Entering Dennis Gates’ fourth season at the helm of the Missouri men’s basketball program, the Tigers have been picked to finish in the top half of the Southeastern Conference in the preseason media poll.
Mizzou was picked to finish seventh by a panel of national and SEC media members in the preseason poll. Senior forward Mark Mitchell was the Tigers’ only representative on the All-SEC preseason teams, being selected as a second-team member. The poll was published Monday, Oct. 13, which is three weeks before the official beginning of the new season.
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Florida was picked to win the conference in the preseason poll, with Kentucky and Tennessee checking in as the preseason Nos. 2 and 3, respectively.
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Alabama, Arkansas and Auburn were the other teams ranked ahead of Missouri in the poll.
Kentucky’s Otega Oweh was selected as the preseason SEC Player of the Year.
Mitchell, a Kansas City, Kansas, native, is entering his second season with Mizzou after transferring to the Tigers from Duke ahead of the 2024-25 season. He started 33 of Mizzou’s 34 games last season and averaged 13.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, emerging as one of the most important players on Mizzou’s roster.
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Along with point guard Anthony Robinson II, Mitchell was named as a team captain for Mizzou ahead of this season.
The SEC sent a record-breaking 14 teams to the NCAA Tournament last season.
Mizzou was among that group after putting together a 21-10 regular season record, but the Tigers’ season ended with a surprising loss to Drake in the first round of the Big Dance in Wichita, Kansas.
Missouri will officially open its 2025-26 campaign at Howard on Nov. 3 in Washington, D.C. Before then, the Tigers will hold an open-to-the-public exhibition game against Kansas State on Oct. 24 at Mizzou Arena.
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Full SEC preseason media poll predicted order of finish
All-SEC preseason player of the year
Otega Oweh, Kentucky
First Team All-SEC
Alex Condon, Florida
Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State
Otega Oweh, Kentucky
Tahaad Pettiford, Auburn
Labaron Philon Jr., Alabama
Second Team All-SEC
Nate Ament, Tennessee
Boogie Fland, Florida
Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Tennessee
Mark Mitchell, Missouri
Thomas Haugh, Florida
Feb 12, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Mark Mitchell (25) drives against Oklahoma Sooners forward Sam Godwin (10) during the first half at Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Third Team All-SEC
Malik Dia, Ole Miss
Aden Holloway, Alabama
Karter Knox, Arkansas
Jaland Lowe, Kentucky
DJ Wagner, Arkansas
Missouri basketball unranked in first AP poll
Missouri basketball received eight voting points but was unranked in the first AP poll of the season. The Tigers also were unranked in the final poll in the 2024-25 season.
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This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Where Missouri basketball was picked to finish in preseason SEC poll
