Post by MizzouTiger on Mar 4, 2008 2:32:19 GMT -5
www.kansascity.com/167/story/513300.html
Baylor rallies to beat Missouri
By MIKE DeARMOND
The Kansas City Star
WACO, Texas | Another good-but-not-good-enough game for Leo Lyons.
Another loss for Missouri.
But this one took a different spin after the game. Lyons addressed speculation that the final game of this nose-diving season will be his last at MU.
Shortly following Baylor’s 100-89 bouncing of Mizzou on Saturday, Lyons talked about rumors that he’ll leave school early for the 2008 NBA draft.
“It’s a lot of rumors, that I’m coming out,” said Lyons, a 6-foot-9 junior forward. “I have heard about it. People think that I should leave this year.
“But I haven’t really been thinking about it, cause that will get you off your game.”
Lyons’ name is hard to find on current NBA draft lists. But on NBADraft.net, he is rated No. 31 on the list of juniors who could come out early. On that same list, Kansas junior Brandon Rush ranks No. 14.
Then again, Lyons has never been on a tear like the past two games at Mizzou.
He scored a career-high 27 points and grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds in a two-point loss to Oklahoma State on Tuesday at MU.
Lyons scored 22 points and pulled down 15 rebounds on Saturday at Baylor.
In the first half, his 14 points and eight rebounds, along with 13 points by Keon Lawrence, gave Missouri a 49-45 halftime lead that made some 8,220 Baylor fans nervous enough to howl at the officials.
When Missouri took a 69-56 lead not six minutes into the second half, the fans nearly lost all control.
At one point after a fan had thrown something on the court, Baylor coach Scott Drew took the public-address announcer’s microphone and asked: “You guys keep being the class fans you are.”
But even by then, Missouri trailed 81-79 after the Bears had wiped out their deficit with a 14-0 run.
It only got worse from there for Missouri. From that 69-56 lead, the Tigers were outscored 34-20.
Was it coincidence that Baylor started its comeback when Lyons was called for traveling, spread his arms wide in frustration and was taken out of the game?
Lyons sat for only 1 minute, 36 seconds, and Missouri was still up by seven when he returned.
But the scent of a rally filled the Ferrell Center and the Bears — hitting 11 three-pointers with seven players scoring in double figures — ravaged the Tigers down the stretch.
And Lyons ultimately had too little help from teammates in the closing minutes.
DeMarre Carroll, ignored the pain in his throbbing ankle and scored 17 points, all in the second half.
Lawrence contributed 19 points, the seventh time in the last eight games the sophomore guard has scored in double figures.
However, Missouri dropped to 15-14 and 5-9 in the Big 12. Because of tiebreakers, Missouri can now finish no higher than eighth in the Big 12 regular season.
“We’ve got to finish the season strong,” Lyons said. “We’ve got to keep on trying.”
Missouri closes out its regular-season home schedule on Wednesday night against Iowa State and end its regular season next Saturday at Oklahoma.
Then it is on to the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City. Without a miracle there, the Tigers can anticipate no more than a postseason in the NIT or CBI — the new College Basketball Invitational.
Beyond that, there will be a decision by Lyons on whether to leave Mizzou early or come back to a Missouri team that next season will welcome at least seven new faces.
“It will probably be something I sit down and think about with my family after the season,” Lyons said.
Baylor rallies to beat Missouri
By MIKE DeARMOND
The Kansas City Star
WACO, Texas | Another good-but-not-good-enough game for Leo Lyons.
Another loss for Missouri.
But this one took a different spin after the game. Lyons addressed speculation that the final game of this nose-diving season will be his last at MU.
Shortly following Baylor’s 100-89 bouncing of Mizzou on Saturday, Lyons talked about rumors that he’ll leave school early for the 2008 NBA draft.
“It’s a lot of rumors, that I’m coming out,” said Lyons, a 6-foot-9 junior forward. “I have heard about it. People think that I should leave this year.
“But I haven’t really been thinking about it, cause that will get you off your game.”
Lyons’ name is hard to find on current NBA draft lists. But on NBADraft.net, he is rated No. 31 on the list of juniors who could come out early. On that same list, Kansas junior Brandon Rush ranks No. 14.
Then again, Lyons has never been on a tear like the past two games at Mizzou.
He scored a career-high 27 points and grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds in a two-point loss to Oklahoma State on Tuesday at MU.
Lyons scored 22 points and pulled down 15 rebounds on Saturday at Baylor.
In the first half, his 14 points and eight rebounds, along with 13 points by Keon Lawrence, gave Missouri a 49-45 halftime lead that made some 8,220 Baylor fans nervous enough to howl at the officials.
When Missouri took a 69-56 lead not six minutes into the second half, the fans nearly lost all control.
At one point after a fan had thrown something on the court, Baylor coach Scott Drew took the public-address announcer’s microphone and asked: “You guys keep being the class fans you are.”
But even by then, Missouri trailed 81-79 after the Bears had wiped out their deficit with a 14-0 run.
It only got worse from there for Missouri. From that 69-56 lead, the Tigers were outscored 34-20.
Was it coincidence that Baylor started its comeback when Lyons was called for traveling, spread his arms wide in frustration and was taken out of the game?
Lyons sat for only 1 minute, 36 seconds, and Missouri was still up by seven when he returned.
But the scent of a rally filled the Ferrell Center and the Bears — hitting 11 three-pointers with seven players scoring in double figures — ravaged the Tigers down the stretch.
And Lyons ultimately had too little help from teammates in the closing minutes.
DeMarre Carroll, ignored the pain in his throbbing ankle and scored 17 points, all in the second half.
Lawrence contributed 19 points, the seventh time in the last eight games the sophomore guard has scored in double figures.
However, Missouri dropped to 15-14 and 5-9 in the Big 12. Because of tiebreakers, Missouri can now finish no higher than eighth in the Big 12 regular season.
“We’ve got to finish the season strong,” Lyons said. “We’ve got to keep on trying.”
Missouri closes out its regular-season home schedule on Wednesday night against Iowa State and end its regular season next Saturday at Oklahoma.
Then it is on to the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City. Without a miracle there, the Tigers can anticipate no more than a postseason in the NIT or CBI — the new College Basketball Invitational.
Beyond that, there will be a decision by Lyons on whether to leave Mizzou early or come back to a Missouri team that next season will welcome at least seven new faces.
“It will probably be something I sit down and think about with my family after the season,” Lyons said.