Mar 9, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Marcus Denman (2) drives to the basket against Texas Longhorns guard J

When most people were hoping for an epic conclusion to the Border War in the Big XII Tournament title game, only one team held up their end of the bargain. No. 5 Missouri (29-4) cruised to 81-67 victory over the Texas Longhorns (20-13) in yesterday’s semifinal game. The first semifinal of the night, however, was the headline-grabber. No. 11 Baylor (27-6) defeated No. 3 Kansas (27-6), the tournament’s top seed, 81-72 to keep the Jayhawks from reaching the final and creating Kansas-Missouri III in the title game.

Instead it will be a rematch of the 2009 Big XII title game, when DeMarre Carroll’s 20 points led Mizzou to a 73-60 victory over the Bears, giving the Tigers their first Big XII basketball title. Baylor was the ninth seed and 20-14 that year, but this year’s Baylor team is much more formidable and is playing some of the best basketball they have played all year. The Bears lost handily in their first two games against Kansas this season, 92-74 in Lawrence and 68-54 in Waco, but were able to beat back the Jayhawks in their third try with a balanced scoring effort. Six Baylor players scored in double figures, including 18 from sophomore forward Perry Jones III (13.9 PPG, 7.6 RPG), who was coming off a 31 point, 11 rebound game against Kansas State in the quarterfinals. Baylor led by 13 early in the second half, but Kansas made a run, behind 20 points from senior guard Tyshawn Taylor (17.3 PPG, 4.8 APG) to take the lead midway through the half. But Baylor was able to hang on and fend off KU, using two dagger threes from sophomore guard Brady Heslip (9.5 PPG, 43.2 3P%) in the final minutes to seal the deal.

The Missouri Tigers had a little easier time dealing with their semifinal opponent, taking the lead with 15 minutes left in the first half and never giving it back. Their scoring  was not as balanced as it usually is, but dominant performances from senior guard Kim English (14.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG) and sophomore guard Phil Pressey (9.9 PPG, 6.3 APG) led them to victory. English scored 23 points on 9-10 shooting, while Pressey, who had 12 assists the night before against Oklahoma State, passed up the role of distributer to add a career-high 23 points of his own. Senior forward Ricardo Ratliffe (13.9 PPG, 7.6 RPG) added 18 points and 14 rebounds, his eighth double-double of the year. Texas got the production it usually gets from the Big XII’s leading scorer junior guard J’Covan Brown (20.1 PPG, 3.8 APG), but had no other player score over 11 points. Despite outrebounding Mizzou 37-27, the Tigers’ shooting 52.6% from the field and hitting 10 threes proved to be too much to handle for Texas. (more…)

March 08, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Kim English (24) gestures after scoring during the first half of the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the quarterfinal round of the 2012 Big 12 Tournament at the Sprint Center. Kansas won 83 - 66. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

The No. 5 Missouri Tigers (28-4) got off to a dominating start in their final run in the Big XII Tournament, defeating the Oklahoma State Cowboys (15-18) 88-70. Their next opponent, the Texas Longhorns (20-12) also kicked off their Big XII Tournament campaign on the right foot, upsetting the Iowa State Cyclones (22-10) 71-65. The two teams will square off for a berth in the finals tonight at the Sprint Center in Kansas City.

The Longhorns and the Tigers have had very different seasons up to this point, but still have plenty to play for. Texas is squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble, but may have earned a spot in March Madness when they, the sixth seed in the Big XII, beat the third-seeded Cyclones. A win over Missouri would all but guarantee them a spot in the dance. The second-seeded Tigers can’t allow that to happen if they want to continue their contention for a number one seed in March Madness, which is still in their sights. They will likely have to win the Big XII Tournament to do so, which would mean defeating Texas first then beating either Kansas or Baylor, who play in the other semifinal. Finishing ahead of Kansas in the tournament, who is currently projected to be a one seed in March Madness, would give Mizzou their best shot to claim a top seed.

Mizzou advanced to the semifinals by blitzing Oklahoma State in the early goings of the first half and not looking back. Led by senior guard Kim English (14.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG), who scored 21 of his 27 points in the first half, the Tigers went on a 26-5 run in the first half, and led by as many as 29 points. The Tigers were an offensive juggernaut, shooting 59.3 % for the game and had four players score in double figures, including 24 points and eight rebounds from senior guard Marcus Denmon (18.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG). Sophomore guard Phil Pressey (9.5 PPG, 6.3 APG) also added 12 assists, one shy of a team record, and five steals. The Tigers also manhandled the shorthanded Cowboys, who were missing Big 12 Freshman of the Year Le’Bryan Nash (13.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG) who is out with an injured hand, on the glass, outrebounding them 37-18 and not allowing an offensive rebound in the first half. There was an emotional moment at the end of the game when OSU senior guard Keiton Page (17.1 PPG, 2.2 APG), one of the most accomplished players in Oklahoma State history, was removed from his final game as a Cowboy. Page  received a standing ovation from the majority of fans in attendance, even non-OSU supporters. (more…)

January 28, 2012; Columbia, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Michael Dixon (11) passes the ball as Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Luke Adams (13) and Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Ty Nurse (4) try to block during the second half at Mizzou Arena. The Missouri Tigers defeated the Texas Tech Red Raiders 63-50. Mandatory Credit: Dak Dillon-US PRESSWIRE

Even though the No. 8 Missouri Tigers (26-4, 13-4 Big 12) are officially locked into the number two seed in the upcoming Big 12 Tournament, they still have one more game to finish up what has been an exciting regular season. The Tigers moved into a tie with the 1989-90 team for the school record for regular season wins with their 78-72 senior night victory over Iowa State on Feb. 29. They have an excellent opportunity to hold the record for themselves when they head to Lubbock to face the Texas Tech Red Raiders (8-21, 1-16 Big 12).

The Red Raiders currently reside in the Big 12 basement, having lost five straight and only defeating Oklahoma on Feb. 11 in Big 12 play. Their struggles have come primarily on the offensive end, where they rank among the worst teams in the nation. They are 326th in scoring average at just under 60 points a game and have only one player averaging double digit points per game. Tech has not scored over 60 points in regulation (they recently lost to Texas 71-67 in overtime) since their 65-47 victory over Oklahoma, and have eclipsed the mark only two other times during Big 12 play, both in double-digit losses.

Texas Tech isn’t necessarily a team that built to win this year, and it has been glaringly obvious. First year coach Billy Gillispie has nine underclassmen, including six freshmen, on his roster and only one senior. Their struggles stem from a lack of experience, a new system being put in place, and simply not a whole lot of talent. Their one standout player is freshman forward Jordan Tolbert (11.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG). Tolbert is a low-post presence and lit up the scoreboard for 20+ points for four straight games in mid-December, but has been inconsistent in the Big 12 season. Tolbert will likely be a building block for Gillispie as he hopes to take his team out of the cellar. (more…)