ST. LOUIS | The Big 12s most fun team to watch might also be its best which, if the rest of us are honest, kind of stinks.Missouri, still undefeated and No. 9 in the country, is exactly the kind of basketball team most of us want them all to be.The Tigers are athletic. They play fast. They share the ball, play hard, pat each other on the butt when being subbed for, and maybe above all else, get along in an obvious and endearing way that just doesnt always happen in big-money college sports.MU beat No. 25 Illinois 78-74 here on Thursday a rivalry game that exists even though the teams dont play in the same conference, by the way and at some point the reasons the Tigers cant win the last Big 12 title theyll ever play for go stale.Too small? Well, they were outrebounded by a grand total of three against a much bigger Illini team that started 7-foot-1 future NBA first-round pick Meyers Leonard.Rely too much on shooters? Well, Marcus Denmon is their best player and hit just two of nine shots but got enough help from his friends that it didnt matter.They havent played anybody? This is the one that sticks strength of schedule ranked in the 300s before playing Illinois but theyve also beaten the two ranked opponents theyve faced.Somehow, MU hired a coach hardly anyone took seriously who turned essentially the same team that was excruciating to watch at times while tying for fifth in the conference last year into a basketball symphony and serious title contender.Frank Haiths players believe theyre good enough collectively that they should never have to take a contested shot. It doesnt exactly work that way in reality, but you can see that utopian ideal in spurts.Even if Illinois isnt as good as Kansas or Baylor, Mizzou used a national television platform to continue a compelling seasonlong show thats grabbing the attention of the college basketball world.There goes Phil Pressey, with a through-the-legs pass to Kim English for one layup, and one of the best hesitation moves youll see for a wide-open layup of his own.There goes his brother Matt, with a follow-dunk at the end of the first half thatll be on highlight reels all season.There goes English, taking his power-forward role seriously with eight rebounds and finishing perhaps the biggest play of the game a turnover on one end becoming his layup and free throw on the other that gave MU a three-point lead with less than 90 seconds left.Missouri wins with its guards, of course. Denmon will have more great games than bad ones, and Phil Pressey makes an impact on both ends of the court when hes at his best. Ratliffe is improved from last year, Englishs game is polished, Steve Moore provided a boost in the first half, Dixon plays well in bursts the list goes on.If MUs lack of size holds them back at times, its quickness and NASCAR pace will bury teams at other times.Both happened against Illinois, but the takeaway here was how fearlessly the Tigers played even in a charged atmosphere and a close game symbolized by Phil Presseys behind-the-back pass in traffic to Ratliffe with less than 3 minutes left.This isnt exactly the game Frank Haith wants to define his team. They had defensive failures, a bizarre stretch in the second half where the offense reverted to last years chaos, and afterward you got the sense that nobody involved was exactly satisfied, even beating a rival.MU still must play its first true road game at Old Dominion next week before conference play begins, so none of this is completely meaningful just yet.Weve seen KUs flaws, but the Jayhawks also have a lottery pick and seven consecutive championships. If Baylor can play to its talent level, most everything else is moot.But MU is clearly worth taking seriously, which brings us back to the part of this that stinks for everyone who doesnt root for the Tigers.The possibility of Mizzou winning the last Big 12 title it will ever play for is more than a little uncomfortable.Fair or not, MU is blamed by many for kick-starting the exits of one-third of the Big 12. Remember the angst when Nebraska the first school that decided to leave played in the football championship game last year?The fear for the rest of the conference is that this is the team Missouri fans have been waiting on for years, coming at the absolute worst time for everyone else.Then again, maybe this is setting up for a collapse. Maybe this is the carefree party at the beginning of the horror movie, and the man in the mask is on his way.So far, though, there just hasnt been much reason to think MU will fade. Either way, were all about to see one of the most interesting local basketball seasons in recent memory.

KansasCity.com

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COMMENTARY

With its win over Illinois, Missouri sends a message to Big 12

By SAM MELLINGER

The Kansas City Star

Sam Mellinger

More Sports:

ST. LOUIS | The Big 12’s most fun team to watch might also be its best — which, if the rest of us are honest, kind of stinks.

