Tigers depth could be the difference against Marquette
As coach Mike Anderson said today, just like he does after every victory, the Tigers have until midnight to celebrate today's win and then it's time to prepare for the next game. Missouri will take on the Golden Eagles of Marquette Sunday afternoon in Boise, Idaho.
No. 6 Marquette just barely held on to beat No. 11 Utah St. 58-58 earlier this afternoon in the Taco Bell Arena. The Golden Eagles outmatched the Aggies in the first half, but with the crowd heavily pulling for USU, Marquette found itself clinging to stay alive in the second half.
The Golden Eagles were outscored 39-32 in the second half, but a huge performance from Lazar Hayward was just enough to keep Marquette on top. The junior forward put up 26 points, 10 more than his season average.
Missouri's matchup against Marquette will feel more like a "conference game," as freshman guard Kim English put it. The Golden Eagles are far more athletic than the Cornell team that Missouri took down in the opening round.
The catch? Marquette only used two bench players in its opening round game and only one bucket was made by a non-starter. Missouri got all 13 men on its roster into its first game, and all but four of them got five minutes or more.
The Tigers had three bench players play more than 10 minutes, as Anderson's up-tempo strategy requires constant subbing to keep players fresh. Missouri's bench put up 21 points against Cornell.
If Marquette wants to run with the Tigers, it's going to need to do it with much more than five guys. Missouri's depth looks like it should be the X-factor in this one.