As crazy as it seems I think Tiger fans may head into tonight's game higher than Jayhawk fans. Sure, Mizzou is 3-4 in the conference compared to Kansas 6-1 record. Yes, Mizzou's postseason prospects look bleak while the Jayhawks seem positioned for a #1 seed....And of course the Tigers still have three suspended players on their roster who may not be coming back anytime soon....
But they've got a team they can be proud of. The same team that played Nebraska very close with only six scholarship players then got two of those players back and upset a ranked K-State team. They've got the Big 12 Player of the Week in JT Tiller. They're led by Mike Anderson, a coach that it seems the Tiger fans can stand behind. So they've got less talent, lots of heart, a coach the fans and players respect and trust...sound familiar? Sounds like maybe the Tigers are on track to get back the pre Quin era. Sounds like a lot of the Tiger teams that have upset Kansas.
Meanwhile, I'd say the feeling amongst Jayhawk fans in more nervous than anything. The team looked soft against K-State and Self got outcoached by (arguably) the worst game coach in the conference. Then came Saturday in Boulder. Honestly, I'd like to know if the team drove to the game. If not the scenery in western Kansas, I'd like to know what it was that put the team to sleep because they were not ready. Like so many other years in Lawrence, this is supposed to be the year; understandably, Jayhawk fans now get nervous at any sign of a hiccup. Add to that angst the fact that a feisty Mizzou team is coming in for Big Monday? They'd better just hope the players aren't this nervous.
As for the game itself, on paper there's no reason to believe it will be close. This could be a 30 point route and no one would be surprised. That may be the only thing that would change the mood of fans on either side. Kansas should dominate down low...Tiller should have a hard time dealing with the Kansas guards... Missouri may turn it over a ton.... I'm going to have to stick with conventional wisdom and predict the blowout: Kansas 84, Mizzou 61
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I will strongly argue that Frank Martin is not the worst gameday coach in the conference. He has already outcoached Jeff Capel, Mark Turgeon and Bill Self. I don't know how you can argue Gregg McDermott is a better gameday coach than Martin. Mike Anderson, despite the victory the other day, runs a system he doesn't have the players for. Sean Sutton is nothing special as a gameday coach.
It's arguable, as you stated, but I would be more than happy to defend Martin in that argument.
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