NCAA Basketball Vegas Prediction: Missouri vs Oklahoma State
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
by Joe Rodriguez
The last time Missouri Tigers was ranked second in the country, it was in the early weeks of the 2001-02 season — back when Quin Snyder was head coach.
That season ended with an Elite Eight appearance, but this is the first time the Tigers have been ranked this high so late in the season since 1989-90.
The latest victory came in impressive fashion at then-No. 3 Baylor, and now Missouri has another road trip to Oklahoma State on deck.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys, usually a tough out at Gallagher-Iba Arena, are on a three-game skid after a home loss to Kansas State on Saturday.
- Missouri Tigers @ Oklahoma State Cowboys
When: 7:30 PM ET, Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Where: Gallagher-Iba Arena, Stillwater, Oklahoma
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2
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Justbet Sportsbook currently have the Tigers listed as 9-point favorites versus the Cowboys.
Missouri Tigers (18-1): With each victory, the Tigers are looking more and more like legitimate Final Four contenders this season, and it's largely because of the play of one of the best backcourts in the country. But big man Ricardo Ratliffe is making up for Missouri's lack of depth inside, leading the nation in field-goal percentage (.772) and scoring a career-high 27 points on 11-of-14 shooting in the win at Baylor. At his current rate, Ratliffe would break the NCAA mark for field-goal percentage in a season — set by Oregon State's Steve Johnson, who shot 74.6 percent in 1981.
Oklahoma State Cowboys (9-10): Since conference play began, the Cowboys' scoring has dropped to only 63.2 points per game, which is third-to-last in the Big 12. It got really ugly in a 66-58 loss to Kansas State, when Oklahoma State went without a field goal for a 15-minute stretch spanning across both halves. Keiton Page, the team's leading scorer at 14.9 points per game, went 4-of-17 in the loss and has been slumping lately as he's trying to pick up the slack for his teammates on offense.
1. Missouri is seventh nationally in free-throw percentage, shooting 77.1 percent.
2. Ratliffe has shot 70 percent or better from the field in 10 straight games.
3. Oklahoma State has blocked 91 shots in 2011-12, nearing its team total (99) from all of last season
BASKETBALL PREDICTION: Tigers 74, Cowboys 68.
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elite eight - final four - gallagher-iba arena - keiton page - missouri tigers - oklahoma state cowboys - quin snyder - ricardo ratliffe - steve johnson
