Carroll improves as MU loses at Baylor
Recent Missouri losses place team in unsure post-season play.
Published March 4, 2008
Junior forward DeMarre Carroll said he no longer lets the state of his legs affect his play on the basketball court. “On one leg or no legs, I’m going to give it everything I’ve got,” Carroll said. Carroll had 17 points and six rebounds in the team’s 100-89 loss Saturday at Baylor. For the past few weeks, Carroll has been dealing with an ankle injury. He has continued to play, but has not been his former self. But he said the team’s Feb. 26 loss to Oklahoma State motivated him. Carroll had five points and no rebounds in that 75-73 loss. “I felt like I could have helped more,” Carroll said. “So I was going to make sure that late in the game I was going to leave it all out there and not have any regrets going home.” Carroll said his improvement was mental, as the ankle did not feel better Saturday than in previous games. “It felt the same really,” he said. “I’ve been going out there tense, trying not to re-hurt it. But it’s near the end of the season now.” Fellow junior forward Leo Lyons had 22 points and 15 rebounds Saturday. Lyons said he has been motivated by Carroll’s performance. “It was big for us,” Lyons said. “Because we saw that and we went up on the lead when he came and did that.” Sophomore guard Keon Lawrence said he saw a different Carroll on Saturday than he had seen in the past. “He was moving a lot better,” Lawrence said. “Being more physical like he was before he hurt his ankle. So, I think he played good.” Despite the play of the two big men, the Tigers lost the Baylor game thanks in part to a 16-6 Baylor run the last 3:11 of the game. “It seemed like we never could respond,” coach Mike Anderson said. Anderson said the team needs to improve its defense late in games. “You’ve got to have stops,” he said. “You’ve got to have toughness. You’ve got to make plays. That’s been the constant all year long, we’ve been kind of inconsistent.” With the Baylor loss, the team slips to a 15-14 overall record and a 5-9 record in Big 12 play, placing them tenth in the league. Should the National Invitation Tournament choose not to accept Missouri, playing in the inaugural College Basketball Invitational would likely be an option. Lyons said he can’t say for sure whether the team would accept a bid to that tournament. “I’m pretty sure coach will ask us if we want to go the CBI or if we don’t,” Lyons said. “I think that would be a team decision. But, me personally, I’d love to keep playing. It might not be the same rewards, but you’re still playing.”