Unfinished Business: Mizzou Loses NCAA Opener for Second Straight Season

March 22nd, 2013 - 18:47

Weep On It/Think On It/Sleep On It/Drink On It. That could be the motto for Missouri after Mizzou remained a "Susan Lucci" school in Division I after losing its opener in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year. The troubled Tigers are among the schools participating in at least 20 NCAA Tournaments but never advancing to a Final Four.

Missouri has reached a regional final four times but fell short in advancing to the Promised Land. Boston College is another bridesmaid on multiple occasions, losing three regional finals (1967, 1982 and 1994) in 18 tourney appearances (22-19 record) since the field expanded beyond eight teams in 1950.

Alabama (20-20) is the only school with a non-losing NCAA playoff record among the following list of five frustrated institutions in a quagmire because they've made a minimum of 20 appearances without reaching the Final Four:

School Tourney Appearances (Playoff Record) Regional Final Losses
Utah State 20 (6-22 mark, .214) 1970
Brigham Young 27 (15-30, .333) 1951 and 1981
Missouri 26 (22-26, .458) 1976, 1994, 2002 and 2009
Xavier 23 (21-23, .477) 2004 and 2008
Alabama 20 (20-20, .500) 2004