Missouri Vs. Illinois

[ozark trout fisher]

Should be a good one. Illinois isn't having a great season so far, but they are still not going to be an easy out. I haven't watched the Illini play this year except for a few minutes against a mediocre Auburn team, so I don't really know what we are getting into here.

I can't remember a Braggin' Rights game with less hype for it. I think Missouri is pretty good and they did sneak into the top 25, but they haven't gotten on the national radar yet. And Illinois certainly hasn't either. It's very different from last year when both were in the top 15, but that doesn't mean the game has to be any worse.

I'll go with a Mizzou win, 84-75, but who knows.

[Jerry Rapp]

Missouri should win, but in this game the favorite usually loses. So, Illinois by 13, 90 to 77

[Al Agnew]

Depends upon if Mizzou decides to play defense. They were good defensively against UCLA, so I know they can do it. But they've been bad against some off the cupcakes.

[ozark trout fisher]

Depends upon if Mizzou decides to play defense. They were good defensively against UCLA, so I know they can do it. But they've been bad against some off the cupcakes.

Yes, they play to their competition too much, especially defensively. You'd think they'd be ready to go against Illinois, but we'll find out.

[moguy1973]

I almost can't stand watching college ball this year. All they have to do is drive the lane and instant foul. It's almost boring to watch. It's become a free throw contest anymore.

Anyways. Mizzou had so many chances to pull away in that game it wasn't funny. Allowing Illinois to hang around was their demise.

[ozark trout fisher]

Mizzou played pretty well, defensively. They just turned the ball over too much and didn't hit free throws. The freshmen didn't look ready for a game of this magnitude, which wasn't exactly surprising. Jordan Clarkson is one heck of a player. We may have lost by 30 without him.

Of course Mizzou was going to lose a game eventually, and this isn't exactly a bad loss.

But there is now so much pressure to win next week in Raleigh. Last year we survived a horrible road record because of great non-conference wins. This year, we have two decent wins over UCLA and WVU, but none of the caliber of VCU or Illinois last season. So, we are going to need to play around .500 ball away from home or we will be in trouble. That has to start next week at a NC State team that is also likely to be on the tournament bubble. If we can win that game and then take down Long Beach State, we'll enter SEC play in very good shape. A 10-8 conference record would probably get us into the tournament.

With a loss to NC State, we'll be in decent shape to play our way into the tournament. But we'll have to play our way in and not out in conference play, which I have some doubts on our ability to do.

[joeD]

OK Mr Sour Grapes here:

REFEREES SHOULD NOT DETERMINE THE OUTCOME OF A GAME

You just cannot call a ticky tack foul against ANY team with less than 5 seconds to go. Unless a player is tackling his opponent, you have to let it go. Let the play on the court, or field, determine the outcome. I'm tired of refs wanting to be seen, and be a "factor" in major sports.

[Al Agnew]

I really didn't have a problem with the foul call. His arm was slapped pretty hard, up around the elbow, and that caused him to lose the ball on the way up. However, just before that when the Illinois player chased down the ball into the corner and stumbled around before getting it out, leading to the drive where the foul occurred, he traveled about three steps. Should have been Mizzou's ball right there.

But, it was a game that Mizzou should have won without being down to the wire. You gotta hit your free throws. Drives me nuts when players miss too many free throws. Get in the danged gym and spend an hour shooting free throws. The way I always practiced free throws was, I couldn't stop until I hit 15 in a row, even if I was tired and wanting to stop. The pressure of making that 15th free throw kinda mimicked shooting one in a close game.

Also drives me nuts to see bad form on free throws. Ross and Brown both shoot them with their elbows ticking out to the side, as does (really badly) Jordair Jett of the Billikens. Geez, did no coach ever correct their form?

[ozark trout fisher]

Somehow Missouri is still ranked. #25 in both polls.

I think the foul had to be called. There was contact there and the rules don't change in the clutch. Mizzou did decide the outcome, by fouling. As Al mentioned, two more made free throws and none of this matters.

[moguy1973]

It's just not that foul at the end that pisses me off. It's every dang time someone drives to the net the flow of the game is stopped because 95% of the time a foul is called. Really makes for a slow boring game watching free throws and three pointers the whole game.