COACH: Mike Anderson, fifth year at Missouri, third year in NCAA tournament.
HOW THEY GOT IN: At-large bid.
GO-TO GUYS: The system the Tigers employ under Anderson, who played and coached under Nolan Richardson, is designed to incorporate everyone into the offense. But guard Marcus Denmon emerged as the Tigers' most consistent player. A valuable sixth man the past two seasons, Denmon raised the level of his game and leads the Tigers with a 17.1-point average. Most impressive is his .506 shooting percentage which ranks as the best among Big 12 perimeter players. He can pull the trigger behind the arc and finish fast breaks, which is the Tigers bread and butter.
X FACTOR: After he was billed as the top transfer in the Big 12, forward Ricardo Ratliffe eventually was named the league's top newcomer — but that was somewhat by default since few other candidates existed. Ratliffe is something of a throwback player. He uses a variety of different moves to knock down tough shots along the baseline. His numbers sagged at the end of the season but he's needed for inside help to go with forward Laurence Bowers, who played well down the stretch.
STRENGTHS: When Missouri is active, it bothers teams with relentless defense and pressures every pass and dribble from endline to endline. Anderson substitutes liberally, keeping fresh players in the game to hound ball handlers. The Tigers will press and they will trap, hoping to cause steals (a league-best 9.8 on average) they can convert into points. In addition, the Missouri guards protect the ball well. Its 5.5 turnover margin was easily the best in the Big 12. The pressure the Tigers exert could be troublesome for an opponent not accustomed to a full-court assault.
WEAKNESSES: Often it seems as if little structure is built into the Missouri offense. If the Tigers fail to score in transition they're prone to taking bad attempts early in the shot clock. In addition, they sometimes fail to milk clock when holding leads. They enjoyed a pronounced edge at home, where the crowd fuels their intensity, yet struggled mightily on the road. Slender frontliners find it difficult to keep opponents from pounding the offensive glass. Missouri enters the tournament with losses in four of its last five games.
