“The Oklahoma Sooners were supposed to be in this game. Throughout the tournament, they’ve played up to their billing. For Quin Snyder’s Missouri Tigers, the second season has given them a second lease on life, and they’ve taken full advantage of the situation.”
Those words, uttered by the great Gus Johnson, were a preface. The game ahead was to be the most important hoops battle between the Sooners and Tigers to date. Mizzou, the No. 12 seed in the West, had already made history by becoming the lowest seed to ever reach the Elite Eight. Unfortunately for the Tigers, the last chapter of their Cinderella story came in San Jose, as they fell to OU 81-75.