Ball State defeats Kansas and UCLA in the first week of the season in back-to-back games. Arizona starts the season unranked and moves up to No. 7 with wins over Maryland and Florida. And North Carolina dropped a pair of home games to Davidson and Hampton.
This all bodes well for the Billikens Monday night. After witnessing a surprising number of upsets in the first three weeks of the season, it seems that the landscape for this season is anything goes.
The Billikens walk into a perfect situation. They have nothing to lose. And if recent history holds, they have everything to gain. And they will.
Mizzou comes into town undefeated as of today. But fatigue could play a factor. The Tigers play two games against creampuffs Grambling and Jackson State in the three days leading up the match with SLU. The Billikens will be rested, with their last game before Mizzou on Friday night against the University of Arkansas-Little Rock.
The Billikens have a distinct advantage in this contest-they aren’t a one-man offense. Kareem Rush is a great player, a great athlete. Maybe the best player in the country. But what happened the last time SLU played a one-dimensional offense? Kenyon Martin broke his leg and the Bills upset the No. 1 ranked Cincinnati Bearcats en route to their Conference USA championship in Memphis. I’m not advocating violence. But people have bad games. When you put all your eggs in one basket, there’s a chance that they’ll break and ooze out all over you.
Some may argue that Mizzou isn’t one-dimensional. They have Wesley Stokes, Clarence Gilbert and Arthur Johnson. But they can either be stopped or canceled-out. Gilbert is the real wild card. He could be automatic hitting shots from half court. Or he could be so off that he couldn’t pick himself out of a team photo. No one knows, not even coach Quin Snyder.
The Billikens have distinct advantages in this contest. Mizzou will be hard-pressed to find anyone whose quick enough to stay with Marque Perry, let alone guard him and try to stop him. No one has been able to so far. Even after a severely broken ankle, Perry is still quicker than 99 percent of the players in Division I programs. When you pair Perry with freshman guard Randy Pulley, they may have the quickest backcourt around.
The Billikens have mobile big men who can shoot the three. They play the post, but aren’t confined to it. Chris Braun, Kenny Brown and Ross Varner can seal their defenders and go strong to the hole or they can turn and face the hoop and shoot 15-foot jumpers from the top of the key. How much would Johnson play if he hoisted up threes for Mizzou?
SLU also has an experienced team. They don’t have any seniors. So what? The Billikens all saw valuable playing time last season. For the last three seasons, Snyder has relied on the play of freshman. This year is no different. Who knows what will happen when Mizzou actually plays a good team in a hostile environment.
Which leads to the next advantage-SLU’s playing at Savvis Center. The game is nearly sold out and probably will be before Monday. No one knows how a hostile crowd will affect Mizzou, who has played most of its games in early-season tournaments at neutral gyms.
Pressure and fear are motivators, negative motivators. But they can’t beat heart and determination. Mizzou has nothing but fear to push them when they’re behind.
The Billikens have the heart and motivation of a champion. Most of SLU’s leaders were on the conference championship team. They know how to win. And if you underestimate them, they will.
