Missouri on the rise.

If you would have told me after Missouri lost at Vanderbilt and than one week later lost at Oral Roberts that the tigers would beat Texas Tech on the or, or even Kansas State at home I would have told you that your nuts. If you would have asked me what I though, I would have told you to hit the road. But you can blaim the winning tigers on a little note like "Mike Anderson does it again"

Rarely do you see the tigers ever get tossed out of a game by more than ten if even that many. Under Mike Anderson, you will never see the tigers not play hard and will refuse to get beat. With their impressive 2-0 start which marks their best confrence start since 2003, I have one serious question for the Big 12 coaches and the national media. Who in the world picked these Missouri tigers to finish 7th or 8th in the confrence? Thats just unbelievable!

Looking at Missouri's next four games, its a clear shot going into Lawrence to play the Jayhawks on Big Monday in two weeks. Next up is at Oklahoma to take on the 10-6 Sooners who havnt hit their hot streak yet. Than Missouri will head back home against Nebraska, who the tigers rarely never loses at home. Than here they go marching into Lawrence. There is no excuse that the tigers should be 17-3 (4-0) in confrence and in the top 20 going into this game. I wouldn't be suprised if the tigers were picked by some to win this game and really did walk out with the win. The jayhawks clearly do not look that strong and doesnt look like a top 15 team right at the moment.

Looking at the rest of the confrence, and call me a joker but this Missouri team if worked hard enough could win it's very first Big 12 regular season title. With both Kansas and Texas struggling and with both haveing to walk into Columbia along with Texas A&M and Oklahoma State, who else is their to worry about? The toughest comes to the Mizzou Arena this year. Yes, Kansas State will be tough to play in Manhatten but, Mike Anderson will have a lot of confrence game in to be able to have his team ready for the purple and white cats.

I got to catch up with a couple tiger fans after their win against Kansas State, and with top five star recruits Tony Mitchell and Phil Pressey a lot are very excited for whats coming and said that the motto Anderson gave right after he signed his first contract of "I will bring a national title to Missouri" could come a lot sooner than you think, and I believe it. There is another good thing about that motto he gave, he will be a tiger untill he does that. The tigers are good. This isnt the tiger team to say, well if you want an easy win just play the Missouri Tigers. Them days are over. Teams have to fight in order to beat Missouri. When ESPN play-by-play Jay Dvis done the game against Oregon, Jay Davis repeatedly called the Mizzou Arena the woodchipper and who ever walks in, usually walks out with a few bruises. One thing that the tigers have to remember as the season goes on that, they are no longer the team that enters the contest of a "this could be a win, we should beat the tigers. They might upset us, who knows? Well every team knows who the tigers are now, there is no sneaking up from behind on someone. Now the tigers have to play from the git-go and finish the game with a fire in the rear.

Missouri gets the monkey off its back and shocks the Illini by 13.

As the buzzer went off to end the first half the tigers headed to the locker room with a seven point 41-34 lead over the winners of nine straight in the series Illinois Illini. There was one question and hope that tiger fans had, could the tigers hold on and knock the illini off? Now is where it gets interesting.

Missouri (9-3) never looked back. The Tigers opened the second half not exactly the way they left off in the first half. Missouri let the Illini cut the lead back to four but than pulled away and finally pulled off the win by shocking the Illini with a thirteen 81-68 win.

Freshman Rookie of the Week Mike Dixon, wait what is a Freshman? Is Dixon really a freshman? Sophomore? Junior? He has got to be a senior, isnt he? He sure is a Freshman, but with a ill Zaire Taylor on the bench and J.T Tiller sluggish comng back from his one game suspension this freshman animal played like a senior and made a lot of Missouri fans proud with his career high sixteen points and anxious to see what he will be in a couple years. Sophomore Big twelve player of the week added in twenty six.

The Tigers surprised just about everybody with a 13-point win over Illinois last week. Was the win a turning point for this team or simply a blip on the radar? Not to take the win away from Missouri fans, but this is not the same Illini team that the tigers have seen over the last nine losses. In fact, this is so far the worst start for the illini in 20 years. But even a win over a winless Illinois team would make Missouri fans proud after the last showing against Illinois in the decade. So Missouri must win against remaining non-confrence division one foe Georgia and must win their confrence opener at home against number ten Kansas State in order to gain more respect. After the illini win and a struggling win against Austin Peay the tigers have no votes in the top twenty five. The minute Missouri lost to Richmond they dropped from getting votes and the loss to Vanderbilt and Oral Roberts sure didnt help. So again, dont expect Missouri to get many votes or smell the top twenty five unless Missouri can win out and beat Kansas State.

