All those questions about Missouri and whether the Tigers can overcome a shortage of height have been answered sufficiently by now.
A 72-57 victory against lengthy Baylor on Feb. 11 proved Missouri could overcome a 40-27 disadvantage on the glass, yet win with firepower.
The matchups the Tigers present with gifted offensive players are just too much to handle for most teams. Baylor, which dared Missouri to shoot over a zone defense, proved susceptible to a 14-4 difference in 3-pointers. That offset any other problems.
The rub, as far as conventional wisdom goes, is that the Tigers seem to live and die off jumpers. This is partially true if opponents manage to take care of the basketball. When they don't, however, the pesky Missouri backcourt is quick to pounce on mistakes and convert them into fast-break points. And at 23-2 overall and 10-2 in the Big 12 through Feb. 12, where it was tied with Kansas for first place, Missouri has enough confidence to believe wholeheartedly in the system installed just this season by first-year coach Frank Haith.
"I thought we did a great job (against Baylor) with our perimeter guys guarding the ball," Haith said of his defense's influence. "That really got us going in the second half when we were able to share the ball, get the ball moving a lot quicker, and I felt like we got in some really good looks and obviously we made some shots."
Baylor coach Scott Drew was so impressed he called Missouri the best offensive team in America. It is a label that many have floated, simply because the Tigers' array of backcourt contributors can all catch fire, including sixth man Mike Dixon.
Yet Haith is aware the Missouri defense cannot break down, especially on the boards, where the smaller Tigers are susceptible to stick-backs. Against Baylor, the Tigers survived first-half breakdowns on the glass with good shooting, which can be fool's gold.
"We've got to find ways to win games," Haith said, in spite of Missouri's impressive record. "For us, rebounding is a spot we stress and we're trying to get better at, but we've got strength in other areas, and we've got to take advantage of those areas we're strong at."
