Missouri wins Big 12 Championship 2009 (Photo: Big12Sports) |
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| University of Missouri 2008-09 |
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March Madness doesn't infect the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball
Championship. Cinderella doesn't live here. Big 12 postseason play always make
sure the carriage turns into a pumpkin at midnight.
Ninth-seeded Baylor became the fourth team to win three games in the Big 12
Championship but fall short in the title game. No. 3 seed Missouri made sure the
Green Machine's dream died a victory short.
The relentless Tigers won their first Big 12 Championship - in basketball and in
any men's sport - with a business-like 73-60 victory over Baylor Saturday in the
Ford Center.
'Our defense was the most consistent thing for us in the second half,' Missouri
coach Mike
Anderson said. 'And in the second half we really came out and put the pedal
to the metal.'
Missouri in 1997 and 2003 and Oklahoma State in 1999 all attempted the four wins
in four days challenge. Baylor tried but became an almost-but-not-quite story.
And around the country, a number of NCAA Tournament bubble teams could breathe
again. Had the Bears won and captured the Big 12's automatic bid, there would
have been one less place to sit in the game of musical chairs. San Diego State,
Maryland, Creighton, Saint Mary's, Penn State, Arizona and Auburn - enjoy the
oxygen.
'Coach Anderson has been nothing but honest with us,' said senior
Matt
Lawrence (6'7''-G), who had 13 points. 'He said he was gonna bring a
championship to this school. Nobody believed him other than the 14 guys in our
locker room.'
Tired teams have no luck. For Baylor, it started with who it played. Asked if
playing Missouri was the worst match up for a team playing its fourth game in
four days, Drew had an easy answer: 'Yes.'
Missouri's pressure defense - whether full court or half court - plus its deep
bench tends to wear teams down.
'Anytime you play a team like Missouri that basically presses the entire game,
it kind of wears guys down,' said Baylor's
Kevin
Rogers (6'9''-F-86), who was limited to eight points on six shots. 'That's
the style they play and it's very successful for them.'
The Tigers started the second half with an 11-4 burst that produced their first
double-digit lead (46-35).
Baylor countered to keep the game within reach. But at the midway point of the
second 20 minutes, the Bears played like a tired team. Four 3-pointers just
kicked off the front side of the rim and became rebounds. Another quarter of an
inch and those were swishes.
'We were taking and making those shots all tournament,' said senior guard
Curtis
Jerrells (6'1''-G-87), who missed one of the threes and also came up short
on a driving layup. 'Missouri makes you play faster than you want. Maybe we
rushed some shots. Maybe it was fatigue. I don't know.'
Baylor's four guards Jerrells,
Tweety Carter (5'10''-G-86),
Henry
Dugat (6'0''-G-87) and
Lacedarius Dunn (6'4''-G-87) - combined to make 15 of 46 shots. The foursome
was 4-of-23 on 3-pointers.
Missouri, which was 6-of-31 on 3-pointers against Oklahoma State's zone in
Friday's semifinal victory, had little trouble solving Baylor's zone. The Tigers
made 8-of-17 from behind the arc. Coupled with Baylor's ineffectiveness against
Mizzou's defense.
There was no drama preceding the celebration. Missouri dribbled out the clock
and then the confetti blizzard started.
After accepting the championship trophy, Anderson took the microphone. His
'M-I-Z' was answered by 'Z-O-U.' Then he told the crowd, 'We're not done yet.'
Dribbles
* The All-Tournament team - Missouri's
DeMarre Carroll (6'8''-F-86) (most outstanding player), Missouri's
Zaire
Taylor (6'4''-G-86), Baylor's
Kevin
Rogers, Texas'
Dexter Pittman (6'10''-C) and Texas Tech's
Mike
Singletary (6'6''-F-88).
* The four Big 12 teams that attempted to win four games in four days lost the
Championship game by an average score of 65-51. The four teams shot 31.6 percent
from the field and 21.5 percent on 3-pointers.
* There was a nice touch to the introduction of the starting lineups for both
teams. Instead of just the five players, the public address announcer introduced
student managers, team trainers and reserves.
* The Baylor women's team, which defeated Iowa State in the Phillips 66 Big 12
Women's Championship semifinal earlier Saturday, got to the men's game about
mid-way through the first half. On a block-charge call that went against Baylor
in the second half, Lady Bears coach Kim Mulkey was on her feet yelling in
protest.
