Missouri has completely unfair advantage over Miami (Florida) in NCAA Tournament

Missouri didn’t accomplish what it set out to do in the SEC Tournament. 

After defeating Kentucky in the second round, the Tigers suffered a devastating four-point loss to Arkansas in the Quarterfinal round, making them sweat it out on Selection Sunday for an at-large NCAA Tournament.

In the end, though, the 20-11 Tigers made the Big Dance, earning the No. 10 seed in the West region and preparing to face the No. 10 seed (Miami, Florida) on Friday in the Round of 64. While many may not have noticed, the Tigers have a completely unfair advantage over the Hurricanes. 

The location of the Missouri and Miami (Florida)’s upcoming March Madness clash matters. The contest is set to be played in St. Louis, essentially making it a home game for the Tigers and an away game for the Hurricanes. 

Why is that such a big deal? Well, it’s as simple as Missouri not earning the right to play their first NCAA Tournament game ridiculously close to home. There's no question that the selection committee's surprising geographical decision will give Tigers fans an extra incentive to support the program in person on Friday. 

As the lower seed, the Tigers have no business possessing a leg-up on their competition from the get-go. If Missouri had received a higher seed, it would’ve been more justifiable to place them in St. Louis for Round No. 1. 

With the Tigers having a double-digit seed, it seems like the selection committee isn’t doing right by Miami (Florida) in this year’s version of the NCAA Tournament. 

More college basketball: Did Miami (Ohio) make the NCAA Tournament? RedHawks learn March Madness fate on Selection Sunday