Missouri has a very tough, if not the toughest Big twelve start in confrence. Opens at home against number ten Kansas State, than will travle back to back games at number twenty two Texas Tech and pre-season ranked Oklahoma is has also been struggling. Bad thing is, unfortunatly the tigers will be underdogs in all three games. An 0-3 start would probably erase all attention and hopes of and NCAA bid. So it's real important that Missouri wins two of the three if not all three.

Missouri is in a rebulding year, but have got to understand that they cannot give up the season yet. With the Illinois win, go out and show the nation that the win was not a fluke and give the confrence a fit. With Mike Anderson's style, do not ever count out the Tigers for winning the Big 12 title again, or even making the Elite Eight again. You never know what your going to get with his style. If the tigers can play up to their style potential, there is no way that Missouri shouldnt make the dance or even win the confrence. It's playing up to their potential is what Missouri has to do.

So Missouri fans, Merry Christmas with the Illinois win. But remember it's not over yet. The confrence opens Next saturday and its a must that the tigers need to be ready for a hot and hungry Kansas State team. Missouri has won the last three home meetings against Kansas State, and one that most Missouri fans remember was in 2008 when the number seventeen team rolled into Columbia with one of the nations best Michael Beasley and sent the wildcats back to manhatten with a loss.

Can the tigers keep it's hopes up?

Happy holidays from Midwest Best!

As christmas just a couple days and week away, and the new year approaching. Midwest thought that it would be fun to view some of the exciting games over the years of 2000-2009. Also some of the memorable players over the years.

If you have some that have been missing, feel free to comment on the post!

Just some of the players over the past to remember that have played during the 2000's-2009's that we think to have respect over their career.
Nick Collison (Kansas)
Kirk Hinrich (Kansas)
Jay Williams (Duke)
J.J Redick (Duke)
Dee Brown (Illinois)
Hollis Price (Oklahoma)
Blake Griffin (Oklahoma)
Tyler Hansbrough (UNC)
Acie Law (Tex A&M)
Kevin Durrant (Texas)
A.J Abrams (Texas)
Joakihme Noah (Florida)

Just some of the most memorable games over the 2000-2009 years.

Mario Chalmers his a game tieing three in the 2007-08 National title game to send it to overtime and wins it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTq0GvY62Cc&feature=related

Syracuse vs Conneticut 7 overtimes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kRIc4T78P0

Oklahoma States Mario Boggans's game winning shot against Texas in 3rd overtime.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mnswd1aUQZM&feature=related

Mike Conley Jr. hits game winning shot for #1 Ohio State against #2 Wisconsin in 2007.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Dp29123jdw

Zair Taylor hits game winning shot for Missouri against Kansas in 2009.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUFCInGZvNY&feature=related

Freshman John Wall hits game winning shot to prevail in a close game against Miami (Oh)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1MgY4Ye2jk

Illinois come back from 23 down and beats ranked Clemson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5pNubuPI6Y

Some exciting upcoming games-
December, 19th- #10 North Carolina at #2 Texas
# 15 Gonzaga vs #7 Duke- Madison Square Garden, New Yourk, New Yourk.
# 16 Texas Tech at Witchita State
December, 22nd- #12 Michigan State at #2 Texas
# 23 Texas A&M at #24 Washington

December, 23rd- #20 Mississippi at #6 West Viginia
Missouri vs Illinois- Busch Braggin Rights, Saint Louis, Missouri

December, 26th- # 6 West Virginis at Seton Hall

December, 29th- #16 Texas Tech at #19 New Mexico

December, 30th- #14 Connetticut at #25 Cincinnatti

Decmber, 31st- #9 Tennesse at Memphis

Kentucky Overrated? Kansas a fluke? Disgusted Top 25.

Well folks, College Basketball is finally here. With most teams already 2-4 games into there season, we have already expieranced some of the greats fall. Grant the best of the best have competed in tournaments with other top teams. But as we did in our pre-season, there have been some changes in our first week thoughts.

