Not that our guys need any more motivation....

[ksu_FAN]

but I wonder if they hear or read anything that the local pundits are saying about this game.  Just looking at the local papers, you'd think MU is coming off back to back wins over Florida and North Carolina and are suddenly ranked in the top 10.  About how they played their "worst game" against us in Columbia and "gave us the game".  They are playing better, but wins over a CU team that plays ball for 10-15 minutes per game max with its best player just holding out and trying not to get injured before he goes league and then a shorthanded Tech team that is much more about outcoaching you than outtalenting you does not a world beater make IMO.

I will say I'm much more concerned about this game than the NU game b/c MU presents an odd style and they have tougher match-ups.  But then I look at the history of Anderson, not only this year but in the past, and its hard to be overly concerned.  With a road record of 24-27 for his career (15 of those wins over teams with >200 RPIs) I have to expect the Cats to win.  Again, this would be arguably Anderson's best road win ever, his teams never tore up the road at UAB and frankly unless they bring in Top 5 recruiting classes I don't think he will in this league either. 

If we play to our identity; tough defense, rebound, and handle the ball on offense, we win.  Hit 42% or so of our shots and we win comfortably.  I think we play somewhere in between, Cats 76-Tigers 67.

[michigancat]

I think every team is going to think they played their worst against us the first time around.  Making the other team look bad is just what Huggins does.

[ksu_FAN]

Yeah, that is so true.  That's the "ugly basketball" factor. 

I think our guys will read some of what MU had to say and be a little more motivated.  I don't see that MU has proven anything on the road yet and this mindset that they can suddenly win anywhere and everywhere b/c they played ku close and won at CU grates on me.  It probably shouldn't but it does, maybe that's b/c I don't like MU that much and I think Anderson may become a coach that I like to "hate".

[michigancat]

His weak schedule + early wins kind of made him a media darling.

On the BB's, everyone loves to hate Huggs, so they were quick to latch on to "Anderson:  Best new Big XII coach after 10 games" bandwagon.  0-4 starts tend to kick people off of bandwagons, but the 2 game "streak" brought back the "see, I told you so" crowd.

[catzacker]

I'm really begining to dislike MU more than ku.  And not in a "Norm Stewart" way either, it's a dislike w/out any respect whatsoever. 

[chum1]

True enough.  Mizzou is our main rival, not ku.

[Snakehead05]

 Just looking at the local papers, you'd think MU is coming off back to back wins over Florida and North Carolina and are suddenly ranked in the top 10.  About how they played their "worst game" against us in Columbia and "gave us the game".   

This is absolutely true, and drives me crazy too.  This BS is all over mu message boards as well as the media.  I hope it's publicized in the locker room, and the fans attending are aware too.  I'd love to see a beat down tonight.

[michigancat]

In the KC Star article they really sound clueless.  I mean, they let a team build a 16 point second half lead on their court.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/16583746.htm

MU isn’t in giving mood
Tigers learned lesson after home loss to K-State and will try to avoid same mistakes in rematch.
By MIKE DeARMOND
The Kansas City Star


MANHATTAN, Kan. | The repeated rant of the Red Hot Chili Peppers is an echo Leo Lyons can’t get out of his head.

“Give it away, give it away, give it away now.”

Because that’s what Missouri thought it did when Kansas State left Mizzou Arena with an 85-81 victory on Jan. 13. “We gave that away,” Lyons said as Mizzou prepared for the rematch, at 8 tonight in K-State’s Bramlage Coliseum. “We just gave that away.”

And the key tonight — as Missouri goes for a third straight victory — is to avoid the sins of the recent past.

Give it away?

Well, Missouri played it soft on the boards. Kansas State dominated the Tigers 41-17. Nowhere was that domination more evident than when Missouri was going after offensive rebounds. Kansas State came away with the ball 28 times off the MU backboard. Missouri grabbed just two offensive rebounds.

Give it away?

Missouri sent the Wildcats to the free-throw line 43 times; the Wildcats made 37.

So despite Missouri forcing Kansas State into 24 turnovers, 16 of which were Missouri steals, Kansas State beat the Tigers on their own floor.

“We owe ’em,” Keon Lawrence said. “We gave a gift. We’ve got to go over there and get ours.”

Kansas State wasn’t just on the voluntary receiving line. The Wildcats came in without emerging star Bill Walker — now out for the season — and forced the Tigers back on their heels, into a corner.

The Tigers are still fighting their way out of that corner, which despite a surprisingly valiant effort at Kansas two days after their loss to K-State, resulted in an 0-4 start to the league season.

At least Missouri fought back from that desperation.

The Tigers won their first Big 12 road game in more than a year, at Colorado. Back home last Saturday, Mizzou knocked Texas Tech out of a first-place tie in the league by holding the Red Raiders scoreless for nearly 10 minutes at the start of the second half.

“Colorado was a must-win,” Jason Horton said. “Texas Tech was a must-win.

“This is a must-win.”

If Missouri, 13-6 overall and 2-4 in the Big 12, wants to rebuild its hopes of making the NCAA Tournament instead of just the NIT …

“Every game is a must-win,” Horton said.

Missouri is still minus-one at home in the league. With Kansas being one of only five home games remaining for the Tigers, MU may have to steal two more road games just to finish 8-8 in the Big 12.

