Missouri Tigers
2025–26 Missouri Tigers men's basketball team
University	University of Missouri
First season	1907
Athletic director	Laird Veatch
Head coach	Dennis Gates (4th season)
Location	Columbia, Missouri
Arena	Mizzou Arena (capacity: 15,061)
Conference	Southeastern Conference
Nickname	Tigers
Colors	Black and gold[1]
All-time record	1,691–1,247 (.576)
NCAA Division I tournament Elite Eight
1944, 1976, 1994*, 2002, 2009
Other NCAA Division I tournament results Sweet Sixteen 1976, 1980, 1982, 1989, 1994*, 2002, 2009 Appearances 1944, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994*, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2018, 2021, 2023, 2025
Pre-tournament Premo–Porretta national champions
1921, 1922
Conference tournament champions
1978, 1982, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 2009, 2012
Conference regular-season champions
1918, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1930, 1939, 1940, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1990, 1994
Uniforms
Home Away Alternate
* - vacated by NCAA

The Missouri Tigers men's basketball team represents the University of Missouri in the SEC. Prior to the 2012–2013 season, the basketball team represented the school in the Big 12 Conference. They are located in Columbia, Missouri, playing home games at Mizzou Arena (15,061). The team last played in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 2025. The Tigers' season in 2022–23 was their first under head coach Dennis Gates, who was hired away from Cleveland State to replace the fired Cuonzo Martin.^[2] The Missouri men's basketball program was a charter member of the Big 12 Conference, formed from the Big Eight Conference in 1996.^[3] Entering the 2023–24 season the Tigers had an all-time record of 1,691–1,245 and a winning percentage of .576.

The University of Missouri men's basketball program was founded in the 1907–08 season, with the team playing its first game on January 12, 1907, a decisive 65–5 victory over Central College of Fayette. The program was a charter member of the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MVIAA), the conference that would later evolve into the Big Eight. The Tigers achieved early conference success under coaches like Walter Meanwell and Craig Ruby.

While Missouri has never won the NCAA Tournament (established in 1939) or been officially recognized by the NCAA as a national champion, the program does claim two retrospective national championships selected by the Premo-Porretta Power Poll. The 1920–21 and 1921–22 teams, which won conference titles, were retroactively designated as the top teams in the nation by the Premo-Porretta Power Poll, an unofficial mathematical rating system used to rank the strongest college basketball teams from the pre-tournament era. These selections are not officially recognized by the NCAA.

Following the split of the MVIAA, Missouri became a member of the Big Six Conference in 1928, later evolving into the Big Seven and then the Big Eight. Under coach George Edwards (1926–1946), the Tigers won three Big Six regular-season titles. Edwards also led the program to its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 1944, where the Tigers advanced to the regional semifinal (now known as the Elite Eight).

The team played in the Brewer Fieldhouse for decades before moving into the Hearnes Center in 1972, a move that significantly boosted the program's profile and attendance capacity.

The longest and most successful coaching tenure in program history belongs to Norm Stewart, an alumnus who coached the Tigers for 32 seasons (1967–1999). Stewart won 634 games at Missouri, more than the program had won in its entire 60-year history before his arrival.

The Stewart era was defined by Big Eight success and a fierce rivalry with the Kansas Jayhawks ("The Border War"). Stewart's teams won eight Big Eight regular-season championships and six conference tournament titles. His teams reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament twice (1976 and 1994), though the 1994 appearance was later vacated by the NCAA. The 1993–94 team achieved a perfect 14–0 conference record, earning Stewart multiple national coach of the year awards. Stewart also co-founded the Coaches vs. Cancer program following his own battle with the disease.

Following Stewart's retirement, the program saw a renewed burst of NCAA Tournament success under Quin Snyder and Mike Anderson. Snyder led the Tigers to four NCAA Tournament appearances, including an Elite Eight run in 2002. Anderson, who ran a high-tempo style dubbed "The Fastest 40 Minutes in Basketball," led the Tigers to a school-record 31 wins in the 2008–09 season. That team captured the Big 12 Tournament Championship and advanced to the Elite Eight. Anderson led the team to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (2009–2011).

