ESPN Men's Basketball

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A few months before the start of the season, a poll in the Kansas City Star indicated that 78 percent of Missouri fans wanted first-year coach Frank Haith to be fired.

It might be time to take another vote.

Because if what happened at this week’s CBE Classic is any indication, the Tigers could be poised for one of their most successful seasons in recent memory. A lofty perch in the national rankings, a Big 12 championship and a deep run in the NCAA tournament ... all of it seemed possible as the final horn sounded in Missouri’s 92-53 title-game victory over 18th-ranked Cal at the Sprint Center.

“I’m surprised by that score,” Haith said.

And he certainly wasn’t alone.

Even with a veteran team that won 23 games last season, no one expected Haith’s imprint to be this visible this fast. Most programs that endure coaching changes take a step back before they take a step forward. In Columbia, though, the Tigers have pressed a button and taken off like the Millennium Falcon -- at light speed.

After this week it may be time to catapult the No. 21 Tigers into the top 10. They were that good.

“This is the best I’ve felt in my four years here, because this is the most selfless team I’ve played on,” said senior guard Kim English, who led Mizzou with 19 points. “We’re all buying into the process.”

That’s a credit to Haith, who wasn’t exactly greeted with flowers and candy by Missouri fans when he was hired in March to replace Mike Anderson. Haith led Miami to just one NCAA tournament berth in seven seasons. And in August, his name was linked to former Miami booster Nevin Shapiro, who allegedly provided impermissible benefits to a number of Hurricanes athletes, including at least one basketball player.

But none of those things -- or the loss of standout forward Laurence Bowers to an ACL injury -- has had an effect on Haith, whose Tigers appear to be in midseason form after just five games, which included an 87-58 beatdown of Notre Dame on Monday night.

“Things just clicked,” said Haith, whose team improved to 5-0. “We’ve got a veteran team with older guys, but it can go either way with older guys. They can be stubborn because they’ve been used to doing things a certain way for a long period of time. Or they can have the poise and understanding to buy in.

“Our guys have really bought in and shown great leadership.”

Indeed.

On offense, especially in the half-court, Missouri is operating with a plan and structure that seemed missing at times in past seasons. The Tigers are getting outstanding shots because they’re taking pride in making the extra pass, even if it means passing up a wide-open, 10-foot jumper for an assist to a teammate streaking toward the paint for an easy layup. Missouri shot 58.8 percent from the field Tuesday.

The Tigers are also using a menacing defense to generate points, which was a trademark under Anderson. Only now, instead of employing a full-court press for large chunks of the game, MU has stepped up its half-court defense. Any time an opponent coughs up the ball -- the Tigers scored 23 points off turnovers against Cal -- or misses a shot, the Tigers capitalize thanks to a four-guard lineup that beats everyone down the court for an easy bucket.

Not many teams in the country will boast as much speed and athleticism as Missouri, and there might not be any school that will have as many high-level ball-handlers on the court at the same time. The situation completely overwhelmed Notre Dame in the CBE semifinal. And against Cal ... well, at times it didn’t even seem fair.

And remember, this wasn’t just some run-of-the-mill Golden Bears squad. Mike Montgomery’s team entered Tuesday’s game with a national ranking and a reputation as the best team in the Pac-12.

“I’d be naive to think that’s going to happen every night,” Haith said of the lopsided score. “We just played really, really well.”

As good as things went this week in Kansas City, the Tigers are far from satisfied. They know one of their main weaknesses is a lack of size, with Ricardo Ratliffe and Steve Moore, who scored a career-high 10 points Tuesday, being the only true post players. Long, athletic teams could give Missouri more trouble than Notre Dame and Cal, who were physically overmatched.

Still, none of that seemed to matter as the Tigers paraded off the Sprint Center court carrying the CBE Classic championship trophy. Haith pumped his fist, fans dangled their hands over the railing for high-fives and players whooped and hollered as they trotted toward the tunnel to the locker room.

After a tumultuous offseason, things are looking good for Frank Haith and Mizzou.

Perhaps better than anyone -- even the Tigers themselves -- could’ve expected.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Here’s a quick recap of Missouri’s 92-53 victory over Cal in the championship game of the CBE Classic at the Sprint Center.

