BOISE, Idaho – The fastest 40 minutes in basketball.
That's the mantra printed on the cover of No. 3 seed Missouri's NCAA Tournament media guide. The Tigers' philosophy is simple – some teams hang their hats on executing half-court sets, some on suffocating defense.
The Tigers hang theirs on an ability to run.
"We love to play up tempo," Missouri guard J.T. Tiller said. "If (No. 6 seed Marquette) wants to speed the tempo up, we're definitely ready for that."
The Golden Eagles, Missouri's opponent in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, don't exactly play at a plodding pace. Marquette averaged 78.2 points per game this season, and is 21-3 when scoring more fast break points than its opponent.
Still, the Golden Eagles have no designs of falling into a track meet against Missouri.
"It doesn't matter who you are, you're not going to be able to do that at the highest level for 40 minutes," senior guard Wesley Matthews said. "You can't be at your 100 percent best for 40 minutes.
"We're not going to try to play at that pace. That's their style. We're going to do what we do."
To hang with the Tigers, the Golden Eagles will likely need to slow the pace. Marquette's usual rotation goes just seven players deep, with Matthews (38 minutes against Utah State), guard Jerel McNeal (39 minutes) and forward Lazar Hayward (37 minutes) counted on to play the majority of most games.
Marquette's bench became even shorter when senior guard Dominic James broke his foot Feb. 2 against Connecticut, ending his season.
In contrast, eight Missouri players logged at least 11 minutes in a first-round win over Cornell. Only two players – forward DeMarre Carroll (31 minutes) and guard Zaire Taylor (33 minutes) – played more than 30 minutes.
"I think that the guys will probably play the same minutes that they have been playing combined," coach Buzz Williams said. "I may sub them in at different times for shorter periods of time.
"But I agree with what Wesley had to say. I think if you try to play the way that Missouri wants you to play, Missouri will win."
If Marquette is going to operate well in the half court, the Golden Eagles will need to shoot better than they did against Utah State. The Golden Eagles shot just 36.2 percent from the field against the Aggies, including a 5-of-19 mark from behind the 3-point line. Matthews and McNeal combined for 25 points, but did so on 6-of-26 shooting.
Marquette will also need to stop the versatile 6-foot-8 Carroll and 6-foot-9 forward Leo Lyons. Lyons and Carroll combined to score 36 points against Cornell, and both deviate from the typical "forward" mold.
"Our forwards can become guards. Our guards can become forwards," Missouri coach Mike Anderson said. "The way we play, it's a motion offense, where all five guys touch the basketball. I think versatility is a strength of ours."
For Marquette, victory will mean slowing the game's tempo while staying aggressive, and capitalizing on every opportunity.
"If we can score quick, we're going to score quick. If not, we're going to try to guard and move the ball," Matthews said. "We're just going to have to do what we do. We're going to have to move the ball, be smart with it, but be aggressive at the same time."