In 2004, the team moved into its current home, Mizzou Arena. The program concluded its Big 12 membership in its final year, 2012, by winning the conference tournament championship.

The University of Missouri officially joined the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in July 2012, concluding its long history in the Big Eight and Big 12 conferences. The transition brought new rivalries and challenges in one of the nation's premier basketball leagues. While the program has yet to win an SEC regular-season or tournament title, it has secured multiple NCAA Tournament berths during the SEC era, including a successful run under current coach Dennis Gates (hired in 2022).

• Dennis Gates – Men's Basketball Head Coach
• Kyle Smithpeters – Associate Head Coach
• Dickey Nutt – Assistant Coach
• Steve Wright – Assistant Coach
• Matt Cline – Offensive Coordinator
• Ryan Sharbaugh – Defensive Coordinator
• Griffin McHone – Director of Basketball Operations
• Tim Fuller – General Manager
• David Carter – Assistant to the Head Coach / Analytics
• Sean Conaty – Director of Basketball Athletic Performance
• Chris Perrin – Senior Athletic Trainer
• Latisha Mayes – Executive Staff Assistant

Missouri vs.	Overall Record	at Columbia	at Opponent's Venue	at Neutral Site	Last 5 Meetings	Last 10 Meetings	Current Streak	During Time in Big 12
Baylor	MU, 16–10	MU, 10–2	BU, 6–4	Tied, 2–2	MU, 4–1	MU, 7–3	W 4	MU, 13–6
Iowa State	MU, 151–86	MU, 87–21	ISU, 60–48	MU, 16–5	MU, 3-2	MU, 8–2	W 1	MU, 20–14
Kansas	KU, 175–95	KU, 66–57	KU, 90–31	KU, 19–7	KU, 4–1	KU, 8–2	L 3	KU, 25–10
Kansas State	KSU, 121–116	MU, 64–42	KSU, 62–44	KSU, 17–8	KSU, 5–0	KSU, 7–3	L 5	MU, 18–15
Oklahoma	OU, 115–97	MU, 62–31	OU, 66–21	OU, 18–14	OU, 3–2	tied, 5–5	L 3	OU, 13–11
Oklahoma State	MU, 77–42	MU, 45–7	OSU, 29–21	MU, 10–6	MU, 3–2	MU, 6-4	L 1	MU, 11–9
Texas	MU, 14–12	MU, 7–4	UT, 6–4	MU, 3–2	MU, 4–1	MU, 6–4	W 3	UT, 11–9
Texas A&M	TAMU, 24-20	TAMU, 10-8	TAMU, 13-7	MU, 5–1	TAMU, 3–2	TAMU, 6-4	L 1	Tied, 10–10
Texas Tech	MU, 15–8	MU, 8–2	TTU, 6–3	MU, 4–0	MU, 5–0	MU, 8–2	W 7	MU, 13–7
*As of March 12, 2023

Missouri vs.	Overall Record	at Columbia	at Opponent's Venue	at Neutral Site	Last 5 Meetings	Last 10 Meetings	Current Streak
Colorado	MU, 99–53	MU, 57–11	CU, 34–30	MU, 12–8	MU, 4–1	MU, 9–1	W 1
Creighton	MU, 9–7	MU, 3–2	Tied, 4–4	MU, 2–1	MU, 3–2	CU, 6–4	L 1
Drake	MU, 27–7	MU, 17–3	MU, 10–4	Tied, 0–0	MU, 4–1	MU, 8–2	W 4
Illinois	UI, 33–20	Tied, 3–3	UI, 4–1	UI, 26–16	MU, 3-2	UI, 6–4	W 1
Indiana	Tied, 9–9	MU, 5–3	IU, 6–3	MU, 1–0	MU, 4–1	Tied, 5–5	W 3
Iowa	UI, 10–7	MU, 4–2	UI, 7–2	Tied, 1–1	MU, 3–2	Tied, 5–5	W 2
Nebraska	MU, 126–93	MU, 70–25	NU, 56–42	MU, 14–12	MU, 3–2	Tied, 5–5	L 1
Saint Louis	MU, 21–19	SLU, 12–10	MU, 11–6	SLU, 1–0[4]	MU, 3–2	Tied, 5–5	W 2
Washington U. of StL	MU, 71–29	MU, 42–8	MU, 29–21	Tied, 0–0	MU, 5–0	MU, 8–2	W 7
*As of March 18, 2023

