Mizzou slides six spots in latest AP Top-25 Poll

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Mizzou Men's Basketball took a six-spot tumble after back-to-back losses to top-10 teams.

The Tigers (17-6) checked in at No. 21 in Monday's updated Associated Press (AP) Top-25 rankings, falling out of the top-15 after just one week.

MU dropped in the latest rankings, following defeats to then-No. 4 Tennessee and then-No. 10 Texas A&M by a combined seven points. The Volunteers actually slid to No. 5 in the most recent AP Poll while the Aggies improved to No. 8 in the nation.

"The ironic thing about this conference is you can play well and still lose a game. That's how good this conference is. We lost our last two games by a total of seven points to two top-10 teams, one on a last second shot," head coach Dennis Gates said after Saturday's loss to Texas A&M. "How much better do do you want our guys to play? I want them to continue to build on and continue to get better and not focus on the past but learn the lessons and move forward because that's what's important in this conference."

The SEC has nine teams representing the conference in the latest AP Top-25 rankings, including five teams in the top-eight and three schools in the top-three. Auburn (No. 1), Alabama (No. 2), Florida (No. 3) and Tennessee (No. 5) also made history by making the SEC the first-ever conference to claim four of the top five spots in the poll.

MU renews its former Big-12 Conference rivalry with Oklahoma in the 11th game of its SEC season on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 8 p.m. inside Mizzou Arena.