After heart-breaking losses to Florida and Arkansas, the Tigers showed they could finish and knocked off No. 21 Tennessee at Mizzou Arena.

The SEC is deep and tough, and experts are projecting as many as eight conference teams in the NCAA tournament.

In this week's edition of the Eye on the Tigers podcast, Mizzou beat writer Dave Matter and sports columnist Ben Frederickson consider the Tigers' current tournament credentials and discuss what Cuonzo Martin's team must still prove in order to qualify for March Madness.

Other topics include:

- Kevin Puryear escaping his funk

- Kassius Robertson's impact

- Jontay Porter's NBA draft appeal

- Current optimism levels for a Michel Porter Jr. return

- Previewing Mizzou's trip to Texas A&M