How it happened: For the second straight night, Missouri was glaringly quicker, faster and more athletic than its opponent. Pestered by the Tigers’ menacing defense, Cal committed 19 turnovers and shot just 30 percent from the field. A slew of those missed shots led to easy baskets by Mizzou, which beat the Golden Bears down the court time and time again. Frank Haith’s squad led 45-26 at intermission, and the Tigers didn’t let up in the second half. Cal defensive stopper Jorge Gutierrez fouled out with 10 minutes remaining after trying unsuccessfully to slow down the MU guards.

Star of the game: Some of his teammates had gaudier stat lines, but reserve forward Steve Moore drew the loudest applause at the Sprint Center. Moore scored a season-high 10 points off the bench and provided a huge boost down low for a Tigers’ squad that is undersized. Moore also blocked three shots. Still, as good as Moore was Tuesday, the best player on the court was Missouri guard Kim English, who finished with a team-high 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting.

What this means: Missouri is legit, as in top-10 legit. No team in the Big 12, and not many teams in the country, have looked so crisp and cohesive this early in the season. Mizzou's first three wins -- actually, the first four if you count Notre Dame -- were against low-level opponents. But Tuesday’s win came against an 18th-ranked Cal squad led by brilliant coach Mike Montgomery -- a team that many believe is the best in the Pac-12. Granted, Missouri has an advantage in that it returns a number of veterans (English, Marcus Denmon, Ricardo Ratliffe, Michael Dixon) from last year’s 23-win team. But this is also a squad that went through a coaching change during the offseason. Teams in those situations usually take a step back before they take a step forward. That’s clearly not the case in Columbia.

Even after Tuesday’s tail-whipping, it’s still probably safe to tag California as the top team in the Pac-12, although that certainly doesn’t say much for the league. Even Montgomery admitted Cal won’t face a conference team as talented as the Tigers. These Bears still have a chance to be very, very good. Just not as good as Missouri.

What’s next: Mizzou has what should be two easy home wins against Binghamton and Northwestern State before taking on Villanova Dec. 6 as part of the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden. Cal won’t face another school from a BCS conference until it opens league play Dec. 29 against USC.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Here’s a quick recap of Georgia’s 61-57 victory over Notre Dame in the consolation game of the CBE Classic at the Sprint Center.

How it happened: Georgia hardly showed any lingering effects from Monday’s 24-point loss to Cal. The Bulldogs were patient and poised on offense, rarely taking a bad shot. Defensively, they held Notre Dame to 34.8 percent shooting. Pestered by UGA's length, Fighting Irish star Tim Abromaitis scored just six points on 1-of-12 shooting. His only field goal game on a dunk. Abromaitis had 22 points against Missouri on Monday night. Notre Dame battled back from a nine-point deficit in the second half and forced a 53-53 tie on a pair of free throws by Jerian Grant. But Georgia’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope responded with a 3-pointer that made it 56-53. The Irish never threatened again.

Star of the game: Caldwell-Pope, a freshman, continues to show why he was a consensus top-20 recruit coming out of high school. He scored a team-high 16 points Tuesday and made four of his nine 3-point attempts. While other freshmen across the country struggle, Caldwell-Pope is appearing more and more at ease. He entered Tuesday’s game averaging 12.5 points.

What it means: Georgia lost some key players -- mainly Travis Leslie and Trey Thompkins -- from last season’s NCAA tournament team. Still, even though the Bulldogs are in what some would call a “transition” season, they’ll be able to finish in the middle of the SEC if they continue to improve. There are some good players on this squad who simply lack experience. Freshmen Caldwell-Pope and Nemanja Djurisic (10 points Tuesday) were two of the best players on the court Tuesday. Senior point guard Gerald Robinson averaged 12.2 points last season. His backcourt mate, Dustin Ware, appears to have taken more of a leadership role. An NCAA tournament berth may be out of range for this team, but the Dawgs will pull some upsets and get better as the year goes on.

Meanwhile, the CBE Classic turned out to be a disaster for Notre Dame, which turned in another disappointing effort following Monday’s blowout loss to Missouri. Once again, Notre Dame’s lack of athleticism and overall toughness was exposed. The Fighting Irish deserve credit for keeping it close despite an atrocious performance by Abromaitis. Still, Notre Dame struggled to find good shots and seemed rattled and rushed when it finally got open looks. To be fair, this is a team incorporating a lot of new pieces. Guards Grant and Pat Connaughton are inexperienced and forward Jack Cooley is having to play a bigger role than ever. It’s too early to judge the Irish, but the early outlook suggests that this season has “NIT” written all over it.

