For fairly obvious reasons, this isn't going to be your typical Kicking the Tires game preview. After last weekend's bar incident in Columbia that resulted in Stefhon Hannah's broken jaw, Mizzou coach Mike Anderson suspended five players for the Wednesday Nebraska game. Naturally, Mizzou lost at home, 66-62.
Today, we hear that Jason Horton, Hannah's backup at point guard, has been arrested. Also, it sounds like the other four players who were suspended for the Nebraska game will remain suspended, although Anderson's quotes on the situation were a bit waffling. Given that they are down to six scholarship players without those five, I wouldn't put it past him to bring one or two of them back if he somehow believes they were "less involved."
Anyway, here is your vital information on Mizzou, although they are obviously not the same team they were before last Saturday's incident.
Record: 12-9 (2-4)
RPI (Pomeroy): 96
Offensive Efficiency: 113.4 (36th)
Defensive Efficiency: 91.2 (41st)
I won't even attempt to analyze Mizzou without the five players they have sitting out. All we can say at this point is that, if our players show up at all, we should win this game easily. The key is staying focused and taking care of business. Given our own issues, with Andre Gilbert's suspension and Dalonte Hill's arrest, that will be more difficult than usual. For more on Mizzou, check in with Rock'M Nation.
Let's take a look at the rest of the Big 12, there are some good games this weekend.
Baylor @ Texas: 12:30 p.m., ESPN+
It's a shame this one runs parallel to K-State tomorrow, because I'd really like to keep tabs on it. Let's hope our game is as lopsided as it should be, so I can look in on the happenings at the Drum in Austin. We have a Baylor team coming off a week's rest, while Texas comes in still trying to decide if it is the team that beat UCLA or the one that lost to Mizzou and got blown out by Texas A&M. In Austin, I'll give UT the edge...but only baaaaaarely.
'Horns 87, Bears 85
Oklahoma State @ Texas Tech: 1:00 p.m., ESPN
I bet the good folks at the Worldwide Leader are kicking themselves for choosing this game for national TV. Texas Tech is inconsistent at best while Okie State is really struggling. We'll go with the home team to continue the Cowboys' misery.
Raiders 72, Pokes 65
KU @ Colorado: 1:30 p.m., ABC
We'll see how the 'beaks bounce back from Wednesday's loss in Manhattan. They won't be playing in a particularly hostile environment (my guess is half the crowd will be KU fans) and CU is not very good at basketball this year.
'beaks 81, Buffs 58
Iowa State @ Nebraska: 3:00 p.m., ESPN+
Not much to see here. Two teams who will finish in the bottom half of the conference. Nebraska did manage to sneak by a very shorthanded Mizzou team on Wednesday, while ISU played a brutally ugly game against Colorado and came out with a win.
Huskers 64, Clones 57
Oklahoma @ Texas A&M: 3:00 p.m., ESPN+
Along with BU/UT, the best game of the day. The Aggies have gotten a little bit of swagger back by dropping Texas on Wednesday, while OU has Blake Griffin back and has defeated Baylor and Oklahoma State in the last week. This will be a real test for both teams to step up and assert a claim to an NCAA tournament bid out of this conference.
Aggies 70, Sooners 68
Have a great day tomorrow with all these games. The open thread will go up in the morning.
Go Cats!