COLUMBIA, MO. • The Missouri women’s basketball players erupted in cheers, hugs and smiles when they found out their draw in the NCAA Tournament on Monday.
As the players were getting ready for practice around 4 p.m., Tigers coach Robin Pingeton told them they needed to have a quick meeting. Nervousness fluttered around the room.
“Usually when there’s a little meeting in the back of the locker room, something bad is going on,” senior guard Lauren Aldridge said.
But Pingeton wasn’t relaying bad news. She told the players that she knew where they were going in the tournament because ESPN, scheduled to reveal the bracket at 6 p.