The Missouri Tigers and the Kansas Jayhawks will play today in a critical conference game for both squads. This matchup does not need any added importance for the schools involved nor the residents of the two states, but it is getting it nonetheless. The winner of this afternoon's battle will likely be the 2008-2009 Big 12 Basketball Champion.
Tip off is scehduled for 2:00pm ET at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas and the contest will be televised live on CBS. Be sure to check out SBGglobal.com to get the latest college basketball betting odds, including Missouri vs Kansas College Basketball Picks.
The Missouri Tigers come into today's game absolutely red hot. They have won seven contests in a row, beating Baylor, Texas, Iowa State, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, and Kansas State by an average of 13.28 points per game. As a result of their dominance, they are in third place in the Big 12 standings with an 11-2 conference record and a 24-4 overall mark.
Mike Anderson's team last played on Wednesday night when they avenged their January 28th loss against Kansas State in Manhattan by pounding the Wildcats 94-74 at Mizzou Arena. The Tigers relentless defense collected 13 steals and forced 21 K-State turnovers. Offensively they had five players in double figures; senior forward DeMarre Carroll, who had 21 points and 14 rebounds, led the way.
Missouri, who is ranked 11th in the AP Poll and 13th in the RPI, is 5-3 in true road games this year. The Tigers rank first in the nation in assists per game , second in the nation in steals per game, and fifth in the nation in points per game (82.6).
Earlier this month Kansas snapped an eight game win streak when they lost 60-62 at Mizzou Arena. They have won four straight since that defeat, overcoming conference foes Kansas State, Iowa State, Nebraska, and Oklahoma by an average of 13 per outing. The Jayhawks are now in first place in the Big 12 with a 12-1 conference record. The margin for error, though, is slim as the Tigers and Sooners — who both have better overall records than Kansas — are just a game back of them in the standings.
The Jayhawks got a huge win on Monday night against the Blake Griffin-less Oklahoma Sooners in Norman, Oklahoma. Kansas hit 47.4 percent from beyond the arc as a team and junior point guard Sherron Collins hit 5-of-8 three point attempts in route to 26 points. Center Cole Aldrich was also instrumental in the victory, scoring 15 points and grabbing 20 rebounds.
Bill Self's 15th ranked squad is 16-0 at Allen Fieldhouse, only two teams have finished within 10 points of them there this season.
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