Fifty weeks ago, Missouri sat in the same position it does today: scouring and hunting for its first marquee win as it welcomes Tennessee to Columbia.
On Jan. 17, 2017, they bagged their quarry in a 59-55 victory that gave the Tigers the first of five Quadrant 1 wins on what became an NCAA tournament-worthy resume. While the win was crucial as a practical matter, it also affirmed the identity the Tigers stitched together and donned after a back injury robbed them of Michael Porter Jr.’s services and a pair semester transfer shortened the bench.