Nebraska Cornhuskers in Lincoln, though, a game dominated by Australian center Aleks Maric, who scored 31 points. Maric, who proved to be an extremely difficult match-up for the smaller Tigers during his career, made five free throws to seal the game in the final minute of overtime. Freshman J.T. Tiller missed a game-winning attempt at the end of regulation in that game, and the Tigers missed three shots from behind the arc with a chance to tie the game in OT. Missouri finished the conference season with a home win over Colorado on senior night, which honored lone senior Marcus Watkins, the son of assistant coach Melvin Watkins. The Tigers battled Texas A&M to a tie at half-time in the Big 12 finale, but the Sweet 16-bound Aggies blew the game open in the second half for a comfortable win. That left MU with a 7-9 record and a sixth-place finish in the Big 12. Big 12 Tournament Missouri drew 11th-seeded Baylor in the first round of the 2007 Big 12 Tournament, a game televised by ESPN2. The Bears entered the game with a 14-15 record but featured a young, talented backcourt—the same players who took the program to a surprising NCAA Tournament appearance just one year later. Baylor's talent was obvious on the court that night, and Scott Drew's team shocked Missouri with a 14-point win. The loss was considered embarrassing at the time for Anderson's program, which appeared to take a step back after a promising regular season. Anderson's vaunted pressing style did not fare well against Baylor, as it shot 63 percent from the field and burned Missouri's full-court pressure for 40 minutes. Upon elimination from the Big 12 Tournament, the Tigers clearly did not have the credentials for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid. However, with a 6th-place finish in a power conference and an 18-12 overall record, the Tigers appeared headed to at least the NIT. On March 12, 2007, though, the NIT did not select Missouri to participate, ending Anderson's first season as head coach. Schedule |- !colspan=12 style=|Preseason |- !colspan=12 style=|Non-Conference Regular Season |- !colspan=12 style=|Big 12 Regular Season |- !colspan=12 style=|Big 12 Tournament Roster Rankings Final season statistics starters in bold (Determined as five players with most starts) See also 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament 2006-07 NCAA Division I men's basketball season 2006-07 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings List of