Missouri Showing Off That They Know How to Win

The Missouri Tigers' starting lineup features four guards and one forward. Before the season began, they lost one of their best players, Laurence Bowers, to an ACL tear. Needless to say, the experts and media have critiqued this Missouri squad all season. They will say how they aren't big enough, or that they won't be able to defend the post or rebound well enough. The Tigers have focused on letting their play do the talking for them.

#4 Missouri convincingly beat #6 Baylor 72-57 tonight. It is the second time they have beaten the Bears this season. They also beat conference rival Kansas. They are currently 5-1 against the Top 25. The Tigers' overall record now stands at 23-2. They are 10-2 in Big 12 play. Their only losses came to Kansas State and Oklahoma State. Those nights they simply didn't shoot the ball as well as they usually do and didn't step up on defense enough to compensate. The bottomline though is this team has been consistently good most of this season.

The state of Missouri is nicknamed the Show Me State. The Missouri Tigers have been showing off their winning talent all season. Experts might still criticize them for what they are not, but the Tigers will be content doing what they are. Yes, they are not big, but that also creates matchup problems for the teams they play. The Tigers shoot the ball extremely well, are quick, play great team defense, and rebound the ball well. This creates many matchup problems for opposing squads. Missouri might not fit the traditional college basketball mold, but that does not mean they don't know how to win. These Tigers have without a doubt shown that to us.

2012 NBA All-Star Snubs and Surprises

The NBA All-Star rosters have been announced. As always, there are players people think are snubs and surprise selections. I will break down a few of each of mine.

Eastern Conference Snubs

Josh Smith - Smith has especially stepped up for the Hawks following the injury to Al Horford. He can be an inconsistent player at times, but he is still one of the best big men in the Eastern Conference. He is averaging over 15 points per game (ppg) and nearly 9 rebounds. He has also played very well defensively.

Greg Monroe - Despite playing for a bad team, Monroe has quietly put together a very solid season in his second year in the league. This season he has averaged 16.4 ppg and 10.0 rpg. He has had 16 double-doubles so far this season, including four in his past four games. It easy for Monroe to get overlooked in Motown, but he is developing into one of the best young big men in the league.

Western Conference Snubs

Paul Millsap - The Utah Jazz are quietly putting together a solid season. One of the main reasons why has been the play of Millsap. The Jazz believed in Millsap when the let Carlos Boozer go. While those were big shoes for Millsap to step into, he has developed nicely with the opportunity he has been given. On the season, he is averaging 16.5 ppg and 9.7 rpg.

Kyle Lowry - Lowry is another one of these young players who were given a spot to start. Lowry has thrived in Houston. The thing I like most about him is how balanced of a point guard he is. This season he has averaged 14.7 ppg, 7.6 apg, and 5.7 rpg. He is clearly a complete package. From a developmental prospective, that is a great thing. I understand the West is loaded with great point guards, but young guys like Lowry deserve to be selected.

Eastern Conference Surprises

Luol Deng - Don't get me wrong. It is nice to see Deng get the recognition he deserves. However, I am not sold on him being a selection. He is a good all around player, but he is averaging only 16.0 ppg and 7.3 rpg. Deng has also missed playing in about a quarter of the Bulls' games this season. This is particularly significant in a shortened season such as this.

Roy Hibbert - I understand the selection from the standpoint of rewarding the Pacers for their great early season success. Just like Deng, Hibbert has played well enough to be an All-Star. I am just not convinced he is the best player at his position. There are players I would have chosen ahead of him, including the aforementioned Josh Smith and Greg Monroe.

Western Conference Surprises

Dirk Nowitzki - Nowitzki came out and told the media clearly that he didn't believe he deserved to be an All-Star. No one seemed to listen though as he was selected, despite his numbers being down so much. He is averaging over five ppg and two rpg less then before. Dirk will make the most of his opportunity. Whether or not he thinks he deserves, he will play in the game. Perhaps it will be the spark he needs to get his game back to where it normally is.

Marc Gasol - This selection of Marc Gasol was a surprising one as well. His numbers are good enough, but he might not be the best big man available to be selected. I would also make the argument that he wasn't the most deserving Grizzly player. Rudy Gay has been more of the difference maker than Gasol following the injury to Zach Randolph.

Could Murray State's First Loss be a Blessing in Disguise?

If someone could predict the future, no one would have believed how much hype Murray State would get this season. The Racers made it to #7 in the national polls, were the last unbeaten team at 23-0, and the talk of every major college basketball discussion. Tonight, Tennessee State handed Murray State their first loss of the season. Isaiah Canaan scored 31 points for the Racers, but it simply wasn't enough.

The media coverage of Murray State will get significantly less now. It will be interesting to see how far they drop in the Top 25 polls. However, I am of the belief that this might actually help the Racers in a big way. They are going to learn things they can improve on from watching this tape. There always things to improve on following wins, but it takes on new significance when you lost the game. The loss also takes the pressure of the games prior to their big BracketBuster matchup with St. Mary's. The game with the Gaels is a big one. Now that their perfect record won't be on the line, they can focus on simply playing better basketball.

I think that Murray State is capable of making a run in the NCAA tournament. In fact, I will go as far as to say I am more convinced now that they have lost. It is important to feel that sinking feeling of defeat. It can be very motivating. I am not saying they didn't have motivation before. What I am saying is that they have a new sense of urgency in their motivation now. The Racers might not have wanted their perfect race to end, but it might actually help them down the road come March. We will just have to wait and see.