Teams that have shown a bit of overrated?
#1 Kansas- This team is the number 1 team in the nation, but come on now. You let Hofstra come in and score 65 points in the phog and letting up there best player score 35 on you. Than you score only 57 points to Memphis, a team who lost four out of five starters on there sweet sixteen team last season and yet almost got shocked with letting up 55, to win by just two? Weak.

#4 Kentrucky- Wall this, Wall that, Wall is all. Is Kentucky really a top 5 team in the nation? If so, exactly how? Kentucky barely slips by Miami (Ohio) by who had a 18 point halftime lead on the cats who ended up winning off a John Wall backboard prayer by 2. Than playing at home, trailed a Sam Houston State team by 5 at the break and ended up pulling away to just win by 10. This team will have trouble in the SEC this season!

# 17 Oklahoma- The sooners arent for real. How are theses guys even ranked? Reminds me of Notre Dame, Doesnt matter who you lose or what you done the season before you get all the love. The sooners are 2-1 with a 11 point win over Louisiana Monroe after trailing by 3 at the break. Than getting thumped by a lousy VCU team by 13. You lose Blake Griffin, the man who done most of your scoring last season. You should not be ranked untill you can show who can step up, they obviously havnt done that yet.

Underrated teams we have seen so far?
Syracuse- Was they just messing with our heads when the media picked this team 6th in the Big East? No way! This team killed #13 California by 22 and the #4 team in the country North Carolina by 16. This team is on fire! Wouldnt be suprised one bit if this team was in the top 10-15 next week. Big East just may have seen the best team in the league this week.

Gonzaga- Here is a team who is 2-1. However there 2 wins have came by blowout wins and there only loss was to #2 Michigan State by 4, who actually had a lead by eight late in the game.

Week one Top 25.
1. Kansas
2. Texas
3. Michigan State
4. Villanova
5. Duke
6. Purdue
7. West Virginia
8. Conneticut
9. Butler
10. Washington
11. North Carolina
12. Tennesse
13. Kentucky
14. Michigan
15. Syracuse
16. Mississippi State
17. Georgia Tech
18. Oklahoma
19. Ohio State
20. California
21. Georgetown
22. Minnesota
23. Illinois
24. Oklahoma State
25. Missouri

With Thanksgiving coming up, here is your upcomig exciting games to watch
December 1st- #2 Michigan State @ #6 North Carolina
December 2nd- #23 Illinois @ # 22 Clemson
December 6th- #1 Kansas @ UCLA
December 19th- #6 North Carolina @ #3 Texas

Enjoy and have a safe and exciting holiday!

NCAA Basketball Pre-Season previews.

As a couple of teams have started there exibition debuts, there have been a couple of stumbles, thrillers, and excitment.

Some of the unimpressive scores.

#25 Syracuse Orangemen lost their second eibition game against Le Moyne is a stunning 82-79 loss.

#4 Kentucky Wildcats had a what-to-be ugly win Campbellsville with a 74-38 win. The defense looked pretty impressive, but the offense showed a bit weak. Grant, star John Wall did not play. But Pre-Season all american Patterson did not put up the impressive number Kentucky would like to see early finishing with only 4 points (2-7), 5 rebounds, 6 turnovers in 31 minutes.

Team's that looked fairly impressive in there debut.

#1 Kansas Jayhawks won there first game 107-68. Some people recall that a number 1 team shouldnt even allow 68 points to a lousy team in Exibition team, but the preseason all-americans did put up great numbers with Sherron Collins having 27 points and Cole Aldrich with 24. Also stud Freshman Xavier Henry finished with 20 points.

Teams that will still have an impact with the loss.

Memphis- This team lost about everyone one of there Sweet Sixteen team, but still are here to make a statemant that they are not gone and not forgotten.

Oklahoma- With the number 1 draft pick in Blake Griffin gone,they still return a stud sopomore in Willie Warren and Senior Tony Crocker to lead the way. The sooners should be just fine.

Team's that need to regain momentum.

Missouri- Losing Leo Lyons and 1st rounder Demarre Carroll is going to hurt. But in order for this team to stay in the tention of the Big 12 and keep fighting. The bench must come on and help leading role players in JT Tiller and Zaire Taylor.

Siena- With Kenny Hasbrouck gone, the saints must find somebody to step into his spot and fill the late, up-coming star in order to gain that respect that they had a year ago.

