Mizzou set to close out regular-season in rivalry fashion
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
One more game stands in between Mizzou men's basketball and some tournament action.
On Saturday, head coach Dennis Gates and his team will wrap up the regular-season with a rematch against No. 20 Arkansas at Mizzou Arena. Not only will that game be big for the NCAA Tournament projections and SEC Tournament standings, but it will also honor MU's group of five seniors.
Forwards Mark Mitchell, Jacob Crews and Jevon Porter, as well as center Shawn Phillips Jr. and guard Jayden Stone will all be honored on Norm Stewart Court, on Saturday.
Each and every senior played a role in how the 2025-26 campaign has played out, but the headliner of the group is Mitchell. The Kansas City, Kansas native spent two years in Columbia and made the most of every second of it.
"Everyone gets on me when I say the impact of Kobe Brown and the impact of Mark Mitchell, when I say their jerseys need to be retired, right? Whether it's retired or honored, they have impacted where this program is, in a place where around us the game of basketball is evolving. So, Mark is a generational player in his own right a McDonald's All-American, transfer who decided to come back to the place that, you know, he wanted to to be at and development," Gates said. "A guy that is close 1,000 points in his Mizzou career, not just his four year career, but his Mizzou career. He's done it the right way."
You can watch the full press conference with Gates in the video player below.
Of course, Mitchell transferred to Mizzou after spending a pair of seasons at Duke, coming to Columbia at a time that it definitely wasn't popular. Coach Gates and company had just lost 19-straight games, going winless in the SEC, in the 2023-24 season.
"It's going to be, you know, really special," Mitchell said. "I came here at a time, you know, it was kind of up in the air for me and for them. So, just the way it's played out has been really special. It's kind of what I've hoped for, what I've asked for. The trust them put in me, the community, the coaches, my teammates to be someone that a lot of people probably didn't think I could be or do anymore. So, this is really special. I'm just just honored, just a kid from, you know, down the road to be able to come back home, and do the things that I've done here. It just means the world to me. [It's] somewhere I'll call home forever."
You can watch the full press conference with Mitchell in the video player below.
However, No. 20 Arkansas is coming to Columbia in hopes spoiling the senior day festivities for Mizzou.
Last time the two teams met, in Feb. at Bud Walton Arena, the Razorbacks topped the Tigers by eight points in a game that Mitchell led all scorers with 26 points and eight assists.
MU will look for different results to end its regular-season on its home court, as Saturday's game will prove critical for both the NCAA and SEC Tournament pictures.
"We just try to take it one game at a time and I think that's what we've done since, Jan. 3rd. One game at a time, you know, at a time when the place we are was like a long shot to a lot of people, we knew we could do it," Mitchell said.
One piece of news that could prove crucial for the Tigers is a report, from insider Pete Thamel, that head coach John Calipari's freshman phenom, Darius Acuff, will not play in the finale. According to Thamel, Acuff has been dealing with a nagging ankle injury and will rest for the SEC Tournament in Nashville the next week.
Before that news came out, Gates and Mitchell both emphasized just how big of a season the guard is having, averaging about 22 points and six assists per game.
"One of the best players in the league," Gates said. "He's very talented...You know, my two guys that I think will be player of the year in the conference is [Florida's Thomas Haugh] and Acuff. If it was up to me, those two guys have earned it. They are important to their team, there's no doubt. But, there's nobody more important to to to their team than Mark Mitchell is to Missouri. I would say that in a drop of a dime. Mark Mitchell is the most important person to his team."
Mizzou and Arkansas will tip off in the finale at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
