Mizzou Tiger Hoops

Going into this tournament I wanted 2 wins. But I wanted good wins, not garbage wins like we get in our normal early season games, but solid wins, resume building wins. And while Fairfield is none of the above, USC is. USC will probably finish in the top 3 or 4 in the Pac-10, and will surely be tournament bound. For Mizzou, that was a win we will be looking back on come selection time.

Mizzou showed a lot during that game. They showed they could pressure a good team, they showed they could learn from mistakes (especially missed free throws), and they showed they could adjust to their competition.

I can’t say enough about how good DeMarre was in that game, so I will just leave it at this… Dude’s a Animal.

One person I want to make sure doesn’t go unnoticed is J.T. Tiller. He knocked down a number of big shots, came up with some key steals, and attacked the basket in some big situations. Fran Fraschilla did all he could to make sure all 12 of us that watched that game on ESPNU knew how well J.T. played, but I want to make sure that performance doesn’t go without recognition.

Another huge play in the game that I thought did not get enough coverage on TV or in the stories I read about the game is Mizzou attacking Taj Gibson. Gibson was in foul trouble early, and the Tigers did an amazing job making those fouls count. With 3 fouls in the first half Gibson entered the game with about 17 minutes left in the game. About 2 minutes later Leo took the ball from the top of the arc, drove in, and forced Gibson to foul him. Great recognition, great execution, all around great play by Leo. The one play I would say won the game for Mizzou.

One other quick note I want to make sure gets in this post. Matt Lawrence, 11 minutes, 0 points. I’m just posting his line from the game. take it how you want may.

After watching the 3 games in Puerto Rico, I am officially on the Mizzou to the Tournament bandwagon. A ranked win against USC coupled with a loss against the eventual champions leaves Mizzou walking out of Puerto Rico feeling good. I didn’t think any good could come out of this tournament after the loss to Xavier, but without a doubt, more good than bad came out of the trip.

Learn from your mistakes, adjust, and learn how to win. That’s what the out of conference schedule is all about, and Mizzou is well on their way to making the first half of this season count.

-Ken Boehlke