Tigers visit Iowa St. for tonight's Big 12 opener

AMES, Iowa -- Quin Snyder's memories of Hilton Coliseum are the kind best forgotten.

"My memories of Hilton are nightmares because we got it handed to us up there," the Missouri basketball coach said.

Snyder is 0-4 at Iowa State's arena, where Missouri and ISU open Big 12 play to night.

His experience at Hilton includes Jamaal Tinsley getting a triple-double against the Tigers in 2000. He remembers last season, when the emotional Cyclones beat Missouri 71-55 just hours after the death of their longtime radio announcer, Pete Taylor.

"We're well aware of what a tough environment it is and what a good team we're going to be playing," Snyder said. "We've got our work cut out for us."

Iowa State is off to a surprising 7-2 start under first-year coach Wayne Morgan, who has the Cyclones playing an uptempo style that utilizes the talents of freshman guards Curtis Stinson and Will Blalock.

They've blended in so well with veterans Jake Sullivan, Jared Homan, Jackson Vroman and Marcus Jefferson that Iowa State was unbeaten until losing at Virginia on New Year's Eve. The Cyclones' other loss was at San Diego State on Saturday night.

The question about this game is which Missouri team will show up: The one that was ranked third nationally at the beginning of the season and hammered Iowa 76-56 on Saturday, or the one that has underachieved at times and lost to Belmont last week, a loss that knocked the Tigers (5-4) out of the Top 25.

"I know the players they have and what they're capable of doing," Sullivan said. "I consider them a top 10 team in the country still."

So does Morgan, who hopes to face a struggling Missouri team but is ready for one that plays well.

"It's the first Big 12 game. They're going to come in here and give us the very best they have, I have no doubt about that," Morgan said. "They're deep, one of the most talented teams in the country. He's got four or five big guys. Most teams in the country would kill just to have one of them."

Missouri indeed can be imposing with 6-foot-9 Travon Bryant, 6-9 Kevin Young, 6-9, 270-pound Arthur Johnson and 6-9 Lina Kleiza, who had 18 points and nine rebounds against Iowa.

Iowa State has Vroman (6-10) and Homan (6-9), who can hold their own with most big men but have to stay in the game and out of foul trouble to give the Cyclones a chance.

"It's going to be a real challenge to keep our big guys on the floor and to battle with their big guys for 40 minutes," Morgan said. "That's why our kids are here and that's why I'm coaching -- for the challenge and to try to strive for that type of excellence."

With Big 12 play starting, Snyder is hoping his players can put their up-and-down nonconference season behind them.

"Everybody is 0-0 now," he said. "What happens in December doesn't mean a whole lot. What happens is the Big 12 is the important thing now."