Latest entries in Tigers Tourney Tracker 2010
Complete coverage of Missouri men's basketball in the 2010 NCAA Tournament. Look for video previews and summaries, live blogs, photos and audio clips during the Tigers' postseason run.
March 19, 2010
Game tied at the end of the first half
First off, apologies for the lack of updates. The wireless signal at HSBC Arena went out shortly before tipoff.
At the end of the first half, Missouri and Clemson are tied at 39. CU used 3-pointers to keep ahead of Missouri for a while, but something clicked for the Tiger offense, and all of a sudden Missouri pulled ahead. Since then, the two Tiger teams have traded baskets and swapped the lead.
Aside from Clemson getting open looks on the perimeter, Missouri is forcing plenty of steals. Once the Tigers converted those steals into points, Missouri started to find its groove offensively.
Missouri getting ready to tip off against Clemson
No. 10 Missouri and No. 7 Clemson are preparing to tipoff in first round action of the NCAA Tournament here at HSBC Arena in Buffalo, N.Y.
The two Tigers will be fighting for a chance to take on West Virginia on Sunday, after the Mountaineers disposed of Morgan State earlier this afternoon.
The starters for today are:
MU
Senior guard J.T. Tiller
Senior guard Zaire Taylor
Senior forward Keith Ramsey
Sophomore forward Laurence Bowers
Sophomore guard Kim English
CU
Junior guard Demontez Scott
Sophomore guard Tanner Smith
Senior forward David Potter
Senior forward Trevor Booker
Junior center Jerai Grant
For Missouri, the main issue to take care of today is its recent poor shooting. With field goal percentages stuck in the low-to-mid 30s lately, the Tigers must able to start their offense early in this game. When MU started cold against Nebraska in last week's Big 12 Tournament, the Cornhuskers pulled away to an insurmountable lead. Simply put, if Missouri lets that happen again it is in trouble.
Today's game should be a lively matchup between two up-tempo teams. Both Clemson and Missouri put on the pressure defensively and thrive on fastbreaks. MU has rarely laced up against a team that mirrors it so closely, so it will be interesting to see how the Tigers handle the challenge.
Clemson features all-ACC selection Booker, an inside presence MU must try to contain. Booker will challenge a Tiger frontcourt already missing junior forward Justin Safford to injury and featuring sophomore forward Laurence Bowers who has two torn ligaments in his left wrist. Bowers has vowed to play through the pain, but one has to wonder if he will be any less effective because of it.
Clemson coach Oliver Purnell has never won an NCAA Tournament game (0-5), so Missouri will look to keep that dubious streak going.
Keep it here for updates throughout the game and follow @Maneatersports on Twitter for updates, as well.
March 18, 2010
Video: NCAA Tournament Preview
Maneater sports editor Sean Leahy and Missouri men's basketball beat writer Evan Glantz preview Missouri's game against Clemson and offer their thoughts on how the tournament will play out.