Miami vs Missouri: NCAA Showdown

0:00On March 19, Miami's men's basketball team pulled off a stunning turnaround this season. After a rough seven-win 25-loss record last year, they finished 25 and 8 under new coach Jay Lucas. That earned them a seven-seed in the West region of the NCAA tournament, where they'll face 10th-seeded Missouri Friday night in St. Louis. The hurricane's rebuilt with a mix of seven freshmen and five transfers, creating a balanced attack. The wind-outs include Ford, Malik Renault, averaging 18.8 points and 6.6 rebounds, plus Guard Trey Donaldson with 16 points, 5 points and 5.9 assists. Freshman Shelton Henderson chips in 13.7 points on 56 percent shooting. Meanwhile, Missouri heads in at 20 wins and 12 losses, but on a three-game skid after losing to Kentucky in the SEC tournament, they still win 10 and 8 in conference play, beating tough teams like Florida and Tennessee. Mark Mitchell leads them with 18.3 points at over 55 percent from the field.

1:03This matchup gives Missouri a big crowd boost, playing just two hours from home, though they're middling on the boards at 32 rebounds per game. Both teams struggle at the free-throw line, but score efficiently inside and out. Miami brings experience to counter Missouri's size edge at most spots. The winter moves on Sunday to face either 15th-seeded Queens or 2nd-seeded Purdue, setting up an early test in the bracket.