Jordan Barnett Suspended for Missouri vs. FSU in NCAA Tournament After DWI Arrest

The Missouri Tigers will be short-handed when they open up their 2018 NCAA tournament run Friday against the Florida State Seminoles

According to Mitchell Forde of Rivals' PowerMizzou.com, head coach Cuonzo Martin said senior Jordan Barnett will not play in the contest after he was arrested Saturday on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

"He's suspended right now, as we speak," Martin said. "He won't play Friday. He can travel, he can practice, but he won't play."

Forde noted the school's student-athlete handbook includes a mandatory one-week suspension for driving under the influence. A one-week punishment would leave Barnett eligible to return for the second round on Sunday should the Tigers advance.

Martin didn't clarify one way or the other whether Barnett would return if Missouri made the second round. With a win over Florida State, the Tigers would likely face the No. 1-seeded Xavier Musketeers.

Barnett's suspension means Missouri will have just seven scholarship players available for Friday's contest, per Forde.

This hurts more than just the team's depth, though, as Barnett was second on the squad with 13.7 points per game and is an anchor in the forward rotation with 5.9 rebounds a night. He shot 44.9 percent from the field and can extend his game beyond the three-point line as a matchup problem (41.4 percent).

He also appeared to improve as the campaign progressed and scored in double figures in his final seven regular-season games, including a double-double (19 points and 11 boards) in the March 3 contest against Arkansas.

Barnett's loss puts an even brighter spotlight on Michael Porter Jr., who played two minutes in the season-opening contest against Iowa State and didn't make another appearance until the SEC tournament. The highly regarded prospect is talented enough to spearhead the Tigers in the NCAA tournament, but he figures to be plenty rusty after missing essentially the entire season following back surgery.