ONIONS!
For senior leader, Dru Smith! Scoring the game-winner with 0.7 remaining, Missouri got another much needed Quadrant 1 win at Florida, winning in Gainesville for the first time in program history. Smith (of course he did) led the team with 17 points. Five players scored in double figures and the Tigers improved to 15-7 (8-7 SEC) on the season.
Here’s the highlight of Smith’s game-winner:
DRU. CALLED. GAME. pic.twitter.com/oekSmLhtr8
— Mark Kim (@MarkJKim_) March 4, 2021
Missouri got their seventh Quadrant 1 win of the season and finished the regular season with a 6-4 road record. For the first time since the 2011-2012 season, they finished with a winning road record.
So yeah, we can officially put this stupid conversation to bed.
Missouri is making the NCAA Tournament. At a minimum, we can put that silly conversation away.
— Carrington Harrison (@cdotharrison) March 4, 2021
I guess had Mizzou lost out, they might’ve had to sweat out Selection Sunday, but they erased all doubt tonight. The Tigers are going to Dance in 2021.
— Brendan Wiese (@bwiese16) March 4, 2021
Mizzou joins Purdue, Ohio State, Alabama, Baylor, and Gonzaga with seven Quadrant 1 wins. Illinois, Oklahoma State, and Michigan are the only teams in the country with more.
There’s also this:
With tonight's win, Missouri now 8-2 against teams in Joe Lunardi's projected NCAA bracket with wins over teams seeded No. 1 (Illinois), No. 2 (Alabama), No. 3 (Arkansas), No. 6 (Tennessee), No. 7 (Florida), No. 9 (Oregon), No. 12 (Wichita St), No. 13 (Liberty).
— Dave Matter (@Dave_Matter) March 4, 2021
Mizzou is now up to No. 43 on KenPom.
Man, what a HUGE win this was. Up next is Senior Day on Saturday vs LSU, a 2:00 p.m. CST tip-off on the SEC Network. These seniors deserve such an awesome send-off.
And a perfect way to end on this: A message from Dru Smith on his time at Mizzou:
A family man, a groom-to-be and as good of a leader as you’ll find.
— Mizzou Hoops (@MizzouHoops) March 3, 2021
DRUUUU
@dru_smith_12 #SeniorWeek | #TTFL pic.twitter.com/HQXL3F1UWv
Much more coming on Rock M Nation on this win, but now onto the links!
Yesterday at Rock M
- From Josh Matejka: Hoops Preview: Florida is fighting for NCAA position, just like Missouri
- Jacob Giancola writes Can Missouri’s aspirations recover after a tough stretch ? (Yeah, think they can).
- Kortay Vincent had the Game Thread: Tigers vs Gators.
- Game story from Jacob Giancola: Tigers escape the Swamp following Dru Smith’s historic game-winner
More Links:
(PowerMizzou)
- Mitchell Forde has the Tiger Tipoff Preview of Florida
- ($$) Sean Williams takes a look at the running backs to know in Mizzou’s 2022 recruiting class
- ($$) Here’s the latest edition of Gabe DeArmond’s Macadoodles Mailbag
- Here’s Gabe DeArmond’s pre-game: The Baseline View of Florida
- From Gabe DeArmond: LIVE Burgers’ Smokehouse Dance Class, Florida
- Post-game report from Mitchell Forde: Dru Smith’s late layup lifts Mizzou to win at Florida
(STLToday)
• From Dave Matter’s Gameday Blog: Can Kobe Brown’s evolution save the Tigers?
• Eye on the Tigers Podcast with Dave Matter and Ben Frederickson: Drinkwitz makes splash with QB commitment, opens up spring ball to fans, recruits alike
• Mizzou holds off Gators, wins on Dru Smith’s game-winning layup, writes Dave Matter
(KC Star)
• A great read here from Vahe Gregorian: How a year of the pandemic brought out the best in Mizzou Tigers coach Cuonzo Martin
• From Blair Kerkhoff: Missouri Tigers men’s basketball vs Florida Gators: Prediction, time, TV, bet line
• The latest SportsBeat KC with Blair Kerkhoff: Breaking down Missouri’s hoop season with analyst Chris Gervino
• From Blair Kerkhoff: Dru Smith’s heroics before the buzzer push Missouri Tigers past Florida Gators, 72-70
• With game on the line, Cuonzo Martin turns to player he trusts mosts and Mizzou wins, writes Blair Kerkhoff
(Columbia Missourian)
• From the staff, six MU women’s swimmers earn individual bids to NCAAs
• ‘‘North and South’: Pinson finds inside out balance in win against Florida, writes Tyler Hollins
• From Shannon Mia Belt, Tigers have tunnel vision heading into SEC Tournament
• Dru Smith brings cape with game-winning layup in road win, writes Joel Lorenzi
(Columbia Daily Tribune)
- From over the weekend: ESPN’s Joe Lunardi: Mizzou basketball a lock for NCAA Tournament, writes Eric Blum
- Dru Smith’s game-winner lifts Mizzou to 72-70 road victory over Florida, writes Eric Blum
- From Adam Hensley: Mizzou basketball fans love Dru Smith’s game-winner vs Florida Gators
- Mizzou women’s basketball views SEC Tournament as big opportunity, writes Eric Blum
(Miscellaneous/Tweets)
• A QB/RB duo of Sam Horn and Cody Brown in the near future? Yes, please.
— cb7 (@_codywbrown) March 3, 2021
• On MUTigers.com, Mizzou Women’s Basketball set for SEC Tournament
• How about these highlight reels from Mizzou hoop commits, Trevon Brazile and Anton Brookshire?
No one makes it look quite as easy as @MizzouHoops signee, @trevonbrazile2 ✈ pic.twitter.com/gUF0mAvRFv
— The Basketball Movement (@BBall_Movement) March 3, 2021
Deep bombs, rack attacks, distributing at a high level... @MizzouHoops-bound guard, @AntBrookshire0 is lethal. pic.twitter.com/JSGHrh4YGP
— The Basketball Movement (@BBall_Movement) March 3, 2021
• A big congrats to Larry Borom, Nick Bolton, Larry Rountree III, Joshua Bledsoe, and Tyree Gillespie for the NFL Combine invites!
2021 @NFL Combine goes .
— Mizzou Football (@MizzouFootball) March 3, 2021
#MIZ x #NewZou https://t.co/OskmtvayYj pic.twitter.com/EgdrNiKFg7
• The latest SEC Tournament seeding scenarios from Dave Matter
Just ran through all the scenarios and I'm 95% sure this is accurate. If I'm wrong, forgive me.
— Dave Matter (@Dave_Matter) March 4, 2021
If Mizzou beats LSU on Saturday, MU is the 5th seed in Nashville regardless of other outcomes.
If LSU beats Mizzou on Saturday, MU is the 7th seed.
• Michael Porter Jr. has been named to the Rising Stars team for NBA All-Star Weekend. Congrats, MPJ!
Earning his 1st Rising Stars selection for the U.S. Team... Michael Porter Jr. of the @nuggets! MPJ was drafted as the 14th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft out of Missouri. pic.twitter.com/CZLJjdotI9
— #NBAAllStar (@NBAAllStar) March 3, 2021
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