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Mizzou joined some elite company with its victory over Alabama on Wednesday night.
That win was Missouri’s 3rd of the season over an AP Top-5 opponent. That matches Auburn for the most so far in college basketball this season.
But perhaps more importantly, it puts the Tigers in rare air with regards to regular-season accomplishments over the past 2 decades.
Mizzou is now 1 of just 15 teams to accomplish that feat since the start of the 2002-03 season. Missouri and Auburn are also the first teams from the SEC to reach that milestone over that span.
For the previous 13 teams, here’s how they fared in the NCAA Tournament:
| Team | Year | AP Top-5 wins | NCAA Tournament Seed | NCAA Tournament Result |
| Kansas | 2017 | 4 | 1 | Elite Eight |
| Duke | 2013 | 4 | 2 | Elite Eight |
| Kansas | 2012 | 3 | 2 | National Final |
| North Carolina | 2014 | 3 | 6 | Round of 32 |
| Duke | 2019 | 3 | 1 | Elite Eight |
| Michigan State | 2021 | 3 | 11 | First Four |
| Pittsburgh | 2010 | 3 | 3 | Round of 32 |
| Villanova | 2013 | 3 | 9 | First Round |
| North Carolina | 2019 | 3 | 1 | Sweet 16 |
| Indiana | 2012 | 3 | 4 | Sweet 16 |
| Virginia Tech | 2007 | 3 | 5 | Round of 32 |
| Ohio State | 2013 | 3 | 2 | Elite Eight |
| UCLA | 2017 | 3 | 3 | Sweet 16 |
It’s a bit of a mixed bag in terms of NCAA Tournament success, but 5 of the previous 13 teams to pick up 3+ AP Top-5 wins during the regular season reached at least the Elite Eight. One team — Kansas in 2012 — got as far as the national title game. Of the 8 teams who received a 4-seed or better, all but 1 (Pitt in 2010) made the 2nd weekend of the Big Dance.
Mizzou has not reached the Sweet 16 since it made it to the regional final in 2009. The Tigers are slated to continue their 2024-25 campaign on Saturday against Arkansas.
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Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