Missouri, still undefeated and No. 9 in the country, is exactly the kind of basketball team most of us want them all to be.

The Tigers are athletic. They play fast. They share the ball, play hard, pat each other on the butt when being subbed for, and maybe above all else, get along in an obvious and endearing way that just doesn’t always happen in big-money college sports.

MU beat No. 25 Illinois 78-74 here on Thursday — a rivalry game that exists even though the teams don’t play in the same conference, by the way — and at some point the reasons the Tigers can’t win the last Big 12 title they’ll ever play for go stale.

Too small? Well, they were outrebounded by a grand total of three against a much bigger Illini team that started 7-foot-1 future NBA first-round pick Meyers Leonard.

Rely too much on shooters? Well, Marcus Denmon is their best player and hit just two of nine shots but got enough help from his friends that it didn’t matter.

They haven’t played anybody? This is the one that sticks — strength of schedule ranked in the 300s before playing Illinois — but they’ve also beaten the two ranked opponents they’ve faced.

Somehow, MU hired a coach hardly anyone took seriously who turned essentially the same team that was excruciating to watch at times while tying for fifth in the conference last year into a basketball symphony and serious title contender.

Frank Haith’s players believe they’re good enough collectively that they should never have to take a contested shot. It doesn’t exactly work that way in reality, but you can see that utopian ideal in spurts.

Even if Illinois isn’t as good as Kansas or Baylor, Mizzou used a national television platform to continue a compelling seasonlong show that’s grabbing the attention of the college basketball world.

There goes Phil Pressey, with a through-the-legs pass to Kim English for one layup, and one of the best hesitation moves you’ll see for a wide-open layup of his own.

There goes his brother Matt, with a follow-dunk at the end of the first half that’ll be on highlight reels all season.

There goes English, taking his power-forward role seriously with eight rebounds and finishing perhaps the biggest play of the game — a turnover on one end becoming his layup and free throw on the other that gave MU a three-point lead with less than 90 seconds left.

Missouri wins with its guards, of course. Denmon will have more great games than bad ones, and Phil Pressey makes an impact on both ends of the court when he’s at his best. Ratliffe is improved from last year, English’s game is polished, Steve Moore provided a boost in the first half, Dixon plays well in bursts — the list goes on.

If MU’s lack of size holds them back at times, its quickness and NASCAR pace will bury teams at other times.

Both happened against Illinois, but the takeaway here was how fearlessly the Tigers played even in a charged atmosphere and a close game — symbolized by Phil Pressey’s behind-the-back pass in traffic to Ratliffe with less than 3 minutes left.

This isn’t exactly the game Frank Haith wants to define his team. They had defensive failures, a bizarre stretch in the second half where the offense reverted to last year’s chaos, and afterward you got the sense that nobody involved was exactly satisfied, even beating a rival.

MU still must play its first true road game at Old Dominion next week before conference play begins, so none of this is completely meaningful just yet.

We’ve seen KU’s flaws, but the Jayhawks also have a lottery pick and seven consecutive championships. If Baylor can play to its talent level, most everything else is moot.

But MU is clearly worth taking seriously, which brings us back to the part of this that stinks for everyone who doesn’t root for the Tigers.

The possibility of Mizzou winning the last Big 12 title it will ever play for is more than a little uncomfortable.

Fair or not, MU is blamed by many for kick-starting the exits of one-third of the Big 12. Remember the angst when Nebraska — the first school that decided to leave — played in the football championship game last year?

The fear for the rest of the conference is that this is the team Missouri fans have been waiting on for years, coming at the absolute worst time for everyone else.

Then again, maybe this is setting up for a collapse. Maybe this is the carefree party at the beginning of the horror movie, and the man in the mask is on his way.

So far, though, there just hasn’t been much reason to think MU will fade.

Either way, we’re all about to see one of the most interesting local basketball seasons in recent memory.

To reach Sam Mellinger, call 816-234-4365, send email to smellinger@kcstar.com or follow twitter.com/mellinger. For previous columns, go to KansasCity.com.