NCAA Basketball Rankings: Missouri Climbs To No. 3, Kansas To No. 5

The Missouri Tigers and the Kansas Jayhawks are two of the top five teams in the country after big wins over the Baylor Bears last week.

Missouri's Manhandling Of Baylor Is Telling For Both Big 12 Basketball Teams

Yesterday's trouncing by the Missouri Tigers over the Baylor Bears didn't just provide Frank Haith's team with an impact win (and Baylor with a frustrating loss). Instead, it accentuated the directions of both teams, and might play a bit of a fortunetelling role for the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

The Tigers started out strong, but have always had their doubters. Their schedule was called into question early on. Their lack of size was picked upon. Haith's own record was cause for doubt. Yet the Tigers just continued to win, allowing their play to silence their doubters. Now they've ended up impressing everyone with a close home win over the Kansas Jayhawks and their manhandling of the Bears yesterday.

As for Baylor, it's been the opposite. Everyone sung their praises before they'd even done much of anything on the court. Their players were hailed as future NBA stars and the team itself was instantly placed among National Championship contenders. Yet as the Big 12 season has played on, it's clear that Baylor just isn't as good as everyone thought.

Dana O'Neil of ESPN writes, "The Bears are, barring a miracle, all but eliminated from the Big 12 race. And instead of picking up steam, they are picking up doubters. That’s just the opposite of Missouri. With every passing game, the Tigers are silencing the critics, showing that while they might be unorthodox, they are no less effective. Makes sense. This is the Show Me State, after all."

For more information on Missouri, check out Rock M Nation. Get Baylor news and update from Our Daily Bears, and for a look at everything in the world of college hoops, head over to SB Nation's college basketball page.

Baylor Vs. Missouri Final Score: Tigers Defense Stifles Bears, Win 72-57

The Missouri TIgers used strong defense, lights out shooting and ball movement to take down the No. 6 ranked Baylor Bears with a convincing 72-57 victory at home in Columbia.

The Tigers were lead by Phil Pressey's 19 points and Marcus Denmon's 16 points and 6 assists as Mizzou made 14 of their 28 attempted three-pointers to continually widen their lead over Baylor. The Tigers also received 16 points and 6 assists off the bench from reserve guard Michael Dixon.

The Bears were able to outrebound the Tigers 35-22, but were unable to score when they desperately needed it. Perry Jones didn't make a field goal in the second half and finished with 4 points on 2-of-12 shooting. Quincy Miller was the only consistent threat for the Bears, as he finished with 20 points.

With the win, Missouri pushes their record to 23-2 and now have a two-game lead over Baylor in the Big 12 conference standings.

For more information on Missouri, check out Rock M Nation. Get Baylor news and update from Our Daily Bears, and for a look at everything in the world of college hoops, head over to SB Nation's college basketball page.

Missouri Vs. Baylor Halftime Update: Phil Pressey's 12 Points Give Tigers 33-29 Over The Bears

The Missouri Tigers have received a huge contribution from Phil Pressey while their defense has also stifled star center Perry Jones III as they lead 33-29 over the Baylor Bears on the road in Waco, Texas.

Phil Pressey has 12 points with three three-pointers to his credit to lead Frank Haith's basketball team. However, the story has been the (lack of) performance from Perry Jones III. So far, Jones has just 4 points on 2-of-8 shooting as the Tigers have made life rough for the center down low.

Baylor has received a nice contribution from Anthony Jones and Quincy Miller in the first half, combining for 16 points thus far to keep the Bears close.

With a win Missouri can all but eliminate Baylor from the Big 12 regular season conference title race, can they finish the job in the second half? Updates coming soon from SB Nation Kansas City.

For more information on Missouri, check out Rock M Nation. Get Baylor news and update from Our Daily Bears, and for a look at everything in the world of college hoops, head over to SB Nation's college basketball page.

Missouri Vs. Baylor: Game Preview, TV Info And More

Once again, the Missouri Tigers (22-2, 9-2) will be at the center of the college basketball world facing another Top 10 ranked Big 12 opponent, this time in Baylor (21-3, 8-3 Big 12), who hopes to regain their winning identity after being routed at home by Kansas earlier this week.

Saturday's game will be the third Top 10 opponent for Missouri in four weeks and the second against Baylor. The Tigers outlasted Baylor 89-88 in a thriller January 21 in Waco. If the rematch is a close as that game, it favors MU - the Tigers are now 4-0 this season in one-possession game.

Date / Time: Saturday, February 11, 12:30 p.m. CT

Location: Mizzou Arena, Columbia, Missouri

TV: Big 12 Network

Radio: Tiger Radio Network

Streaming: ESPN3

Line: Missouri (-6)

For more information on Missouri, check out Rock M Nation. Get Baylor news and update from Our Daily Bears, and for a look at everything in the world of college hoops, head over to SB Nation's college basketball page.