What’s next: Things certainly won’t get any easier for Georgia from here. The Bulldogs have back-to-back road games against Atlantic 10 favorite Xavier (Friday) and then Colorado (Monday) before hosting Cincinnati on Wednesday. Head coach Mark Fox is hoping the tough nonconference schedule pays off when UGA begins league play. As for Notre Dame, it hosts Bryant University on Sunday before hitting the road for back-to-back road games against Gonzaga (Wednesday) and Maryland (Dec. 4).

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- No. 18 Cal takes on No. 21 Missouri in the championship of the CBE Classic Tuesday at the Sprint Center (ESPN2/ESPN3, 10 p.m. ET). The consolation game is between Georgia and Notre Dame (ESPNU/ESPN3, 7:45 p.m. ET). Here are five things to watch heading into tonight’s festivities.

1. Will the Golden Bears be overwhelmed by Missouri’s speed and athleticism? Missouri annihilated Notre Dame by 29 points Monday thanks, in large part, to its ability to beat the Fighting Irish down the court for easy baskets. A lack of true post players has forced the Tigers to employ a four-guard lineup, which certainly hasn’t been a bad thing thus far. “When you have guys out there that can handle the ball and are versatile, it makes the transition game a lot easier,” Missouri senior Marcus Denmon said. “You don’t have to look for a certain guard to make a play, because everyone is capable of making the play.”

2. Will Denmon be able to continue his torrid shooting pace? The 6-foot-3 Denmon is averaging 20 points a game and is shooting 56.5 percent from the field and 52.6 percent from 3-point range. Against Notre Dame Monday he connected on nine of his 11 shot attempts. Cal can’t afford to let Denmon get that hot. Look for Cal defensive stopper Jorge Gutierrez to do everything he can to slow down Denmon.

3. Will this game be won on the sidelines? Frank Haith is off to a good start at Missouri, but Cal’s Mike Montgomery -- the former Stanford and Golden State Warriors coach -- is regarded as one of the top tacticians in all of college basketball. Preparing for an unorthodox team such as Missouri would be tough for any coach, but expect Cal to enter tonight’s game with a good strategy. Executing it, however, may be tough for the Golden Bears, especially on what is basically a home court for the Tigers.

4. Is Cal the best team in the Pac-12? With UCLA struggling and Arizona and Washington less-than-impressive thus far, the experienced Golden Bears suddenly seem like an easy pick to win their conference. Still, Montgomery’s squad hasn’t been tested like it will against the Tigers, who may be more talented than any team Cal will face in the Pac-12. After four wins against lackluster opponents, we’ll know more about the Golden Bears after tonight.

5. Can Notre Dame bounce back? Fighting Irish fans certainly hope so following Monday’s horrendous 29-point loss to Missouri. Tim Abromaitis looked strong with a 22-point effort in his first game of the season, although only four of those points came in the second half. Otherwise, though, Notre Dame looked slow and soft defensively, and Missouri clearly rattled the Fighting Irish’s guards on the perimeter. This isn’t the same caliber of squad that finished second in the Big East last season behind the play of Ben Hansbrough, Carleton Scott and Tyrone Nash, all of whom are gone. Still, this squad has enough talent to be an NCAA bubble team if the pieces come together. It starts tonight against Georgia, which is rebuilding following the loss of Trey Thompkins and Travis Leslie to the NBA draft.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A few thoughts from California's 70-46 thrashing of Georgia in the CBE semifinals at the Sprint Center ...

What happened: Trailing 25-22 with five minutes to go in the first half, Cal went on a 31-4 run that extended until midway through the second half. They came back against a Georgia squad that is rebuilding following the loss of Trey Thompkins and Travis Leslie to the NBA. Harper Kamp scored 16 points and Jorge Gutierrez added 14 for the Golden Bears, who held Georgia to just 32.8 percent shooting. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was the only Bulldog in double figures with 10 points, but he missed nine of his 13 field-goal attempts. “In all fairness to [Georgia], we knew exactly what they were going to run,” Cal coach Mike Montgomery said. “I’ve been running that [offense] for 30 years.”

