Missouri hopes to learn from loss to Oklahoma State

ST. LOUIS -- Frank Haith said it best the day Missouri rose to No. 2. No one big victory or one tough loss would define the team.

The coach could not have anticipated those words to be tested so soon with one of the school's most impressive victories in recent seasons followed by an excruciating setback.

The Tigers (18-2, 5-2 Big 12) got two first-place votes in this week's poll after their triumph at then-second ranked Baylor. They stumbled just four days later at mediocre Oklahoma State, losing 79-72 on Wednesday night.

Missouri has been a juggernaut at home, where players can shake off some of the bad taste Saturday against struggling Texas Tech (7-12, 0-7).

Haith wanted to make sure players avoided getting "caught up in the hoopla" of the school's highest ranking since being No. 2 in 2001-02.

Oklahoma State state fans celebrate on Eddie Sutton Court after defeating Missouri 79-72 following an NCAA college basketball game in Stillwater, Okla., Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Brody Schmidt)

It definitely won't be so much of a tough sell now.

"It's our coaches' job to continue to educate your guys. It's a classroom. It's our time to teach," Haith said. "As well as handling adversity, you have to be able to handle the other stuff, too."

The victory at Baylor was the school's first over a top-five team since 1994. Missouri had been 75-40 all-time against Oklahoma State before fading late. The Tigers shot just 40 percent after entering the game second-best in the nation at 51 percent. They were just 4 of 19 from 3-point range and no one really was clicking.

Haith has been able to hone the thin seven-man rotation he inherited from run-and-gun Mike Anderson into a cohesive, efficient group that has been able to grind down teams with much deeper benches. There's a lot of balance, with six players leading the team in scoring the last nine games.

Missouri is 11-0 at home with an average margin of 27 points, including blowouts over Texas and Texas A&M in conference play.

Forward Ricardo Ratliffe, the lone big man in a four-guard starting lineup, is threatening the NCAA single-season record for field goal accuracy. He's at 75.4 percent after a season-high seven misses in 17 attempts at Oklahoma State.

He has scored 52 points over the last two games.

Virtually all his baskets have come from just a few feet away from the rim. Steve Johnson of Oregon State set the NCAA standard at 74.6 percent in 1980-81, and Jeff Warren holds the school record at 67.6 percent in 1990-91.

Ratliffe has been on a tear since getting just two points and one rebound in 14 minutes at Kansas State.

Sophomore point guard Phil Pressey leads the Big 12 in assists and is on pace to break Anthony Peeler's school record of 179 set in 1989-90.

"I think the biggest thing for Phil is how soon was he going to develop his point guard instincts in terms of being solid all the time," Haith said. "He's a daring player and very athletic."

Marcus Denmon is the leading scorer at 17.7 points per game and among the best rebounding guards in the nation (5.3). He's among 25 finalists for the John Wooden National Player of the Year award.

Kim English is one of the nation's best 3-point shooters at 49 percent, dangerous again after a difficult junior season in which he appeared to lose confidence.

Junior Mike Dixon has been among the nation's top sixth men, averaging 11.8 points and 2.7 assists.

"We're really tight," Pressey said. "Everybody's cool with each other, no problems. Outside of basketball, we all hang out together. It's a pretty tight locker room and that pretty much shows how our chemistry is on the court."