Updated March 18, 2026, 1:02 p.m. CT
Mizzou, meet Miami in St. Louis.
No. 10-seed Missouri basketball goes again to the NCAA Tournament and going through a brief journey to its first-round web site, taking over 7-seed Miami on Friday night at Enterprise Center in St. Louis.
Missouri (20-12) is using a three-game shedding streak into the match, however Dennis Gates’ workforce prevented a play-in sport and is now organising for what ought to look loads like a house sport for the Tigers.
Miami (25-8) has staged one of many greatest year-over-year turnarounds within the nation this season underneath first-year head coach Jai Lucas, who’s a former Duke assistant. The Hurricanes went from a seven-win workforce final yr to 3rd within the ACC and again within the Big Dance.
Mizzou hasn’t made the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 2009. If the Tigers are going to finish that streak, they’ll must open with a win in opposition to a particularly proficient Miami workforce.
Here’s what you might want to know in regards to the ’Canes earlier than Friday’s NCAA Tournament sport in St. Louis:
What are Miami’s strengths?
There’s going to be numerous downhill drivin’ on Friday.
The Hurricanes have been among the best groups within the nation at scoring within the paint. In Division-I, solely Florida and Gonzaga, in accordance with CBB Analytics, rating extra factors within the painted space per sport than the Hurricanes. That is loads.
Miami is among the many nation’s top-20 offensive rebounding groups, pulling in second-chance alternatives on 37% of its missed pictures.
Only .3% separates Miami and Mizzou in efficient subject objective share, that are each top-35 groups within the class.
Getting downhill and scoring factors from shut vary are a shared power for Friday’s rivals.
Mizzou does it properly. The Tigers are going to have a giant problem Miami doesn’t do it higher.
Where can Missouri basketball create benefit over Miami?
When you modify Miami’s efficient subject objective share for opponents, the Hurricanes are ranked No. 167 nationally.
And the marginally odd half: The ’Canes try this whereas nonetheless forcing turnovers and getting defensive rebounds, which means opponents aren’t getting numerous what coaches wish to name “extra possessions.”
So, the place does that low rating come from?
Mizzou followers won’t love the sound of this, however Miami permits one of many worst opponent 3-point percentages at 35.4% within the nation.
The ‘Canes have been generally good at defending the inside, and they don’t ship opponents to the free throw line particularly usually. But, loads like Missouri, it has not been notably environment friendly at defending the perimeter.
The Tigers should sustain with Miami contained in the arc. It’s not a aggressive sport if the Tigers get blown away there.
But the separation might very properly come from a participant like Jayden Stone or Jacob Crews, if Mizzou can get them connecting from behind the arc.
Player to observe: Malik Reneau
The Malik Reneau vs. Mark Mitchell matchup goes to be fascinating. It might very properly be the defining matchup of this first-round sport.
Reneau, a Miami native who, like Mitchell, stands 6-foot-9, is an Indiana switch who has discovered his footing in Coral Gables this season. He averages a team-high 18.8 factors per sport, and he grabs 6.6 rebounds per outing. He shoots 35.3% from 3-point vary and will get to the road extra usually than any of his teammates with about six makes an attempt from the stripe per outing
Just for comparability, Mitchell is averaging a team-high 18.3 factors, 5.2 rebounds and is taking pictures 35.6% from 3-point vary and takes a team-best eight free throws per sport.
The similarities are exceptional.
Mitchell is coming off back-to-back profession days that didn’t find yourself translating to wins. He’s had Mizzou on his again lately on the offensive finish.
He’s obtained necessary defensive duties forward of him Friday, too. Renaud goes to be his duty for lots of the evening, and possibly vice versa.
Lace ‘em up and let ‘em at it. This should be a really fun battle.
Score prediction: Miami 76, Missouri 72
Can Missouri win this matchup? We watched the Tigers take down the reigning nationwide champions, win at Rupp Arena, beat one one of the crucial bodily groups we’ve seen all season in Tennessee, take down BuckyBall on the highway and knock off SEC Tournament runner-up Vanderbilt.
Yes, Missouri actually can win this sport.
But we’re spooked by the final three video games that Mizzou put collectively. The trio of losses have been usually powerful to observe, they usually threatened to derail an exquisite month of February from the Tigers.
That did not occur. Missouri is getting a chance to rebound in March Madness, and to take action in its dwelling state in entrance of a crowd that seemingly may have a hefty gold-and-black lean.
If Mizzou will get the job finished, we won’t be stunned, nevertheless it’s not what we’re choosing. The latest flaws are an excessive amount of to disregard, and Miami is a really sturdy basketball workforce.
