Missouri Vs. Baylor: The Tigers Bash The Bears 72-57, Take Lead In Big 12 Standings

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.

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.

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.