 7 Oklahoma State (12-6) vs No. 10 Drake (17-1)
• No. 2 Houston (17-2) vs No. 15 Eastern Washington (9-6)

[REGIONAL 2]

• No. 1 Ohio State (16-4) vs No. 16 Cleveland State (14-5)
• No. 8 Loyola-Chicago (17-3) vs No 9 Seton Hall (11-8)
• No. 5 Creighton (15-5) vs No. 12 LSU/Colorado State
• No. 4 Iowa (13-6) vs No. 13 Siena (8-2)
• No. 6 UCLA (13-4) vs No. 11 VCU (14-4)
• No. 3 Virginia (14-3) vs No. 14 Liberty (15-5)
• No. 7 Florida (10-5) vs No. 10 North Carolina (12-6)
• No. 2 Villanova (13-5) vs No. 15 Northeastern (8-6)

[REGIONAL 3]

• No. 1 Baylor (17-0) vs No. 16 Bryant/Grand Canyon
• No. 8 Minnesota (13-7) vs No. 9 Arkansas (15-5)
• No. 5 Wisconsin (15-6) vs No. 12 Toledo (16-5)
• No. 4 Tennessee (14-4) vs No. 13 UNC-Greensboro (14-6)
• No. 6 Purdue (13-8) vs No. 11 Oregon (10-4)
• No. 3 Texas (12-5) vs No. 14 Texas State (14-6)
• No. 7 Louisville (11-4) vs No. 10 Boise State (14-4)
• No. 2 Illinois (13-5) vs No. 15 Navy (11-2)

[REGIONAL 4]

• No. 1 Michigan (13-1) vs No. 16 South Dakota (11-7)
• No. 8 Xavier (11-2) vs No. 9 Clemson (12-5)
• No. 5 USC (15-3) vs No. 12 St. John’s/Utah State
• No. 4 Oklahoma (12-5) vs No. 13 UC Santa Barbara (12-3)
• No. 6 Virginia Tech (14-4) vs No. 11 Indiana (11-8)
• No. 3 West Virginia (14-5) vs No. 14 Abilene-Christian (17-3)
• No. 7 Rutgers (11-7) vs No. 10 Saint Bonaventure (10-2)
• No. 2 Alabama (16-5) vs No. 15 UMBC (13-4)

First Glance At A Final Four:

Gonzaga, Villanova, Baylor, Alabama

Second glance: Gonzaga, Virginia, Illinois, West Virginia

Missouri’s inevitable path to destiny:

Winthrop, kansas, Houston, Gonzaga, Ohio State, Baylor........the NCAA Tournament isn’t being played in the state of Mississippi, so there’s that!