Competition for NCAA Tournament berths will be fierce in the Southeastern Conference this season.
The league is deeper than ever and most of its teams are off to a fabulous start. So what Missouri accomplished Thursday night in Minnesota was significant.
The Tigers, now 3-1, erased a late 20-point deficit with a dramatic second-half rally and banked a valuable 70-68 victory over the Golden Gophers.
While Minnesota figures to be a Big Ten also-ran this season, all road victories are significant for teams trying to make their case with the NCAA Tournament selection committee.
Before the season most experts saw Missouri as a bubble team for the Big Dance.