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(21) Kansas State (13-5) at (15) Missouri (15-3)
Missouri was one of the Big 12’s hottest teams heading into league play, but it has struggled early.
Kansas State might be an even bigger disappointment after its own promising start.
The 15th-ranked Tigers look to win their fourth straight home game against the 21st-ranked Wildcats on Monday night at Mizzou Arena.
Missouri (15-3, 1-2) is looking to bounce back after it dropped a heartbreaking 91-89 overtime loss to No. 14 Texas A&M on Saturday. Down by one with 34 seconds left in overtime, the Tigers turned the ball over and were forced to foul.
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Phil Pressey missed a potential game-winner at the end of regulation - a shot he felt he was fouled on. Texas A&M attempted 19 more free throws than Missouri and the Tigers were outscored 29-9 at the line.
“Foul, big-time foul,” Pressey said when asked about the play. “I think the 11,000 in this audience witnessed it, but the ones that should have seen it didn’t see it.”
Pressey finished a career-high 16 points while Ricardo Ratliffe and Marcus Denmon each led the team with 19.
Missouri averaged 86.4 points and shot 48.3 percent in non-conference play. However, the Tigers struggled in their first two league games, averaging 76.5 points on 41.4 percent shooting. While they shot better against the Aggies, connecting on 52.2 percent of their shots, they couldn’t protect an early lead.
“We had the opportunity to finish it and we didn’t,” coach Mike Anderson said. “We had a lot of mental errors.”
As inconsistent as Missouri has been, Kansas State has struggled even worse to open league play after beginning the season ranked third in the AP poll.
The Wildcats (13-5, 1-2) picked up their first Big 12 victory with a 94-60 win over Texas Tech on Saturday. Jamar Samuels scored a game-high 22 points, Jacob Pullen added 21 and Curtis Kelly finished with 12 points in his first game after serving a six-game suspension for violating NCAA rules by taking improper benefits at a Manhattan department store.
“It gave us our team back,” coach Frank Martin said of Kelly’s return. “But today, it was not just him. It was a group of guys committed to winning and doing things a certain way; the way we are used to doing things around here.”
The 94 points were the second-most scored this season behind a 100-point effort against Northern Florida on Dec. 31. The Wildcats averaged 64.0 points and shot 37.9 percent in their first two conference games, but they shot 53.1 percent Saturday and went 13 of 22 beyond the arc.
Kansas State took a 26-point lead into halftime, and no player logged more than 32 minutes.
The extra rest could be critical Monday. The Wildcats’ bench is shorter after losing junior center Freddy Asprilla, who left the team to pursue what Martin called “professional playing opportunities in his home country” of Columbia. Asprilla started 13 games and averaged 4.9 points and 4.9 rebounds.
The Wildcats, who lost their first conference road game, have dropped three in a row at Missouri. Monday begins a difficult stretch for the team, which visits Texas A&M on Saturday and plays at No. 3 Kansas on Jan. 29.
“We cannot worry about Monday, next Saturday or yesterday,” Martin said. “You have to do your job today.”
Missouri was one of the Big 12’s hottest teams heading into league play, but it has struggled early.
Kansas State might be an even bigger disappointment after its own promising start.
The 15th-ranked Tigers look to win their fourth straight home game against the 21st-ranked Wildcats on Monday night at Mizzou Arena.
Missouri (15-3, 1-2) is looking to bounce back after it dropped a heartbreaking 91-89 overtime loss to No. 14 Texas A&M on Saturday. Down by one with 34 seconds left in overtime, the Tigers turned the ball over and were forced to foul.
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Phil Pressey missed a potential game-winner at the end of regulation - a shot he felt he was fouled on. Texas A&M attempted 19 more free throws than Missouri and the Tigers were outscored 29-9 at the line.
“Foul, big-time foul,” Pressey said when asked about the play. “I think the 11,000 in this audience witnessed it, but the ones that should have seen it didn’t see it.”
Pressey finished a career-high 16 points while Ricardo Ratliffe and Marcus Denmon each led the team with 19.
Missouri averaged 86.4 points and shot 48.3 percent in non-conference play. However, the Tigers struggled in their first two league games, averaging 76.5 points on 41.4 percent shooting. While they shot better against the Aggies, connecting on 52.2 percent of their shots, they couldn’t protect an early lead.
“We had the opportunity to finish it and we didn’t,” coach Mike Anderson said. “We had a lot of mental errors.”
As inconsistent as Missouri has been, Kansas State has struggled even worse to open league play after beginning the season ranked third in the AP poll.
The Wildcats (13-5, 1-2) picked up their first Big 12 victory with a 94-60 win over Texas Tech on Saturday. Jamar Samuels scored a game-high 22 points, Jacob Pullen added 21 and Curtis Kelly finished with 12 points in his first game after serving a six-game suspension for violating NCAA rules by taking improper benefits at a Manhattan department store.
“It gave us our team back,” coach Frank Martin said of Kelly’s return. “But today, it was not just him. It was a group of guys committed to winning and doing things a certain way; the way we are used to doing things around here.”
The 94 points were the second-most scored this season behind a 100-point effort against Northern Florida on Dec. 31. The Wildcats averaged 64.0 points and shot 37.9 percent in their first two conference games, but they shot 53.1 percent Saturday and went 13 of 22 beyond the arc.
Kansas State took a 26-point lead into halftime, and no player logged more than 32 minutes.
The extra rest could be critical Monday. The Wildcats’ bench is shorter after losing junior center Freddy Asprilla, who left the team to pursue what Martin called “professional playing opportunities in his home country” of Columbia. Asprilla started 13 games and averaged 4.9 points and 4.9 rebounds.
The Wildcats, who lost their first conference road game, have dropped three in a row at Missouri. Monday begins a difficult stretch for the team, which visits Texas A&M on Saturday and plays at No. 3 Kansas on Jan. 29.
“We cannot worry about Monday, next Saturday or yesterday,” Martin said. “You have to do your job today.”
