TIGERS v. RED RAIDERS

BIG XII FIRST ROUND

    The Big XII Conference Tournament tips off today in Kansas City's Sprint Center, and the first round features three teams battling for a spot in the NCAA tournament.

    Colorado and Baylor must win today (and probably tomorrow) to have a chance to make the Big Dance. Missouri needs a win against Texas Tech to divert the selection committee's critical eye away from the Tigers' late season troubles.

    Mizzou (22-9, 8-8) dropped their last three regular season games, fell out of the Top 25 and fell to the 6^th seed in the conference tournament. The Red Raiders (13-8, 5-11) come into the nightcap with a lame duck coach. Pat Knight was fired Monday but will finish the season on the bench. MU's history includes a 1990 first round loss to 8^th-seeded Colorado with lame duck Tom Apke on his way out as the Buffaloes' coach.

    Missouri defeated Tech, 92-84, on Feb. 15 in Columbia; but the Red Raiders made it close in the final minutes, cutting a double-digit lead to three with just over a minute to play. John Roberson led the comeback with 21 points. Mike Singletary, as streaky a shooter as you can name, continued to struggle in that game, with only four points in nine minutes. Despite putting on the greatest shooting display in Big XII tournament history, Singletary no longer starts for the Raiders. As a sophomore in 2009, he scored 29 consecutive points on his way to a tourney-record 43, leading Tech back from a 21-point second half deficit to an 88-83 first round win over Texas A&M.

    Any conversation about Missouri's NCAA hopes is pointless unless the Tigers advance to play A&M on Thursday. While a loss tonight may not eliminate Mizzou from the Big Dance, they would have little or no chance to win an NCAA tournament game as a low seed.

    Marcus Denmon, named to the Big XII first team, and Laurence Bowers, on the all-conference defensive team, are the only Tigers playing with any consistency. Michael Dixon, Jr., tries hard and adds an occasional spark; but the rest of the team is playing poorly. Junior forward Kim English has fallen off the face of the Earth. Phil Pressey has hit the proverbial freshman wall; and Ricardo Ratliffe, Big XII Newcomer of the Year, is overrated and overmatched in the paint. Senior Justin Safford has been a non-factor for most of the season.

    The Tigers just haven't shown enough fight from enough players to warrant a bid if, as in four of the past five seasons, they lose another first round Big XII game.