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This year, the team came in with small expectations. Many people picked the team to finish seventh in the Big 12, missing out on a spot in the tourney yet again. There were no All-Americans, Naismith Award finalists or "Mr. Basketballs" on this team.
The Tigers started out the season as they usually do by cruising through their very weak nonconference schedule.
Despite some impressive wins over Southern California and California, as well as a valiant effort against Xavier, the Tigers were still underappreciated.
Mizzou was embarrassed in the annual Arch Rivalry meeting with Illinois, losing 75-59. Things did not look any better after Mizzou laid an egg in their Big 12 opener against Nebraska, falling to the Cornhuskers 56-51.
Then it happened.
On Feb. 4, the Tigers stunned the favored and nationally ranked Texas Longhorns in Austin. That win propelled Mizzou on to the national radar. That night, the ride began, and the team's dream came into focus.
Two games later, the Tigers came face-to-face with the defending national champions: the hated Kansas Jayhawks. It was my favorite moment of the season.
Mizzou was dominated throughout the game, until there were 1.3 seconds to play. KU had tied the game at 60, when Zaire Taylor, the 6'4" junior from Staten Island, N.Y., nailed a layup to give the Tigers a 62-60 victory and sent the Jayhawks back to Lawrence, Kan., wondering what hit them.
These Tigers now were officially "for real."
However, on March 1, the Tigers and Jayhawks met for a rematch. Kansas routed Missouri 90-65. As MU walked off the court to a predictable chant of, "overrated" from the KU fans, I began to question Mizzou's ability to compete with the top dogs.
They proved me wrong three days later.
In the Tigers' final game at the Mizzou Arena this year, Mizzou capped a perfect record at home by dominating the favored Oklahoma Sooners 73-64 to prove they were no fluke.
Then, the Big 12 tournament came around. Mizzou secured a berth in the NCAA tournament by defeating Baylor in the championship game 73-60. The Tigers entered the big dance as a No. 3 seed.
Anyone who predicted that at the beginning of the year would be able to retire in a beach house in Miami by now.
The Tigers proved that they belonged in the tournament and made it to the Sweet 16 round. There, they were matched with the seemingly invincible Memphis Tigers. Memphis had won 27 straight games, and was said by many to be the hottest team in the nation.
I was optimistic, but I did not think Mizzou could pull this one out. We had a great year, I thought, but now our luck is going to run out.
MU's win over Memphis will teach me to never doubt Mizzou again.
At one instance in the game, Mizzou led by 24 points and Marcus Denmon, a freshman from Kansas City, shot a 70-foot three pointer as time expired at halftime. Mizzou won 102-91. Let me repeat that. Mizzou scored 102 points against one of the best teams in the nation.
In the Elite 8 round, Mizzou put up an incredible fight but came up just short against powerhouse Connecticut, losing 82-75. The loss ended MU's dream season but did not wash away what these kids had accomplished.
DeMaree Carroll, Leo Lyons and Matt Lawrence all will see their careers come to a close at the University of Missouri, but this is not the end of Mizzou basketball. In fact, this is the rebirth, the new beginning of this storied program.
J.T. Tiller, Zaire Taylor and freshman Kim English will all return for next season. I like these players and I think they can still do great things for this school and this state.
The Mizzou Tigers basketball team did not make it to the Final Four, but nobody thought that they could make it this far, except, of course, the team.
