Mo State Sat 2/18/06

[pantherpanther]

I know we are all mourning the Wednesday night loss. It is time to move on and prepare for tomorrow. Thoughts on Mo State? Looks like it could be a good game.

[TBone]

We need AT to be a contributing factor or this will be another poor showing on national TV for the panthers.

We'll also need some unexpected contributions from someone off the bench IMO.

I think someone mentioned Mo St has one of the better backcourts in the MVC? If so, forget the press...

I'm just looking forward to being able to actually watch a UWM game on my TV instead of a tiny computer, choppy video feed.

T

[PANTHERfan]

i'm having a hard time getting excited for this exhibition game. after wednesday's unbelievable meltdown i don't know what to think. if this team can't pull together to beat an average foe with the conference championship on the line, i hold little hope they'll beat a legitimate squad. but who knows, maybe they find a way. i seriously hope AT sits this one out either way. you can't tell me he'll be 100% healthy on 2 more days of rest. we all saw just how injured he was the other night. and we also saw just how critical he is to the success of this group. we need him healthy for the conference tournament, which looks to be going straight through Hinkle Fieldhouse.

alright, all negativity aside, i hope we get this W just to get some confidence for the final games. also hope to have a large energetic crowd to support the guys all the way through.

[Pantherholic]

if Tigert doesn't play up to speed, we lose. if someone couldn't step up against UIC, i doubt they will against an even better team.

[PantherLou]

Tigert is OUT.

If certain players decide to actually show up, and play the way that they are capable of, we certainly can compete. If not..... Well, you all saw the result on Wednesday.

[pantherpanther]

Yessir...no AT Saturday folks.

Send your good Mojo to Big D, Bendall, and McCoy...They need it.

[Kroener3535]

I think this is a good plan he then gets another week to rest up before he even has to think about running alot and having contact...so tuesday I hope things look better for him

[PANTHERfan]

so who gets the start? i suppose Big D is a likely candidate. or we play small ball. either way, at least we can prepare for AT's absense. judging by the last game you got the feeling that they were expecting AT to play and play close to 100%. i couldn't believe how long they left him in there.

we certainly have enough talent to win this, however i'm not sure we have the ability to run the swing effectively without AT. how about a break out game for former Missouri star Tyrone Young?!

[pantherpanther]

Boy wouldn't that be great PANTHERfan! It is certainly overdue.

[Kingsbury]

I'm not sure if it was covered in another thread, but why did Young not get any PT on Weds. night. Was he hurt?

[damasa]

Because Wimmer was in!

Seriously though, I'm not really sure why he didn't see any time on the court.

[DunneDeal]

Agreed...Wimmer has a good shot but he has played in every close game...and in those games, we have lost. He's not a bad player just a jinx I would say.

[fan]

As I said in another thread, Young should get a lot of playing time in this game. In fact, I don't see any reason why he shouldn't get more playing time than anyone. Joah and Boo included.

[Rawls]

MISSOURI STATE BEARS 17-7 (10-6 in Missouri Valley)

1 pm Saturday at The Cell

Video:http://horizonleague.collegesports.com/sports/m-baskbl/sched/hori-m-baskbl-sched.html

Radio: 920 WOKY-AM

board: bearmania.net/forum/index.php

team site: www.missouristatebears.com/mbasketball/

their preview: Bears head for Wisconsin-Milwaukee for nationally-televised BracketBusters clash Saturday
Story Posted: February 16, 2006 - 10:33 PM Central



Blake Ahearn
The Missouri State Bears, having won two in a row and five of their last six in Missouri Valley Conference play, step out of the league for the last time in the regular season when they visit the Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers in a nationally-televised (ESPN2) contest Saturday.

The Bears and Panthers will square off in one of the top TV matchups in the fourth year of the BracketBusters presented by eBay series. All 10 MVC teams will be in action Saturday with the Bears and three other first-division clubs featured on ESPN2. Creighton’s game is on ESPN.

The Valley race took a wild turn Tuesday night as three of the four teams previously deadlocked for the league lead were beaten. Creighton fell at Wichita State, UNI lost at Indiana State and SIU lost at Bradley, leaving WSU all alone in first place at 12-4 while the other three dropped into a tie for second at 11-5. Missouri State is in fifth place at 10-6 with Bradley another game back at 9-7. The Bears visit Illinois State Feb. 22, and host Creighton in the Feb. 25 finale.


Tyler Chaney
Wins at UNI last Saturday and at home over Evansville Tuesday make MSU 17-7 and put the Bears 10 games over the .500 mark in a season for the first time since 1999-00. The current record is also the Bears’ best after 24 games in any season since 1999-00, Barry Hinson’s first year at MSU. After their Jan. 25 loss at Bradley, the Bears came back with three strong defensive efforts in turning back Indiana State, Drake and Bradley, suffered a last-second loss at SIU and rebounded with wins over UNI and Evansville. With two league games left, the Bears own three sweeps (INSU, DU, UE), three splits (BU, SIU, UNI) and a double loss to Wichita State.

MSU will have had 14 home dates on a 27-game season slate. The State Farm MVC Tournament at Savvis Center in St. Louis March 2-5, determines the league’s NCAA automatic qualifier.

Wisconsin-Milwaukee suffered its first home loss of the season Wednesday night in a 94-86 overtime setback to Illinois-Chicago. The setback dropped UWM to 18-7 for the season. The Panthers still lead the Horizon at 11-4.

Barry Hinson (Oklahoma State, ’83) is 125-88 in his seventh season at Missouri State and 161-111 in his ninth year as a college head coach. He’s 0-1 vs. UWM. Hinson has passed Bob Vanatta, Steve Alford and Arthur Briggs in the past two seasons to move into fifth on the all-time Missouri State coaching win list. Hinson is the sixth MSU coach to record 100 Missouri State career wins.

Rob Jeter (UW-Platteville,’91 ) is 18-7 in his first year at UWM and overall as a college head coach. He is 0-0 vs. MSU.

Wisconsin-Milwaukee leads the series, 1-0. The only previous meeting between the Bears and Panthers was an 86-77 UWM win over Missouri State in the finals of the 2002 Price Cutter Classic in Hammons Student Center. Kellen Easley, then a Missouri State freshman, is the only member of either of the current squads to play in that game. He played two minutes.

Blake Ahearn continues to lead the Bears and the MVC in scoring and continues to lead the nation in foul line accuracy. He's hit his last 26 in a row from the charity stripe and has a season figure of .948 in free throw shooting. Deke Thompson is averaging 10.0 points for the Bears with Nathan Bilyeu, Kellen Easley, Tyler Chaney and Sky Frazier all getting between 7.6 and 9.9 points a contest. Easley and Bilyeu are the Bears' top rebounders.

[brewtownbrian]

I agree with most of what's been said...unless AT feels 110% he should NOT play. They need him for the home stretch run to the Horizon, and hopefully the NCAA tourney. Some people on this board have named AT as the MVP of the '05-'06 team. After him not being a factor due to injury versus UIC...I find that very difficult to argue with.

Boo and Joah should play, but some of the reserves' minutes should be increased for a couple of reasons...

(1) Besides the fact that this game will be on national TV, it means nothing in terms of Horizon standings/seedings. There is no need to have starters in there if they don't need to be. No need to risk injury and screw with our chances of going to the Dance.

(2) The more playing time for the reserves the better! I, along with plenty of others, have said that this year's bench is decent, but there didn't seem to be a guy that could step up and score when needed. That was glaringly obvious on Wed. night. Tyrone Young might be that guy..who knows. The more real-game situations that reserves can get in...the better.