With still a lot of exibition games left to be played, we will continue to keep an eye on all of these teams and hope for better success or wish for the dominance of Division one teams to keep in roll.

Basketball season is here: Midwest best top 25!

The season is officially here! With teams kicking off their exibition games this week. Midwest Best is here to give you their Pre-Season top 25 and other considerings.

1. Kansas- Big 12
2. Texas- Big 12
3. Michigan State- Big 10
4. Villanova- Big East
5. North Carolina- ACC
6. Duke- ACC
7. Purdue- Big 10
8. West Virginia- Big East
9. Conneticut- Big East
10. Kentucky- SEC
11. Oklahoma- Big 12
12. Butler- Horizon
13. Washington- Pac 10
14. California- Pac 10
15. Tennesee- SEC
16. Michigan- Big 10
17. Ohio State- Big 10
18. Mississippi State- SEC
19. Georgia Tech- ACC
20. Syracuse- Big East
21. Georgetown- Big East
22. Minnisota- Big 10
23. UCLA- Pac 10
24. Illinois- Big 10
25. Oklahoma State- Big 12

ACC- 3
Big 12- 4
Big 10- 6
Pac 10- 3
SEC- 2
Big East- 6
Horizon- 1

Big East and the Big 10, Should have a great year.

Other Considering- Dayton, Maryland, Missouri, Vanderbilt, Siena.

Time to prove. Missouri Basketball opens practice Friday. Picked 7th in Big 12 again.

Just about a year ago from now the Missouri basketball team was preparing for the 2008-2009 season. Looking at the 2008-2009 preseason Big 12 coaches poll, Mike Anderson and crew stared down at the long list of twelve teams noticing that the team was picked seventh in the conference. Now quite the spot they were wanting to be picked. Also just a year ago, hard to believe now but Mike Anderson was one of the top coaches in the nation on the hot seat. But that all changed when the tigers racked up a school's best record in history with a 31-7 and a Big 12 tournament championship and a trip to the Elite eight. That quickly turned Anderson to one of the hottest coaches in the nation to coach a team. But was last year a fluke of Anderson proving that his system was kicking in and was just the beginning of his great career? Or will he just go back to his usual self and lead this team to the cellur of the Big 12 like he did his first three seasons? What he does this year, is how we will find out. Now is where the story begins.

Walking into the Big 12 media day on Wednesday, he notice something that he has seen before. He heard some of the things that he has heard before. The tigers were ranked by the Big 12 coaches for the second consecutive year to finish seventh in the Big 12. Which is very understandable losing three of there top scorers in Demarie Carroll, Leo Lyons and sharp-shooter Matt Lawrence. But a lot of fans doesn't think that will matter returning stud guards J.T Tiller and Zaire Taylor a long with the heart and soule of the team Kimmie English.

If you look very closely to the box score last season against UCONN in the Elite Eight, the bench came alive sending a message to tiger faithful that they had something coming for this season had if they lost. Justin Safford came off the bench and scored ten points, Keith Ramsey came in and scored nine. Right there gives you nineteen easy points. Than you got Sophomore Kimmi English who scored thirteen off the bench against firs round exit Cornell. This team still has depth and the tigers are not afraid of what the coaches and fans from other schools are saying about them. They are just ready to prove it again.

Forward Kimmie English shows his fearless emotions is the media day conference marking a quote that was once said by the great Derrick Chevious "The table's been set, now lets eat.

As for Anderson, he know's that this team is full of surprises for this season. You can't just be picked seventh in the conference and finish third by luck. That's a four spot huge move. If the tigers finished third last season and is expected to finish seventh, that would make a record for the largest move by a Big 12 team from finishing the season to beginning another season ranked back. I say they finish around fifth.

One thing is true. This tiger team is no 2004-2005, 2005-2006 kind of team. They don't enter the preseason as a nobody or a team that was expected a ten win season at best. Columbia is no longer a town of dead tigers. This is no Quin Snyder team. This is Mike Anderson's zou. After last year's success, everybody knows who Missouri is and every fan of another school will be saying "Oh man, We will be lucky to walk out of Columbia with a win." They are now the Missouri Tigers.

This year, they will have to prove that Missouri and Mike Anderson is here to stay and prove they are not a one and done.

So the final question comes down to be wondered, Were they a one hit wonder? Or are they for real? Its time to prove.