NCAA HOOPS

MIZZOU EXITS WITH A WHIMPER

    The Missouri Tigers bowed out of the 2011 NCAA tournament with barely a whimper, losing 63-78 to the Cincinnati Bearcats in the first round.

    MU made only four free throws in the final 7:25 of the first half, to trail by 11 (28-39). After Ricardo Ratliffe swished a 3-pointer to cut the lead to two, the Tigers went 0-9 from the field the rest of the half. They missed five more field goal attempts before Marcus Denmon finally ended the drought with a 3-pointer at the 16:40 mark. For the game Missouri shot only 38% from the field.

    Mizzou finished the 2010-11 season at 23-11 after spending most of the season in the Top 25.

The Tigers seemed to lose confidence as the season drew to its conclusion, losing their last three regular season games before picking up a first round win in the Big XII tournament.

    Only Marcus Denmon, a 1^st-team all-conference pick, and Laurence Bowers played with any consistency. Kim English never found his stride this year; and Big XII Newcomer of the Year Ricardo Ratliffe faded down the stretch. Michael Dixon lost his starting role as point guard midway through the season but won it back to inject a little energy into the lineup. Freshman point guard Phil Pressey showed flashes of promise but predictable freshman mistakes cost him minutes at the end of the year. Justin Safford's senior year was a bust, except for his late-game heroics in a win over Illinois in December.

    This Missouri team lacked the defensive intensity of Coach Mike Anderson's previous Tigers. His "fastest 40 minutes" approach to the game worked occasionally; but better teams took advantage of the gambling style to break down the Tiger defense. Lacking size and depth in the front court, Mizzou struggled on the boards and too often encountered early foul trouble battling in the paint. It is apparent that Anderson needs to bring in some quality big men if MU is to be competitive next year.