Missouri-Oklahoma State: Big 12 Tournament Semifinals, March 13

No. 3 Missouri (26-6, 12-4) vs. No. 7 Oklahoma State (22-10, 9-7)

Friday, March 13 at 9:30 p.m. EST

Spread: Missouri -4.0

Backcourt Advantage: Oklahoma State

The run-and-gun Cowboys are coming in fresh off their upset of second-seeded Oklahoma. Senior guard Byron Eaton (14.4 PPG) leads a high-energy, well-balanced backcourt that also features leading scorer James Anderson (18.8 PPG), Terrel Harris (14.1 PPG), and Obi Muonelo (12.6 PPG).

Eaton led the Cowboys with 16 points and dished out seven assists in their second round upset win over the Sooners. All four guards, along with freshman guard Keiton Page (9.0 PPG), scored in double figures. Sometimes playing with a five-guard lineup, Oklahoma State's backcourt combined for 67 points in its 71-70 win.

No shots were more crucial than the two free throws James Anderson made with 2.3 seconds left. Anderson went to the line following a questionable foul call on Oklahoma All-American Blake Griffin. He calmly sank both to give Oklahoma State the one-point win.

Missouri rolled through Texas Tech in the second round, pulling away in the second half to win 81-60. The Tigers' aggressive high-pressure defense has been really wearing teams down in the second halves of games this season, and this game was no exception. 

The Tigers fell behind by double digits early before coming back to tie it up at halftime. Then Missouri's second half advantage kicked in, and they outscored Texas Tech 50-29 in the second half to advance to the semifinals.

Guards Zaire Taylor (6.0 PPG, 3.5 APG) and J.T. Tiller (7.8 PPG, 3.6 APG) lead the backcourt attack for the Tigers, who are mainly a frontcourt scoring team, but lead the nation in assists per game, averaging 18.8. Taylor had a tremendous game against Texas Tech, scoring eight points while recording seven rebounds and seven assists.

Frontcourt Advantage: Missouri

Missouri senior forwards DeMarre Carroll (17.1 PPG) and Leo Lyons (14.4 PPG) will be licking their chops to step onto the court against Oklahoma State. They are the leading scorers for the Tigers, who are averaging 81.8 points per game this season. That ranks second in the Big 12 to the Cowboys' 82.2 points per game.

As good as Missouri's offense is, its defense has been solid all year as well. The Tigers rank second in the nation with 10.8 steals per game. They will try to overwhelm the Cowboys with their high-intensity, high-pressure defense. With its size, strength, and quickness in the frontcourt, Missouri's pressure could prove to be the difference in the game.

Momentum: Even

If you like scoring, this is a must-watch game. Unlike the thrilling UConn-Syracuse game late Thursday night, these teams won't need six overtimes to score triple digits. The winning team may just be the first team to 100 in this one, as Missouri and Oklahoma State rank fifth and sixth, respectively, in the nation in scoring offense.

Missouri is back on track after losing two of its last three regular season games. They gave up 90 and 96 points in those two losses, but then held Texas Tech to just 60 points on Thursday.

The Tigers are the only team with a first round bye to avoid the upset and win their second round game. Now they are the favorites to win the Big 12 tournament. But first they will have to cool off the Cowboys, who are one of the most dangerous teams in the nation right now.

Oklahoma State has won eight of its last nine games, including two Big 12 tournament victories over Iowa State and tournament favorite Oklahoma.

This is one of those games where the winner will likely be the team that has the ball last. Both of these teams can score at will, but it's the Tigers' defense that should prove to be the difference in this game. Look for Missouri to outlast Oklahoma State to move on to the Big 12 finals.

It's also worth noting that the over/under cannot be set high enough for this game. If the over/under stays at 158, this game may be over that with 10 minutes left to play.

Shaun's Pick: Missouri -4.0

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