Bears not getting too hyped up about matchup with Arkansas, Steven Hill.
Missouri State basketball players want to make it clear that they have all the respect in the world for the Arkansas Razorbacks.
"We know they're a great team," center Sky Frazier said.
That said, the unbeaten Bears' approach to tonight's game at Arkansas?
Business as usual.
"We're just looking at it as another game," center Drew Richards said. "It's not like we're getting ourselves hyped up more than usual."
Coach Barry Hinson says his team has followed its normal routine. No extra pages to the scouting report. No fiery pre-game speeches are planned.
Good thing. Hinson is fighting a whopper of a cold and can barely elevate his decibel level past quiet.
"We've had some really good practices," Hinson said. "We're focused and we're playing together."
Despite the "just another game" claim, the first meeting with Arkansas in 18 years could help validate the Bears as a legitimate top-40 team.
This is the kind of victory that would look good on a team's r?sum? come March, when postseason bids are delivered.
"I really believe they are an NCAA Tournament team," Arkansas coach Stan Heath said.
Of course, it's not that easy. Arkansas wing Ronnie Brewer is one of the nation's top players and the Razorbacks have a size advantage on the Bears at every position.
"I think we're similar in style of play," Hinson said. "The difference, however, is they have McDonald's All-Americans and we have guys who have eaten at McDonald's.
"They have players who are more athletic. We can't slow down (Brewer) with one guy, it has to be a team effort.
"We'll go play and see what happens."
For Richards and teammate Nathan Bilyeu, the game is something of a Central Ozark Conference reunion. Richards (Rogersville) and Bilyeu (Ozark) often battled Arkansas 7-foot sophomore Steven Hill when Hill played at Branson.
"I hadn't thought much about it until people have talked to me about it this week," Richards said. "I've thought more about Arkansas as a team and not going against Steven.
"But it'll be nice to see him. We had some good games when we were in high school."
Richards said he still stings from a four-overtime loss to Hill's team when the two were sophomores.
"Steven hit a 3-pointer with two seconds left in the third overtime to tie it; he just got the ball and shot it," Richards said. "I fouled out a couple of overtimes before that and they beat us in the fourth OT.
"That one bothers me to this day."
Bilyeu, a year older than Richards and Hill, said the Missouri State post players have to be strong against Hill and 6-10 Darian Townes. Hill has 21 blocks and Townes 20 this season.
"Our coaches have preached all week about taking it strong to the hole, not trying to go around the shot blockers," Bilyeu said. "We have to rebound, play strong, get in there and crash hard."
Townes left Arkansas' last game, a victory over Texas State on Dec. 6, with a knee sprain. Heath said Townes is sore, but will play.
"That is something he will just have to deal with," Heath said.
No matter what happens, the Bears appear to have the proper mind-set going in.
"Everybody is confident," Bilyeu said, "but nobody is really that cocky."
For Missouri State to schedule a major-conference school like Arkansas, of the Southeastern Conference, it often takes a roll of the dice.
Bears coach Barry Hinson said he has begun keeping an open date on his schedule deep into August, hoping a big-name opponent would end up needing a game.
It worked last season when Missouri State got a game at Oklahoma. It has worked again with Arkansas.
Hinson said Creighton coach Dana Altman had always talked about keeping a date open.
"Of course, it's not the best scenario because we don't get them to come back here," Hinson said of Oklahoma and Arkansas. "But maybe (in the future) we can get someone to return the game."
Don't expect Arkansas to do that. This is expected to be a one-time deal.
"The biggest reason we took this game was because it's so local," Hinson said of a two-hour bus trip to Fayetteville. "At the end of finals I didn't want to get our guys on a plane."
Several Missouri Valley Conference teams have used the wait-until-late strategy to schedule a game that boosts the strength of schedule and creates exposure for their programs.
Wichita State did it this year, getting a game at Michigan State.
The downside, however, is if you can't find a big-name opponent you're stuck scrambling to find someone ? almost anyone ? to fill the void.