Missouri vs.	Overall Record	at Columbia	at Opponent's Venue	at Neutral Site	Last 5 Meetings	Last 10 Meetings	Current Streak	Since Joining SEC
Alabama	UA, 14–7	MU, 5-4	UA, 7–1	UA, 3–1	UA, 3-2	UA, 6–4	L 3	UA, 10–6
Arkansas	UA, 33-27	MU, 17–12	UA, 19–10	UA, 2–0	UA, 4-1	UA, 6-4	W 1	UA, 14–9
Auburn	AU, 9-6	MU, 4-3	AU, 5–1	Tie, 1–1	AU, 4–1	AU, 8-2	L 3	AU, 9–6
Florida	UF, 9-4	Tied, 3-3	UF, 5–1	UF, 1–0	UF, 3-2	UF, 7-3	L 2	UF, 9–4
Georgia	MU, 11-8	MU, 5–2	UGA, 5–3	MU, 3–1	MU, 4-1	MU, 7-3	W 3	Tied, 8–8
Kentucky	UK, 13–3	UK, 4–3	UK, 7–0	UK, 2–0	UK, 3-2	UK, 7-3	W 1	UK, 10–3
LSU	LSU, 11–4	Tied, 3–3	LSU, 6–1	LSU, 2–0	LSU, 3-2	LSU, 8-2	W 2	LSU, 10–4
Mississippi State	MSU, 13-6	MU, 5–4	MSU, 9–1	Tied, 0–0	MSU, 4-1	MSU, 8-2	W 1	MSU, 12–4
Ole Miss	UM, 15–8	UM, 6–4	UM, 7-3	UM, 2–1	MU, 5-0	MU, 6-4	W 5	UM, 15–8
South Carolina	MU, 9-7	MU, 6–1	SC, 5-3	SC, 1–0	MU, 3–2	MU, 6-4	W 1	MU, 9–7
Tennessee	UT, 11–10	Tied, 5–5	UT, 5–4	Tied, 1–1	MU, 3-2	UT, 6-4	W 2	UT, 9–6
Texas A&M	TAMU, 24–20	TAMU, 10-8	TAMU, 13–7	MU, 5–1	TAMU, 3–2	TAMU, 6-4	L 2	TAMU, 14–7
Vanderbilt	MU, 9-7	MU, 7–0	VU, 6-2	VU, 1–0	MU, 4-1	MU, 6–4	W 1	MU, 7–4
*As of March 12, 2023

The Tigers have appeared in the NCAA tournament 30 times. Their combined record is 23–30. However, their appearance in 1994 has been vacated by the NCAA, making their official record 20–29.^[5]

