Source: SportsLogos.net

It’s that time of year again. The time of year where the big boys from the power conferences are put squarely on upset alert by the mid-majors from lesser known conferences. Every low seed becomes a potential cinderella capable of pulling a shocking upset or making a deep tournament run that no one but the players who are on the court expected.

Missouri is not one of those teams. Mizzou earned the No. 2 seed in the West Region and have a great shot at reaching their first Final Four in school history. To get there, the Tigers will have to start their run against the Norfolk State Spartans, a 15-seed that will have their eye finding on their own glass slipper that fits.

Norfolk State University is located in Norfolk, VA, the same city as one of Missouri’s regular season opponents, Old Dominion. Norfolk sits on the east coast of Virginia at the opening of the Chesapeake Bay, making it one of the more scenic and functional port cities in the country. Norfolk has a considerable military presence due to its location on the coast, and is home to the largest naval base in the world, as well as NATO headquarters. Norfolk is the second largest city in Virginia with a population of 242,803, as of the 2010 census, attracting a diverse population with its prime location on the Chesapeake Bay, as well as the many business opportunities that are also offered. Norfolk is large enough to offer options in several ventures, one of which being higher education. Norfolk State is one of five colleges in the city of Norfolk, which includes Old Dominion University and Tidewater Community College. NSU isn’t as large as the other two schools, but since neither of them are playing in the NCAA Tournament, we’ll turn our attention to Norfolk State. (more…)

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…)