Star of the game: It had to be Kamp, who made all six of his shots in 27 minutes. But Gutierrez continues to be a defensive pest for Cal. “Jorge is the kind of guy where you say, ‘Jeez, he doesn’t do this and that,’ but at the end of the day you say, ‘Gosh, I love that kid,’” Montgomery said. “He just does so much.” Cal also got 10 points from Minnesota transfer Justin Cobbs. Montgomery’s squad, as always, displayed good discipline in terms of shot selection, which resulted in a 25-of-50 performance from the field.

What it means: With Washington and Arizona struggling somewhat and UCLA still trying to incorporate new pieces, the Bears are the favorite to win the Pac-12. They certainly lived up to their No. 18 national ranking against Georgia, but tougher tests await.

What’s next: After Georgia faces Notre Dame in the consolation game Tuesday night, Cal will take on No. 21 Missouri for the championship. The Tigers dismantled Notre Dame 87-58 in Monday’s opening game and are an incredibly athletic team that employs a four-guard lineup.

"It’s a hard guard, because they’re very unconventional,” Montgomery said. “They have one big guy and four guys who really put it on the floor and drive it at you. They get you spread out whether you want to get spread out or not. [Marcus] Denmon shoots the ball very well and [Phil] Pressey gets to the hole whenever he wants.”

Asked if Cal will face an opponent similar to Missouri in the Pac-12, Montgomery said: “There might be some people that play small, but they won’t have the talent these guys have at all positions.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- After nearly two decades in the Big 12, the Missouri Tigers decided last month to join a new conference in 2012-13.

Thankfully, it’s not the Big East.

So says Notre Dame coach Mike Brey, who watched helplessly from the sideline Monday as the 21st-ranked Tigers embarrassed his Fighting Irish 87-58 in the semifinals of the CBE Classic at the Sprint Center.

“I’m glad they’re not in our league,” Brey said. “That was flat out men against boys, the varsity against the JV.”

Marcus Denmon scored 26 points and Phil Pressey added 17 to lead Missouri, which advanced to play No. 18 Cal in Tuesday’s championship. Impressive as the Golden Bears were in Monday’s blowout of Georgia in the nightcap, they’ll be hard-pressed to beat the Tigers if Mizzou plays half as good as it did against Notre Dame.

“Notre Dame is a good team,” Missouri coach Frank Haith said. “They’re going to win a lot of games in the Big East. To have a performance like that obviously has to give these guys some confidence.”

This wasn’t the same Notre Dame squad that finished 27-7 and second in the Big East last season. Ben Hansbrough is gone. So are Tyrone Nash and Carleton Scott. Still, with players such as Tim Abromaitis and Scott Martin returning, the thought was that the Irish would at least be able to keep Monday’s game close.

Instead, it was lopsided from the start. Missouri improved to 4-0. Notre Dame, which played its fifth game in 10 days, fell to 4-1. Abromaitis was the only bright spot with 22 points, including 18 in the opening half.

“This was a rude awakening of high-level college basketball for our young guys,” Brey said.

Indeed, Missouri outrebounded Notre Dame by 14 and scored 44 points in the paint -- an impressive feat for a squad that uses just two pure post players in Ricardo Ratliffe and Steve Moore. Talented as they are offensively, the most impressive aspect of the Tigers on Monday was their defense, which held the Fighting Irish to 25 percent shooting in the second half and just 37 percent for the game.

“That’s where it starts,” Denmon said. “Even on nights when we’re not shooting well, we can always create points by playing defense.”

Even though it entered the game with a 3-0 record, Missouri’s victory was special because it was the Tigers’ first under Haith against an opponent from a BCS conference. It’s been a tough offseason in Columbia, where some fans expressed disbelief with athletic director Mike Alden’s decision to hire Haith following the departure of Mike Anderson to Arkansas. Haith led Miami to just one NCAA tournament appearance in seven years.

Things got worse last summer when Haith’s name was linked to Miami booster Nevin Shapiro, who allegedly made numerous payments to Hurricanes athletes -- including one basketball player -- during Haith’s tenure. Another distraction surfaced shortly after school began when standout forward Laurence Bowers tore his ACL and was lost for the season.

Asked if he was proud of his team for persevering through tough circumstances, Haith said. “There’s no question. We’re a team no one is really talking about. These guys work their tails off. When you take over a new team, it takes time. But these guys have been willing participants. They want to learn.”

As a result, Missouri looks to be in midseason form while other schools across the country are trying to find themselves. In their last season in the Big 12 before joining the SEC, the Tigers appear more than capable of ending Kansas’ run of seven straight conference titles. It’d certainly make for a great story.

