Missouri
Kentucky/LSU
Men's Basketball Opens SEC Tournament Thursday
3/11/2026 8:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
| Missouri (20-11, 10-8 SEC) vs. Kentucky (19-12, 10-8 SEC) or LSU (15-16, 3-15 SEC) | |
| Game Details | Thursday, March 12 • 11:30 a.m. • Nashville, Tenn. • Bridgestone Arena |
| Television | SEC Network |
| Radio | Tiger Radio Network | Sirius XM: 106 or 190 | Sirius XM App: 960 |
| Game Notes | Missouri |
| Game Coverage | Live Stats | Twitter: @MizzouHoops | Instagram: @MizzouHoops |
The Mizzou men's basketball team begins postseason play on Thursday, facing either No. 9 seed Kentucky or No. 16 seed LSU in the SEC Tournament Second Round. Tipoff is set for 11:30 a.m. on SEC Network.
ABOUT THE TIGERS
• Missouri enters the SEC Tournament with a 20-11 overall record.
• The Tigers finished the regular season tied for seventh in the SEC standings at 10-8, earning the No. 8 seed for the conference tournament.
• All-SEC honoree Mark Mitchell led MU during his senior campaign, posting team-best totals with 17.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists.
• Three Tigers score in double figures with six tallying at least eight points per game – Jayden Stone (13.5), Trent Pierce (10.8), Anthony Robinson II (9.1), T.O. Barrett (8.8) and Jacob Crews (8.7).
• The Tigers own a scoring offense of 79.9 points with a scoring defense of 75.3.
RESUME METRICS
• As the postseason begins this week, the Tigers aim to continue to put the finishing touches on a strong resume for the NCAA Tournament.
• The Tigers rank No. 39 nationally in the key metric of Wins Above Bubble this season.
• Mizzou also owns a combined 10 wins against quad one and two schools (with zero losses vs. Q3/4). The Tigers entered the week as one of 35 schools with 10 combined Q1 and Q2 wins.
• The Tigers are targeting back-to-back trips to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since five-straight invitations from 2009 to 2013.
HEALTHY METRICS
• Not only has Mizzou put together a solid resume but it ranks even higher when fully healthy.
• Since the return of two starters to the lineup in January, Mizzou has also seen its NET ranking rise from No. 94 to No. 60 (up 34 spots).
• In fact, the Tigers rank No. 36 in efficiency since the start of league play with the return of Jayden Stone and Trent Pierce and No. 28 since Pierce entered the starting lineup on Jan. 31.
SEC TOURNAMENT HISTORY
• Mizzou is competing in its 12th SEC Tournament since joining the league in 2012-13, posting an 8-11 record in its first 11 attempts.
• Under head coach Dennis Gates, the Tigers own a 2-3 record, advancing to the semifinals for the first time in 2023 with a first-round appearance in 2024 and a quarterfinal finish last season.
TOURNAMENT NUMBERS TO KNOW
• Mizzou owns a 4-4 all-time record in the second round of the SEC Tournament and have advanced to the quarterfinals five times overall previously.
• MU also own a 7-2 record as the higher-seeded team, including a 4-1 record in the second round.
• Mizzou is 0-1 against LSU at the SEC Tournament, while never having played Kentucky.
KENTUCKY SERIES
• Kentucky owns a 16-4 edge in series history over the Tigers, dating back to 1960.
• The teams, however, have split four games with Coach Gates as MU head coach.
• Mizzou earned its first-ever win in 10 attempts in Lexington earlier this season – finishing the game on a 15-2 run for the 73-68 road victory.
• Mark Mitchell and Jayden Stone led Mizzou to the victory with 21 and 20 points, respectively. Anthony Robinson II also added a career-best 10 assists in the win.
LSU SERIES
• LSU owns a 13-5 advantage over Mizzou in 18 all-time meetings.
• The teams have met once in the SEC Tournament – a 76-68 win for LSU in the 2022 second round.
• LSU used a strong start during the regular-season meeting in Baton Rouge in a 78-70 win over MU.
• Jayden Stone led MU with 20 points in defeat.
NEXT UP
• If the Tigers advance past either Kentucky or LSU, they advance to play top-seeded Florida on Friday at noon in the quarterfinals.
• Mizzou handed the Gators one of their two SEC losses this season with a 76-74 win on Jan. 3.
MITCHELL EARNS ALL-SEC HONORS
• For the second-straight season, Mark Mitchell earned All-SEC recognition.
• The senior earned second-team honors by the league's coaches on Monday.
• Mitchell is the second Tiger in the program's 14 years in the SEC to be a two-time honoree, joining Kobe Brown in 2022 and 2023.
ALL-AROUND LEADER IN MITCHELL
• Behind Mark Mitchell's All-SEC season is his ability to be an all-around leader.
• Mitchell leads Mizzou in points (17.9), rebounds (5.2) and assists (3.6) this season.
• He is aiming to become just the second player in school history to lead the Tigers in all three categories, joining Albert White in 1998-99.
MR. VERSATILE, MARK MITCHELL
• Mark Mitchell and his all-around game has been on display throughout the season.
• Mitchell is just one of seven players in the nation to have totaled 550 points, 160 rebounds and 110 assists during the 2025-26 campaign.
• Mitchell is also aiming to be the first Tiger to tally 17 points, five boards and three assists since Anthony Peeler when he earned Big Eight Player of the Year in 1991-92.
