Missouri basketball debuts in top 25 polls after Illinois and Kentucky wins
When Dennis Gates took over Missouri men’s basketball this season, figuring out what expectations should be for the 2022-23 Tigers was tricky.
With a 12-1 start, Missouri made its first appearance of the season in the Associated Press Top 25 on Monday, voted in at No. 20.
In the USA Today Sports Coaches Poll, the Tigers checked in at No. 21.
Consider any early expectations met. Gates and company have already equaled last season’s win total, and the college basketball community is taking notes.
The AP top 25 appearance marks Missouri’s first since the 2020-21 season under former head coach Cuonzo Martin. The Tigers spent 11 weeks ranked that season, topping out at No. 10.
Before that, MU hadn’t been ranked in the AP poll since the 2013-14 season. This week will mark the Tiger’s 299th-ranked week in program history.
After Missouri lost to Kansas on Dec. 11, being ranked seemed like it could be far off. The Tigers were beaten down by the Jayhawks and seemed out of sync for most of the game.
The early schedule hadn’t been difficult for MU, and the Kansas game could have been a sign the Tigers simply weren’t going to be a contender this season. Instead, the roster Gates built heavily on experience bounced back.
“It’s only a loss if you allow things afterward to not be corrected,” Gates said after MU’s win over Kentucky this week. “It’s only a loss if you don’t learn from the situation.”
After a miracle win on a buzzer-beater from downtown against Central Florida, Missouri beat down Illinois in the Braggin’ Rights game on Dec. 22. Then, the Tigers returned to their home floor and beat Kentucky on Wednesday.
Both of those teams were ranked when they played MU. Both of them fell out of the AP top 25 on Monday, with Illinois checking in 24th and Kentucky tied for 25th in the coaches poll.
The Tigers will face another tough challenge on Wednesday when they visit Arkansas for the second game of SEC play. The Razorbacks are ranked No. 13 in both polls, after a loss to LSU last Wednesday.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri basketball joins top 25 in AP, coaches polls
