Analysis: NCAA Tournament gives Tigers a fresh start
The team hopes to overcome recent losses to beat Clemson.
Published March 19, 2010
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Missouri sophomore guard Marcus Denmon goes for a layup as Kansas junior guard Cole Aldrich attempts to block him March 6 at Mizzou Arena. Denmon is expected to be a key player in the first NCAA Tournament matchup against the Clemson Tigers on Friday in Buffalo, N.Y.
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For the second year in a row, Missouri is dancing. On Friday, the Tigers of Columbia will tango with the Tigers of Clemson in Buffalo, N.Y., in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
The tournament will offer Missouri a breath of fresh air. Missouri stumbled down the stretch, losing three of its final four games, including an embarrassing loss to Nebraska in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament.
In Buffalo, Missouri has a chance to start fresh. When it tips off at 1:45 p.m. in the HSBC Arena, it will have been nine days since Missouri took the court. The extended layoff can have positive or negative effects on any team. But for the Tigers, the time off could help clear their heads of the late season struggles -- especially the shooting.
The slide began when the team lost junior forward Justin Safford on Feb. 24 against Colorado. It caused the rotation to shuffle, meaning senior and sophomore forwards Keith Ramsey and Laurence Bowers would have to log more minutes. Sophomore forward Steve Moore has been getting some playing time, but he still seems overwhelmed at times. Missouri's lack of depth up front has become evident in these past four games.
Additionally, the shooting has gone ice cold. In that tough four-game stretch, the Tigers were shooting 36.4 percent, down from their season average of 44.1 percent. Against Nebraska, Missouri never had a lead and failed to generate any sort of rhythm. That must change if the team is going to hang with Clemson. Missouri can't go through those extended stretches in which shots are not falling.
Two key guys to watch for will be sophomore guards Kim English and Marcus Denmon. Those two rank No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, on the team in points per game — English averaging 13.9 and Denmon contributing 10.8 points per game. But both have found field goals hard to come by lately. English was 2-of-11 against Nebraska, and Denmon made one of the four shots he took. When these two are making buckets, the Tigers are obviously a much more potent team. English and Denmon both received experience in last year's Elite Eight run, so they are well prepared for the pressure of the tournament.
Clemson is no stranger to the NCAA Tournament, either; this will be their third straight season making the Big Dance. Coach Oliver Purnell is still looking for his first win in the tournament, as he is 0-5 as a head coach. But like Missouri, his team will be well prepared to take the court Friday.
The Clemson Tigers went 9-7 and finished tied for fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference this season. Like Missouri, Clemson runs an up-tempo style and relies heavily on defense. Both teams rank in the top 10 in the nation in steals, Missouri first with 350 and Clemson seventh with 299.
With this new season, Missouri knows what's at stake. And if last year proved anything, this team thrives under doubt. Friday will reveal a lot of answers for this enigmatic Missouri team.