If you’ve been around Mizzou hoops long enough, you know the story. There was that gut-punch season where conference play felt impossible, and then there was the rebound — real, competitive, earned — that landed the Tigers back in the NCAA Tournament and showed this program actually belongs in the conversation again.

Now it’s 2026 and the Tigers aren’t just showing up. They’re making noise. Led by Dennis Gates — the coach who turned “hopeful rebuilding year” into “heck yeah we’re competitive” — Mizzou is mixing veteran leadership with fresh fire and unexpected big moments.

We’ve already seen those flashes this season, like that gritty overtime-edge victory over a ranked Florida, a win that felt like a punch in the jaw to doubters and a fist bump to everyone wearing black and gold.

The schedule? A gauntlet. SEC nights where the whole arena feels like it’s breathing as one. Road tests at Alabama. Showdowns with Vanderbilt and Tennessee. Big home games where you feel every defensive stop and late-clock decision.

This is the kind of team that doesn’t give up possessions. They compete until the last second. They make you scream at the TV, and they might just make you proud to wear the C-M-O on your chest again. Tickets for home games in Columbia are moving fast because you’re not just watching a season — you’re living it.

Mizzou basketball ain’t free yet. It just got interesting.