Brey is just glad he won’t be a part of it.

“I don’t want to have to deal with them again,” he said.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A few thoughts from Missouri's 87-58 romp over Notre Dame at the Sprint Center in the semifinals of the CBE Classic:

How it happened: Missouri was simply too quick, athletic and experienced for the Fighting Irish, who are incorporating some new pieces following the loss of players such as Ben Hansbrough, Tyrone Nash and Carleton Scott. The Tigers beat Notre Dame down the court for a ton of easy baskets in transition and also forced 10 first-half turnovers. Notre Dame stuck around for awhile in the first half thanks to 18 points from Tim Abromaitis, who finished with a team-high 22. But a 10-2 run by Missouri stretched a 42-35 lead into a 52-37 cushion at intermission. It was never close after that. Notre Dame shot just 36 percent from the field under heavy pressure from Mizzou.

Star of the game: One season after earning All-Big 12 honors, Missouri’s Marcus Denmon is showing no signs of slowing down. Three-pointers, midrange jumpers, slashes to the basket ... the 6-foot-3 Denmon scored in every way imaginable Monday. Denmon went 9-of-11 from the field and made all but one of his seven foul shots in a 26-point effort. He entered the game averaging 18 points.

Also worthy of mention is Notre Dame’s Abromaitis, who was playing his first game of the season after serving an NCAA-mandated four-game suspension for playing in two exhibition games three years ago.

What it means: So much for the “transition” period that usually comes along with a coaching change. The Tigers looked as good as they did at any point last season during Monday’s annihilation of Notre Dame. It’s tough not to tip your hat to Haith, who endured a tumultuous offseason that included public ridicule over his hire, an NCAA investigation into possible rules violations during his time at Miami, and a season-ending injury to a star forward Laurence Bowers. It’s still too early to tell just how good the Tigers could be, as Notre Dame was completely outmatched physically. But at the very least this looks like a team that will pose a legitimate challenge to Kansas and Baylor for the Big 12 title.

Notre Dame is clearly in rebuilding mode and would be in a world of hurt if not for the presence of Abromaitis, who will contend for All-Big East honors. Notre Dame’s biggest weakness here was on the perimeter, where Missouri made it tough for them to penetrate or pass inside. Freshman Pat Connaughton and sophomores Eric Atkins and and Jerian Grant need to grow up in a hurry if Notre Dame has hopes of finishing in the top half of the Big East.

Up next: Missouri will play the winner of the Cal-Georgia game in Tuesday’s championship. Notre Dame will take on the loser. A Cal-Missouri matchup could certainly be entertaining, as both teams return the bulk of their rosters from last season.

In preseason college basketball tournaments -- heck, in tournaments of any kind -- there's an implicit agreement that the teams that win move on. That's just, like, how tournaments work, man.

Not the CBE Classic. It feels like a preseason tournament. It looks like a preseason tournament. But in the CBE Classic, something entirely different occurs: Host teams move on no matter what. Funky, right?

That structure is clearly a business decision, one evinced by the disparate quality and popularity between the hosts and the hostees. The 2010 CBE Classic field was announced last night. The hosts are Duke, Kansas State, Gonzaga, and Marquette. Duke will host Princeton and Miami of Ohio; Kansas State will host James Madison and Presbyterian; Marquette will host Bucknell and Wisconsin-Green Bay; and Gonzaga will host IUPUI and San Diego State. Each regional consists of those three teams.

But here's why the setup is funky: If, Princteon beats Miami of Ohio in the first "round," they'll "advance" to take on Duke. And even if Princeton upsets the Dukies at their own party, it doesn't matter: The Tigers go home, and the Dukies move on to play in the semifinals of the event Nov. 22-23 in Kansas City.

It's a bummer for the little guys. If you're Princeton, and you just beat Duke, don't you want the thrill of taking your suddenly explosive upset potential to Kansas City, where you can test your mettle against other top teams? Of course you do. It's just a preseason tournament competition, but still, the games count. That's a great opportunity.

Still, the tournament competition is a business, and business dictates that Kansas State, Duke, Gonzaga and Marquette advance and play each other in Kansas City, regional results be damned. The big schools get to be big schools. The little schools know the score before they sign on. It'd be nice if it actually mattered what happened in the regionals. But I suppose that's what the postseason tournament -- no strikethrough needed -- is for.