Mizzou men's basketball predicted to finish 13th in SEC preseason poll

COLUMBIA, Mo.

In a sign that the external reputation of Missouri mens basketball remains rather tarnished by last seasons winless run through conference play, the Tigers were picked to finish 13th out of 16 teams in the Southeastern Conference during the upcoming 2023-2024 college hoops season.

The media poll results are the harshest preseason prediction that coach Dennis Gates has received as he enters his third year at the helm.

Last season, Mizzou was predicted to finish ninth and ahead of Gates debut season, media tabbed the Tigers for 11th though there were only 14 teams in the conference for both of those campaigns.

Missouri vastly underachieved its predicted mark last season, with injuries and an historic losing streak dragging the Tigers to a last-place finish.

In the 2022-2023 season, they were a surprise fourth-place program.

At No.

13 in this years preseason poll, Mizzou is ahead of only Louisiana State, SEC newcomer Oklahoma and Vanderbilt.

Mississippi State, South Carolina and Georgia occupy the three spots ahead of MU.

Alabama was predicted as the league winner with star Mark Sears named the preseason Player of the Year.

Missouri did not have any representatives on the three preseason All-SEC teams, which had five players each.

The Tigers didnt have any preseason all-conference players last year, either, though there were only two all-league teams at the time.

Post-Dispatch beat writer Eli Hoff was among the media members who voted for the SECs preseason awards.

His ballot included Mizzou guard Tony Perkins a transfer from Iowa, where he was a second-team All-Big Ten selection by that conferences coaches on the second team and forward Mark Mitchell, a Duke transfer, on the third team.

He picked Missouri to finish 10th.

For transparencys sake, heres a look at the rest of his ballot, which of course varied in spots from the final tally.

Predicted order of finish: Alabama Auburn Texas A&M Arkansas Tennessee Texas Florida Ole Miss Kentucky Missouri Mississippi State South Carolina Vanderbilt Georgia Oklahoma LSU First team: Mark Sears, Alabama (Player of the Year) Johni Broome, Auburn Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M Walter Clayton Jr., Florida Matthew Murrell, Ole Miss Second team: Jonas Aidoo, Arkansas Johnell Davis, Arkansas Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State Tony Perkins, Missouri Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee Third team: Mark Mitchell, Missouri Jaxson Robinson, Kentucky Tramon Mark, Texas Chaz Lanier, Tennessee Grant Nelson, Alabama.

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