The Associated Press

COLUMBIA, Mo. - A season that appeared loaded with promise has become a big disappointment for Missouri.

The Tigers were No. 5 in the preseason poll and climbed to No. 3 in mid-December. But now they find themselves stuck at 6-6 after losing at home to No. 17 Syracuse 82-68 on Monday night.

"Nobody would have predicted this, but it's reality," senior forward Travon Bryant said. "You have to accept it."

It's early, but Missouri's prospects for a fifth straight NCAA Tournament berth under coach Quin Snyder could hang in the balance.

There are 15 regular-season games remaining before the Big 12 Tournament, four of them against ranked teams, and the Tigers easily could have a losing record after playing at No. 11 Oklahoma on Saturday.

The team's two touted seniors, Rickey Paulding and Arthur Johnson, can feel this season slipping away.

"Not yet, but it could," Johnson said. "We've still got a whole conference season ahead of us, so we've still got time. We've just got to put it together quick."

Missouri players aren't using the Ricky Clemons saga as an excuse. The program has been under a cloud amid allegations from its former point guard, who spent time in jail for assault on his former girlfriend. Clemons has said he was paid by assistant coaches.

Sometime soon, the NCAA is expected to announce the results of its investigation.

"No, I don't think that is it at all," sophomore guard Jimmy McKinney said. "The focus is on winning and we're just not doing it, but we're going to continue to grind."

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim does not think it's too late for Missouri to turn around its season. They've got too many good players," he said. "They'll resurrect this and get it going, I'm positive."

A rough early schedule is partly to blame for Missouri's woes. Aside from the loss to Syracuse, the Tigers lost to No. 16 Gonzaga and No. 25 Illinois. They also lost to Belmont in late December.

Missouri appeared to have a team to match the tough schedule. Paulding and Johnson are both four-year starters, Bryant has improved throughout his career and adds bulk in the middle, McKinney had a solid freshman season, and there was a solid corps of newcomers.

The Tigers figured to really take off when transfers Jason Conley, who led the nation in scoring as a freshman at Virginia Military Institute with 29 points, and point guard Randy Pulley became eligible at the semester break.

Instead, they're 3-5 since then. Johnson and Paulding, who elected to return as seniors instead of enter the NBA draft, have regressed. Pulley has been solid enough but adds nothing on offense, and Conley has been a huge disappointment so far.

His last five games have been non-productive, a total of six points on 1-for-10 shooting.

Conley, who chose Missouri over Kentucky, Miami, Tennessee and Florida, thinks a lack of commitment on defense is hindering him with Snyder.

"It's not going well right now, but I think I'll bounce back," Conley said. "I don't regret my decision to come here."