Missouri opening round keys
The Missouri Tigers’ men’s basketball season that started with hopes, dreams and plenty of questions marks. As the majority of the roster was filled with first-year players for the Tigers, Big 12 coaches predicted Missouri to finish seventh in the conference.
A little less than a week after winning their first ever Big 12 Tournament Championship, the Tigers have answered every question and are set to go dancing. Missouri enters Boise, Idaho as the No. 3 seed in the West Region of the NCAA Tournament.
Coach Mike Anderson and his crew will tipoff against the Ivy League Champions, Cornell, Friday at 2 p.m. inside the Taco Bell Arena. This is Anderson’s first trip to the tournament with the Tigers, and the schools first appearance since 2003.
Here are my keys to the game against the Big Red:
As always, Missouri must get off to a quick start. Yes, the Tigers have proved to be a terrific second half team, but they must start the NCAA Tournament with a bang. If the starters allow Cornell to keep things close early, that sets the wrong tone for the entire tournament.
Even if the Tigers go on to wear down at Cornell and eventually pull away (a pattern that became all to consistent in the Big 12 Tournament), then expect competition down the road to take it to Missouri early.
If DeMarre Carroll and Leo Lyons can deliver the first blow and the Tigers cruise through the opening game, Missouri’s confidence will skyrocket.
The second key to the game is bench production. Freshman guards Kim English and Miguel Paul had solid performances that helped propel the Tigers over Baylor in the Big 12 Championship. When the bench is performing well, the energy level hits the max.
Missouri must use that energy to force turnovers. J.T. Tiller and Zaire Taylor need to be disruptive defensively without getting into foul trouble. Anderson’s organized chaos is at it’s finest when the backcourt is forcing turnovers.
The pressure that Tiller and Taylor put on Cornell’s guards will also make Lyons and Carroll’s job of shutting down junior forward Ryan Wittman that much easier. Wittman is Cornell’s leading scorer at 18.5 points per game. If the guards are flustered because of Missouri’s pressure, Wittman will turn into a one-man show. And while he’s a talented player, he can’t beat Missouri alone.
Finally, DeMarre Carroll must be relentless offensively. Carroll should be able to get to the basket whenever he wants against Cornell. The hybrid forward’s freakish combination of size and speed is unlike anything the Big Red went up against in the Ivy League. Anderson should let Carroll spot up at the top of the key, pump fake and take the ball to the basket. He’ll be unstoppable.
Stay with TheManeater.com for full coverage of the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in Boise, Idaho. Sports Editor Lenny Goldman will be filing live analysis, full game stories and videocasts from Taco Bell Arena. Make The Maneater your hub for Missouri NCAA Tournament coverage.