Missouri's hopes of competing at the top of the SEC were dealt a blow with a loss to Auburn, a team that is considered a national title contender. The Tigers, who had a strong non-conference season, will now face a challenging conference schedule.
Despite a much-improved roster and more to be excited about this season compared to last heading into SEC play, Missouri had a challenge in its hands to hold off the top-five team. They didn't, losing 84-68. In the non-conference slate for Missouri, many moments led to the belief that the Tigers had the ability to defeat the best teams in the country and, consequentially, become one of those teams themselves.
A lot went right for the Tigers when they took down the then-top-ranked Kansas Jayhawks at Mizzou Arena, from shots falling to the ball simply rolling the right way. Kansas, so far, has faced its fair share of road bumps, dropping a home game to West Virginia in the time since. Auburn hasn't faced those same issues. Despite its two losses, Auburn has looked every bit the part of a one-seed and March Madness contender the whole season, not just in its convincing win over Missouri. It's for that reason that Missouri should now know what it's dealing with in the Southeastern Conference. Auburn isn't the only national title contender in the conference and if they aren't careful, the reoccurring nightmare of a repeat of last year's conference slate could ensue. Auburn isn't the best measuring stick for this because of how much better they are in comparison to an already stacked conference. Missouri will play a variety of more winnable games than a road matchup against a team as physical and talented as Auburn which will highlight what type of team they are to the country. That being said, the philosophy Auburn plays with is a perfect example of what it takes to not only be the best team in a conference, but also in the country. The Tennessee Volunteers rank ahead of them, and both play similar brands of basketball. Both have powerful, gritty forwards that rebound and defend at a high level. Both top-rated teams also have guards who can provide flow on the offensive side of the ball, defend and create their own shot
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