Year	Seed	Round	Opponent	Result
1944		Elite Eight Regional 3rd Place Game	Utah Pepperdine	L 35–45 W 61–46
1976		Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight	Washington Texas Tech Michigan	W 69–67 W 86–75 L 88–95
1978		Round of 32	Utah	L 79–86 2OT
1980	#5	Round of 48 Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen	#12 San Jose State #4 Notre Dame #1 LSU	W 61–51 W 87–84 OT L 63–68
1981	#9	Round of 48	#8 Lamar	L 67–71
1982	#2	Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen	#7 Marquette #6 Houston	W 73–69 L 78–79
1983	#2	Round of 32	#7 Iowa	L 63–77
1986	#11	Round of 64	#6 UAB	L 64–66
1987	#4	Round of 64	#13 Xavier	L 69–70
1988	#6	Round of 64	#11 Rhode Island	L 80–87
1989	#3	Round of 64 Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen	#14 Creighton #11 Texas #2 Syracuse	W 85–69 W 108–89 L 80–83
1990	#3	Round of 64	#14 Northern Iowa	L 71–74
1992	#5	Round of 64 Round of 32	#12 West Virginia #4 Seton Hall	W 89–78 L 71–88
1993	#10	Round of 64	#7 Temple	L 61–75
1994*	#1	Round of 64 Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight	#16 Navy #9 Wisconsin #4 Syracuse #2 Arizona	W 76–53 W 109–96 W 98–88 OT L 72–92
1995	#8	Round of 64 Round of 32	#9 Indiana #1 UCLA	W 65–60 L 74–75
1999	#8	Round of 64	#9 New Mexico	L 59–61
2000	#9	First Round	#9 North Carolina	L 84–70
2001	#9	First Round Second Round	#8 Georgia #1 Duke	W 70–68 L 81–94
2002	#12	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight	#5 Miami (FL) #4 Ohio State #8 UCLA #2 Oklahoma	W 93–80 W 83–67 W 82–73 L 75–81
2003	#6	First Round Second Round	#11 Southern Illinois #3 Marquette	W 72–71 L 92–101 OT
2009	#3	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight	#14 Cornell #6 Marquette #2 Memphis #1 Connecticut	W 78–59 W 83–79 W 102–91 L 75–82
2010	#10	First Round Second Round	#7 Clemson #2 West Virginia	W 86–78 L 59–68
2011	#11	First Round	#6 Cincinnati	L 63–78
2012	#2	First Round	#15 Norfolk State	L 84–86
2013	#9	First Round	#8 Colorado State	L 72–84
2018	#8	First Round	#9 Florida State	L 54–67
2021	#9	First Round	#8 Oklahoma	L 68–72
2023	#7	First Round Second Round	#10 Utah State #15 Princeton	W 76–65 L 63–78
2025	#6	First Round	#11 Drake	L 57–67

* Vacated by the NCAA

The NCAA began seeding the tournament with the 1979 edition.

Years →	'80	'81	'82	'83	'86	'87	'88	'89	'90	'92	'93	'94	'95	'99	'00	'01	'02	'03	'09	'10	'11	'12	'13	'18	'21	'23	'25
Seeds→	5	9	2	2	11	4	6	3	3	5	10	1	8	8	9	9	12	6	3	10	11	2	9	8	9	7	6

The Tigers have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) eight times. Their combined record is 2–8.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
1972	First Round	St. John's	L 81–82
1973	First Round	Massachusetts	L 71–78
1985	First Round	Saint Joseph's	L 67–68
1996	First Round Second Round	Murray State Alabama	W 89–85 L 49–72
1998	First Round	UAB	L 86–93
2004	First Round	Michigan	L 64–65
2005	First Round	DePaul	L 70–75
2014	First Round Second Round	Davidson Southern Miss	W 85–77 L 63–71

The Tigers appeared in one of the only two ever National Commissioners Invitational Tournaments. Their record is 0–1.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
1975	Quarterfinals	Purdue	L 74–87

Missouri has retired eight jersey numbers, with the most recent ones being the numbers of Derrick Chievous and John Brown in 2019.^[6][7]

Missouri Tigers retired numbers
No.	Player	Tenure	No. ret.	Ref.
3	Derrick Chievous	1984–1988	2019	[6]
20	Jon Sundvold	1979–1983		[8]
22	Norm Stewart	1953–1956		[9]
30	Willie Smith	1974–1976		[10]
34	Doug Smith	1987–1991		[11]
40	Steve Stipanovich	1979–1983		[12][13]
43	Bill Stauffer	1949–1952		[13]
50	John Brown	1970–1973	2019	[6]