* Former Arkansas players Oliver Miller and Todd Day who played for the
Razorbacks when
Mike
Anderson was an assistant coach there were in attendance Saturday.
Courtesy of Big12Sports
Tournament Final: Missouri - Baylor 73-60
Tournament Semifinals:
Missouri - Oklahoma State 67-59
Texas - Baylor 70-76
Big 12 All-Tournament MVP:
DeMarre Carroll of Missouri
Big 12 All-Tournament Team
DeMarre Carroll of Missouri
Zaire
Taylor of Missouri
Kevin
Rogers of Baylor
Dexter Pittman of Texas
Mike
Singletary of Texas
| All-Big 12 1st Team 2008-09 |
Griffin |
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Carroll |
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Collins |
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Aldrich |
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Brackins |
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All-Big 12 1st Team
Craig
Brackins (6'10''-F-87) of Iowa State
Cole
Aldrich (6'11''-C-88) of Kansas
Sherron Collins (5'11''-G-87) of Kansas
DeMarre Carroll of Missouri
Blake
Griffin (6'10''-F-89) of Oklahoma
All-Big 12 2nd Team
Denis
Clemente (6'0''-G-86) of Kansas State
Willie Warren (6'4''-G-89) of Oklahoma
James
Anderson (6'6''-G-89) of Oklahoma State
A.J.
Abrams (5'11''-G-86) of Texas
Damion James (6'7''-G/F-87) of Texas
All-Big 12 3rd Team
Curtis
Jerrells of Baylor
Cory
Higgins (6'5''-G-89) of Colorado
Leo
Lyons (6'9''-F) of Missouri
Ade
Dagunduro (6'5''-G-86) of Nebraska
Byron
Eaton (5'11''-G-86) of Oklahoma State
Josh
Carter (6'7''-G/F-88) of Texas A&M
All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
Lacedarius Dunn of Baylor
Kevin
Rogers of Baylor
Jacob
Pullen (6'1''-G-89) of Kansas State
J.T.
Tiller (6'3''-G) of Missouri
Austin Johnson (6'3''-G-87) of Oklahoma
Terrel
Harris (6'5''-G-87) of Oklahoma State
John
Roberson (5'11''-G-88) of Texas Tech
Alan
Voskuil (6'3''-G-86) of Texas Tech
Big 12 All-Rookie Team
Marcus Morris (6'8''-F) of Kansas
Tyshawn Taylor (6'3''-G-90) of Kansas
Denis
Clemente of Kansas State
Zaire
Taylor of Missouri
Willie Warren of Oklahoma
Big 12 All-Defensive Team
Cole
Aldrich of Kansas
J.T.
Tiller of Missouri
Ade
Dagunduro of Nebraska
Terrel
Harris of Oklahoma State
Justin Mason (6'2''-G-88) of Texas
Derrick Roland (6'4''-G-88) of Texas A&M
Big 12 All-Academic 1st Team
Josh
Lomers (7'0''-C-87) of Baylor
Levi
Knutson (6'4''-G-88) of Colorado
Sean
Haluska (6'3''-G-87) of Iowa State
Matt
Kleinmann (6'10''-C) of Kansas
Tyrel
Reed (6'3''-G-89) of Kansas
Buchi
Awaji (6'4''-G) of Kansas State
Chris
Merriewether (6'4''-G) of Kansas State
DeMarre Carroll of Missouri
Nick
Krenk (6'0''-G) of Nebraska
Paul
Velander (6'2''-G-85) of Nebraska
James
Anderson of Oklahoma State
Connor
Atchley (6'10''-F/C-85) of Texas
Dogus
Balbay (6'0''-G-89) of Texas
Damion James of Texas
Gary
Johnson (6'6''-F-88) of Texas
Chinemelu Elonu (6'10''-F/C) of Texas A&M
Esmir
Rizvic (7'0''-C-82) of Texas Tech
Big 12 Player of the Year:
Blake
Griffin of Oklahoma
Big 12 Defensive Co-Player of the Year:
Cole
Aldrich of Kansas and
J.T.
Tiller of Missouri
Big 12 Rookie Newcomer of the Year:
Denis
Clemente of Kansas State
Big 12 Freshman of the Year:
Willie Warren of Oklahoma
Big 12 Co-Sixth Man of the Year:
Lacedarius Dunn of Baylor and
Matt
Lawrence of Missouri
Big 12 Coach of the Year:
Bill Self
of Kansas
Anderson
