Kwiecinski: Mizzou keeps passing its tests; has it passed enough to ace the Kansas test?

Earlier this week, MU earned two points in the Associated Press top 25 poll. It wasn't much, but there's a believer out there somewhere in the college basketball world.

They gained a few more Tuesday night.

An 88-84 overtime win over Wichita State was the first real test for the Tigers this year. I've written before that Tuesday night could be our first real insight into what kind of team Missouri is when the chips are down. Those chips were definitely down as MU faced a 10-point deficit.

Tuesday was the first time Missouri men's basketball played a team that was rated within the top 100 of Ken Pomeroy's rankings. It was the first time MU played on the road. It was the first time a team held the Tigers under 20 team assists in a game.

It was the first time Missouri was really on the ropes and the Tigers didn't blink. Test, passed. Now we can start talking about the big one at Mizzou Arena on Dec. 10. Has Missouri passed enough tests to perhaps upset its most bitter rival in No. 9 Kansas?

Missouri still needs to do some convincing. It's fair to say MU loses this game under different pretenses.

The Tigers took two hits to the mouth Tuesday night: a 12-2 run and a 16-0 run where the Shockers made their shots, defended MU's pass-oriented offense and had a 10-point lead in the final stages of the game.

It's fair to wonder how MU forced overtime since WSU shot 54.1 percent from the field and 41.4 percent from beyond 3-point range. When Penn and Southern Indiana did that, Missouri compensated with hot shooting of its own.

It's fair to wonder how MU won this game. Last year, the Tigers lose this game before the final media timeout if Kobe Brown struggled in a game and Brown struggled Tuesday.

But, these Tigers are opportunistic. Dennis Gates has to know his one weakness is MU's lack of size. Missouri countered by forcing 20 turnovers, recording 16 steals and scoring 26 fast-break points. The Shockers out-rebounded the Tigers for most of the game, but rebounds eventually came as WSU began missing shots late.

Missouri did all of this without Isiaih Mosley, who did not play in Tuesday night's game for what Gates called a personal issue. There's no cause for concern, either.

"I want to give him privacy at this moment," Gates told reporters after the game.

MU could have used Mosley Tuesday but Gates showcased he knows how to use his bench.

Without Mosley, the Tigers faced a 10-point deficit with five minutes left. Gates has lauded MU for its veteran makeup in the past. That veteran makeup clawed its way to a six-point game, then four and finally two before tying it all up at 71-71 with two minutes to go.

That's notable because Wichita State's defensive efficiency is rated No. 59 out of 363 teams on KenPom, meaning the Shockers are an above-average defensive team. It wasn't Lindenwood, Mississippi Valley State or Houston Christian out there.

Missouri still got 19 from D'Moi Hodge, a team-high 20 from Noah Carter and 17 from Sean East as the Tigers shot 42 percent from the field as a team and turned the ball over just eight times. Carter had some big rebounds, and East nailed some clutch free throws to seal the win.

Gates is quick to point out that something happening once is happenstance, a small sample size that needs to happen more often to become an identity. But, winning games isn't a given. Peek at Missouri's struggles last year and some of the struggles around the SEC this year, too.

But, eight wins, just four shy of last year's win total in Gates' first year, is a combination of taking care of business and winning games you want to.

Missouri is opportunistic. It puts itself in a position to be successful and has the players to do exactly that.

It's hard to not think these Tigers won't be in a position to take advantage of the great opportunities they'll find themselves in this December with Kansas, Illinois and Kentucky on the schedule.

Will they win all of those games? Probably not, especially against a team like Kentucky that has players like Oscar Tshiebwe. But, I'm convinced stealing one of those games is fully on the table, especially with two of those three playing at home.

Missouri wanted the win Tuesday more. It was impressive, to say the least. But the Tigers still can't afford Kansas to go on runs of 12-2 and 16-0.

We probably won't get a ranked Border War game on Dec. 10 when Kansas comes to Mizzou Arena, but the Tigers will be receiving more votes at the very least, assumedly, sitting at 9-0 after hosting SEMO this Saturday.

That's the biggest test for Missouri. Pass that one, and Gates will have more believers through 10 games than the last two MU head coaches combined.

Leave it to the Border War to show us what Missouri is really made of.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Mizzou keeps passing tests; has it passed enough to ace the Kansas test?