Here’s where the newcomer-heavy Mizzou men’s basketball team is picked to finish in SEC

If the Missouri Tigers finish where projected in the Big 12 men’s basketball race, MU won’t get a bye in the SEC Tournament.

Mizzou was picked to finish 11th out of 14 teams in this week’s SEC preseason media poll. That’s one place higher than the Tigers finished last year, the program’s final season under former coach Cuonzo Martin.

Finishing among the bottom four in the conference would mean playing on the first day of the league tournament.

The Tigers got more love in the season’s first Kenpom.com analytics rankings, coming in at No. 41 overall and eighth among SEC teams.

Uncertainty about a Missouri roster loaded with newcomers likely figures into the unfavorable media ranking. Ten Tigers attended a different school last year. Just three — Kobe Brown, Kaleb Brown and Ronnie DeGray III — return from the 2021-22 squad.

Getting used to each other, and to new head coach Dennis Gates, is Mizzou’s challenge. So communication is a key part of the team’s preseason practice regimen.

“We do a lot of talking, getting a feel for each other, bonding together,” point guard Nick Honor said.

Missouri brought Honor and Kobe Brown to this week’s SEC media days event in Birmingham, Ala.. Brown led the team in scoring (12.5 points per game) and rebounding (7.6 rebounds per game) last season; Honor is a transfer from Clemson, where he started 25 games and led the those Tigers in assists last season.

Kentucky was picked to finish first this season, followed by Arkansas, Tennessee and Auburn. Last year’s top four were Auburn, Tennessee, Kentucky and Arkansas.

The Razorbacks made the biggest push in the NCAA Tournament, reaching the West Region championship game before falling to Duke.

Mizzou didn’t have a player selected to the preseason All-SEC first or second teams.