Mizzou's Mitchell Leads Tigers in NCAA Tournament

0:00On March 17th, Missouri's Tigers basketball team kicks off their NCAA tournament run Friday night against the Miami Hurricanes. The Tigers landed a number-10 seed in the St. Louis region, facing the number-7 seeded Hurricanes at the Enterprise Center. It's a lucky break playing close to home for Mizzou. Miami heads in with a strong 25 and 8 record, including 13 and 5 in the Atlanta Co's conference, making them slight. One-and-a-half point favorites, but Mizzou counters with scorching forward Mark Mitchell, who leaves the team in points, rebounds, and assists. He's the physical force who lives at the free-throw line, averaging 8 attempts per game. Mitchell's been on fire lately, becoming the first Tigers since Derek Chivas to score 32 or more points in back-to-back games. Sports illustrated ranks him 28th among the top 68 players in the tournament. Fans see him as the best guy on the floor. Hartfeld Twist, former Mizzou player Marcus Allen transferred to Miami last year, but stepped away in December after a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

1:02Diagnosis. He'll be cheering from the sidelines, reminding everyone what's truly important beyond the game. Expect a tight battle, Friday, with both teams evenly matched, if their offenses stay sharp. Mizzou coach Dennis Gates has a real shot to turn things around from last year's early exit, powered by Mitchell's star power. Made in AI.