Missouri State basketball players want to make it clear that they have all the respect in the world for the Arkansas Razorbacks.
"We know they're a great team," center Sky Frazier said.
That said, the unbeaten Bears' approach to tonight's game at Arkansas?
Business as usual.
"We're just looking at it as another game," center Drew Richards said. "It's not like we're getting ourselves hyped up more than usual."
Coach Barry Hinson says his team has followed its normal routine. No extra pages to the scouting report. No fiery pre-game speeches are planned.
Good thing. Hinson is fighting a whopper of a cold and can barely elevate his decibel level past quiet.
"We've had some really good practices," Hinson said. "We're focused and we're playing together."
Despite the "just another game" claim, the first meeting with Arkansas in 18 years could help validate the Bears as a legitimate top-40 team.
This is the kind of victory that would look good on a team's r?sum? come March, when postseason bids are delivered.
"I really believe they are an NCAA Tournament team," Arkansas coach Stan Heath said.
Of course, it's not that easy. Arkansas wing Ronnie Brewer is one of the nation's top players and the Razorbacks have a size advantage on the Bears at every position.
"I think we're similar in style of play," Hinson said. "The difference, however, is they have McDonald's All-Americans and we have guys who have eaten at McDonald's.
"They have players who are more athletic. We can't slow down (Brewer) with one guy, it has to be a team effort.
"We'll go play and see what happens."
For Richards and teammate Nathan Bilyeu, the game is something of a Central Ozark Conference reunion. Richards (Rogersville) and Bilyeu (Ozark) often battled Arkansas 7-foot sophomore Steven Hill when Hill played at Branson.
"I hadn't thought much about it until people have talked to me about it this week," Richards said. "I've thought more about Arkansas as a team and not going against Steven.
"But it'll be nice to see him. We had some good games when we were in high school."
Richards said he still stings from a four-overtime loss to Hill's team when the two were sophomores.
"Steven hit a 3-pointer with two seconds left in the third overtime to tie it; he just got the ball and shot it," Richards said. "I fouled out a couple of overtimes before that and they beat us in the fourth OT.
"That one bothers me to this day."
Bilyeu, a year older than Richards and Hill, said the Missouri State post players have to be strong against Hill and 6-10 Darian Townes. Hill has 21 blocks and Townes 20 this season.
"Our coaches have preached all week about taking it strong to the hole, not trying to go around the shot blockers," Bilyeu said. "We have to rebound, play strong, get in there and crash hard."
Townes left Arkansas' last game, a victory over Texas State on Dec. 6, with a knee sprain. Heath said Townes is sore, but will play.
"That is something he will just have to deal with," Heath said.
No matter what happens, the Bears appear to have the proper mind-set going in.
"Everybody is confident," Bilyeu said, "but nobody is really that cocky."
For Missouri State to schedule a major-conference school like Arkansas, of the Southeastern Conference, it often takes a roll of the dice.
Bears coach Barry Hinson said he has begun keeping an open date on his schedule deep into August, hoping a big-name opponent would end up needing a game.
It worked last season when Missouri State got a game at Oklahoma. It has worked again with Arkansas.
Hinson said Creighton coach Dana Altman had always talked about keeping a date open.
"Of course, it's not the best scenario because we don't get them to come back here," Hinson said of Oklahoma and Arkansas. "But maybe (in the future) we can get someone to return the game."
Don't expect Arkansas to do that. This is expected to be a one-time deal.
"The biggest reason we took this game was because it's so local," Hinson said of a two-hour bus trip to Fayetteville. "At the end of finals I didn't want to get our guys on a plane."
Several Missouri Valley Conference teams have used the wait-until-late strategy to schedule a game that boosts the strength of schedule and creates exposure for their programs.
Wichita State did it this year, getting a game at Michigan State.
The downside, however, is if you can't find a big-name opponent you're stuck scrambling to find someone ? almost anyone ? to fill the void.
