Big 12 Tournament 2012: Missouri's Bittersweet End Must Be with a Title

This is it. The Missouri Tigers are playing in their last ever Big 12 tournament, and they must end things with a conference title win over the Baylor Bears.

When July rolls around, the Tigers will be making their official move from the Big 12 into the SEC, which will end the relationship between the school and the conference.

Saturday's championship game gives the school an opportunity to leave a lasting memory on the conference that will be sweet for them but perhaps bitter for everyone else.

Obviously, other teams in the conference wouldn't be all that happy if a team that is leaving will not be able to defend its title and walk out of the conference as Big 12 champions.

For the Tigers, on the other hand, the opportunity exists to make their departure from the Big 12 as noticeable as it could be.

The team hasn't had any trouble handing the conference this season, which includes a record of 14-4. Two of those wins were over the Bears, including a recent February 11 matchup that ended in a Tigers 75-57 victory.

The Tigers will need a huge performance from Marcus Denmon, as their star player was absent during the team's 81-67 victory over the Texas Longhorns in the semifinals.

While the team won convincingly, just imagine how good they could be if Denmon was able to score more than the two points he had on the night.

If the Tigers want to make this lasting impact, they will need Denmon now more than ever.

Perhaps even the most important part of the situation is that Kansas Jayhawks, who lead the conference and are ranked No. 3 in the nation, are absent from the title game as they fell to the Bears in the semis.

Their absence provides an opening for the Tigers to take the Big 12 title, as well as the potential No. 1 seed in a region that the Jayhawks right now look to be in control of.

The Tigers will have to win this game to have a shot at that spot, as they split the regular season with the Jayhawks. A Big 12 title may just be enough to break that tie.

This situation holds a ton of opportunities for the Tigers, and they have to hope that the situation doesn't get the best of them.

Jeff Chase is a Featured Columnist for the Chicago Cubs and Arizona State football team.
Follow @Real_Jeff_Chase