• Jordan Clarkson (Utah Jazz)
• Michael Porter Jr. (Denver Nuggets)
• Dru Smith (Miami Heat)
• Kobe Brown (Los Angeles Clippers)
• D'Moi Hodge (Los Angeles Lakers)
• Tamar Bates (Denver Nuggets)

• Kareem Rush (Los Angeles Lakers, Charlotte Bobcats, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers)
• Keyon Dooling (Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, New Jersey Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Memphis Grizzlies)
• Larry Drew (Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers)
• Jon Sundvold (Seattle SuperSonics, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat)
• Steve Stipanovich (Indiana Pacers)
• Doug Smith (Dallas Mavericks)
• Byron Irvin (Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, Washington Bullets)
• Anthony Peeler (Los Angeles Lakers, Vancouver Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Sacramento Kings, Washington Wizards)
• Thomas Gardner (Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs)
• Derrick Chievous (Houston Rockets, Cleveland Cavaliers)
• Melvin Booker (Houston Rockets)
• John Brown (Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Utah Jazz)
• Rickey Paulding (Detroit Pistons)
• Linas Kleiza (Denver Nuggets)
• Kim English (Detroit Pistons)
• Jabari Brown (Los Angeles Lakers)
• Al Eberhard (Detroit Pistons)
• Phil Pressey (Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers)
• DeMarre Carroll (Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, Utah Jazz, Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets)
• Jontay Porter (Memphis Grizzlies)
• Jonathan Williams (Los Angeles Lakers, Washington Wizards)

• J. T. Tiller, Idaho Stampede
• Thomas Gardner, Austin Toros & Reno Bighorns
• Marshall Brown, Rio Grande Valley Vipers
• DeMarre Carroll, Dakota Wizards
• Leo Lyons, Dakota Wizards
• Kareem Rush, Los Angeles D-Fenders
• Alex Oriakhi, Erie BayHawks
• Jordan Clarkson, Los Angeles D-Fenders
• Jabari Brown, Los Angeles D-Fenders
• Stefhon Hannah, Reno Bighorns
• Jordan Barnett, Wisconsin Herd & Fort Wayne Mad Ants
• JaKeenan Gant, Fort Wayne Mad Ants
• Jonathan Williams, South Bay Lakers & Capital City Go-Go
• Jontay Porter, Wisconsin Herd & Motor City Cruise

• Jason Conley, Kouvot (Finland)
• JaKeenan Gant, Hapoel Be'er Sheva (Israel)
• Marcus Denmon, Peristeri B.C. (Greece)
• Tyler Stone, Israeli Basketball Premier League

Former

• Rickey Paulding, EWE Baskets Oldenburg (Germany)
• J.T. Tiller, Landstede Basketbal (Netherlands)
• Linas Kleiza, Olimpia Milano (Italy)

• Leo Lyons, Altiri Chiba, (Japan)
• Ricardo Ratliffe, Jeonju KCC Egis (South Korea)
• Jeremiah Tilmon, Brampton Honey Badgers (Canada)
• Johnathan Williams, Toyotsu Fighting Eagles Nagoya (Japan)

• Fred Williams, 1916
• Craig Ruby, F, 1918–1919
• George Williams, C, 1920–1921
• Herb Bunker, G, 1921–1923
• Arthur Browning, F, 1922–1923
• Marshall Craig, F, 1930
• Max Collings, 1931
• John Lobsiger, G, 1939–1940
• Bill Stauffer, C, 1952
• Norm Stewart, G, 1956, former head coach at Northern Iowa (1961–1967) and Mizzou (1967–1999)
• Charles Henke, C, 1961
• John Brown, F, 1972–1973
• Willie Smith, G, 1976
• Ricky Frazier, F, 1982
• Steve Stipanovich, C, 1983
• Jon Sundvold, G, 1983
• Derrick Chievous, F, 1987
• Doug Smith, F, 1990
• Anthony Peeler, G, 1992
• Melvin Booker, G, 1994
• Marcus Denmon, G, 2012
• Phil Pressey, G, 2013

• 1976 FIBA Intercontinental Cup: 5th place

• Official website