MU coach Mike Anderson certainly believes doing that, or doing better than that, is possible.

“Our guys are competing,” Anderson said. “We’re starting to make the plays that constitute winning basketball. We’re trusting one another. That’s a process I’ve talked about with our basketball team.”

It’s time, it seems, for a new lyric for Missouri.

Take it away, take it away, take it away now.

[WILDCAT NATION]

Glad to see FAN is fired up...I can't stand these SOB's...

They win two games, one against a HORRIBLE team, and one with 40% of it's starting lineup out...and they are all of a sudden "Back".

111-56 wouldn't be good enough tonight..

LEAVE NO DOUBT.

[wildcat79]

Our small line up matches up very well with MU. We are more physical. They may be a bit quicker but prone to fouls. Our win in Columbia wasn't a fluke.JMO

[mavrick1821]

This pre-game hype on the part of MU is one of the best examples of the lack of RESPECT KSU still has to overcome.     I'm all for  =< 20 pt first half from MU.  Then we can see how much fight they really have in the 2nd half on the road.   

[Dan Rydell]

Glad to see FAN is fired up...I can't stand these SOB's...

They win two games, one against a HORRIBLE team, and one with 40% of it's starting lineup out...and they are all of a sudden "Back".

111-56 wouldn't be good enough tonight..

LEAVE NO DOUBT.

I'm with Nation.  I'd like a win, any win, but an absolute pounding sure would be nice.

[coitus]

fan - you gotta change that picture of stew in your sig.  it's killing me.

[WildGunman]

Wow.... when I read that article, a double-take wasn't enough...I did a triple.   

“We gave that away,” Lyons said as Mizzou prepared for the rematch, at 8 tonight in K-State’s Bramlage Coliseum. “We just gave that away.”

Did I miss something here?  Is my memory of the game in Columbia off?  Did we come from behind and pull out the MU game on a shot at the buzzer?  Did one of the MU players pull a "Pervis Pasco" celebration travel in the final seconds to give us the "W"?

I guess I'll have to go back and check the DVR, but I was under the impression that we pretty much led wire to wire and the second half wasn't really very close until we made some bone-headed plays in the final minutes and almost handed MU the game.

Seriously, are the Tigers confusing the loss to us with the loss they had to ISU?

This article had better be taped up in the lockerroom for our players to read.  People often wonder why KSU fans feel like they don't get any respect....I submit...exhibit...well not A, or B, ...probably ZZZ by this point.

[Dan Rydell]

All morning Frank Boal was repeating the mantra on crunch time, before and while he was talking to Jay Bilas:  "Mizzou gave that game away.  Mizzou gave the game away."

Now, he may have just been referring to the fact that Mizzou dropped a home game, not the manner in which they dropped it, but still...WTF?  Nobody's saying that Nebraska "gave away" their game to ku on Monday.

 

[Snakehead05]

The mu message boards are saying if Brown makes the dunk, mu wins.  That's pathetic.

[ksu_FAN]

Yeah the accurate assessment is that they gave away the game to ISU.  Against us they made a Wooly-esque rally and found a way to lose.  We dominated that game for 35 minutes before they hit some shots and we made some silly mistakes.  I hope we drill them tonight.

[mavrick1821]

The key word on the MU board:  "IF"...what more needs to be said. 

IF-MU (in Columibia)= KSU W
IF-BU= KSU W
IF-ISU(in Ames) = KSU W
IF-NU = KSU W

 

[WildGunman]

The mu message boards are saying if Brown makes the dunk, mu wins. That's pathetic.

Sure sounds like a lot of "Wooly-talk" to me.  Or, in terms that they might understand, "Pinkle-talk".  MU actually won the game, much like the ISU football game.

If this...if that...if, if, if....
If...we don't turn the ball over 24 times...we win big.

I'm sure we missed a chip-shot or two in that game as well, but the difference is...we won anyway.  Suck it!!

[sys]

i think mu is a good matchup for ksu.  nu scared me much more.  ksu should have a pretty easy victory tonight.  i´m feeling strangely confident about ut as well for some reason.

[Dan Rydell]

i think mu is a good matchup for ksu.  nu scared me much more.  ksu should have a pretty easy victory tonight.  i´m feeling strangely confident about ut as well for some reason.

Not me.  Somehow, Mike Anderson has managed to convince his team that a game in which they were pretty much dominated until the end, they "gave away," and now they owe it to KSU to "get it back."  Not only has he convinced his players, he's also convinced the media.  Given Mizzou's style and how they went into ku and played, I think this is a team whose success depends on how well-motivated they are before the game, which translates into whether they play hard and with a "chip-on-their-shoulder."  Anderson seems to have gotten them to have a chip on their shoulder for this game out of nearly completely thin air, so I expect to see a tough game from Mizzou.  In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if they go into halftime up 10 or more.  At that point, it all depends on whether our guys will come out after half and punch back.

[Dan Rydell]

Okay, sorry...but I just wanted to add that the more I think about this, the more admiration I have for Mike Anderson's motivational skills.  Being able to take that game in Columbia and convince his players that they gave it away.  Wow.

[mavrick1821]

I think Mizzu up by 10 at half would require an absolute collapse of our defense.  A departure from the D we have played since the tech game.  I think Baylor has more talent than MU.