- In the aftermath of Missouri‘s nail-biting victory over Illinois in the Braggin’ Rights series in St. Louis, one local newspaper decided to try and rank tonight’s game among the all-time greats. This particular writer slotted the 2011 matchup at number 10, and that seems like a fair assessment. No, there was no frantic overtime finish or buzzer-beater, but Illinois’ second-half rally– and Missouri’s simultaneous collapse– added to the drama. In the end, the Missouri side of Scottrade Center celebrated more out of relief than joy. And though the Tigers apparently forgot how to pass the basketball for several minutes during the second half, Illinois deserves credit for making this game must-see television. Bruce Weber finally got his guards to settle down and attack the basket, and it nearly resulted in a stunning comeback.
- So where does this leave Missouri in the race for the Big 12 this winter? According to this writer, the Tigers are a frontrunner, and it’s hard to disagree there. We have got to hold the phone a little bit here, though. The Tigers finished 1-7 on the road in Big 12 play last year. What’s to say they won’t collapse away from home again? The end of the second half certainly wasn’t encouraging for Frank Haith, as he watched his offense take bad shot after bad shot on every possession. Still, the Tigers have flaunted their quickness, athleticism and shooting ability all season, and as long as they defend and force turnovers, they’ll be able to hang with bigger teams. Like, say, Baylor or Kansas, who look like Missouri’s main competition.
- If you pay attention to the “college basketball community” (as if that even exists), you have probably heard numerous times that the Big Ten and the Big East are the nation’s premiere conferences. The my-conference-is-better-than-your-conference debates get old quick, but there’s an interesting argument for the Big 12 to at least be in the conversation. With Texas A&M fading quick (lost to Rice tonight) and Oklahoma State and Texas struggling to find identities, the middle of the league has taken a nosedive. However, Kansas State and Oklahoma are overachieving, and the Big 12 still realistically could grab anywhere from four to six bids. We’re not ready to proclaim the Big 12 the best league in the nation, but this article at least gives some decent supporting arguments.
- Getting back to Oklahoma’s overachievement under Lon Kruger… yes, we’ve given you too many of these sappy articles about Oklahoma’s revitalization the past few months, but here’s another one for good measure. Want to know the honest answer as to why we’re overloading you with Oklahoma goodies? It’s because the Sooners are intriguing, lovable, and led by a veteran in the coaching business. It’s easy to pull for Kruger because he’s a proven winner who never calls attention to himself. He has this team playing very good team basketball, but the Sooners have to test themselves in Big 12 play first. If they finish above .500 in league play, then we can call Kruger’s first season a success.
- For some reason, the folks over at this Kansas blog like to torture themselves. Instead of recollecting the dozens and dozens of sweet NCAA Tournament memories and national championships, these Jayhawks fans have instead decided to write about the worst NCAA tourney losses in Kansas history. Right now, the site is polling fans about the most painful NCAA loss: 2004 against Georgia Tech, 2007 against UCLA, 2010 against Northern Iowa, or 2011 against VCU. Interestingly, the guy left the Bradley and Bucknell losses off the list, and those have to at least be in the conversation. In the end, though, who cares? Every team could recount disappointing post-season losses if it wanted to so why not focus on the positive here, Jayhawks?