Get your basketball brackets ready! Mizzou will open up its March Madness NCAA Tournament bid Thursday afternoon.

Before the game begin, here’s some key information to keep in mind for the Missouri Tigers, including how to watch.

Mizzou

FIRST-ROUND MATCHUP

Missouri (7) vs. Utah State (10)

  • Game time: 12:40 p.m. CT
  • TV Network: TNT
  • NCAA Region: South

SEASON STORY

The first season under head coach Dennis Gates was one of Mizzou’s most successful since joining the Southeastern Conference.

The Tigers began the 2022-23 campaign on a nine-game winning streak, beat Top-25 ranked opponents on six occasions, and soared as high as No. 20 in the AP season rankings.

Missouri’s Noah Carter, Nick Honor, Kobe Brown (24), D’Moi Hodge and Tre Gomillion, from left, celebrate after the team’s overtime win against Mississippi State in an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023, in Columbia, Mo. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)

Mizzou rattled off several close victories down the stretch. The Tigers outscored opponents by 10 or less in seven of their last eight wins and two of the season’s most memorable games were won on last-second buzzer-beaters. Mizzou earned a No. 4 seed in the SEC tournament and advanced to the semifinals before a loss to the big tourney’s top-ranked team in Alabama.

KEY PLAYERS

All-SEC guard Kobe Brown averaged nearly 16 points per game this season. Fellow guard D’Moi Hodge followed closely behind him and generated 86 steals, nearly double the number of other minutes leaders. Nick Honor gets heavily involved in the passing game, nearing 100 assists this season.

MARCH MADNESS HISTORY

Mizzou is 22-28 all-time in March Madness competition. The Tigers return to the NCAA Tournament for the 29th time in program history and first time since 2021. The Tigers are searching for their first win since 2010. Mizzou has never won a NCAA Tournament and has never made it passed the Elite Eight round, last reaching that far in 2009.

Projections And More

Draft Kings calls Utah State a 1.5-point favorite over Mizzou, pitting the Tigers as underdogs.

CBS Sports reports that fans are favoring Mizzou 61% to 39% over Utah State in bracket selections, and ESPN reports a 58%-42% edge for Mizzou in bracket selections.

Also worthy of note, download the “NCAA March Madness” app for Apple or Google Play devices, and you could get access to the first-round games on your phone.