Feb. 10, 2000
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Missouri Tigers (14-7 overall, 7-2 in Big 12 Conference play) look to bounce back from their first loss since early January when they play host to the #18-ranked Texas Longhorns (16-6, 7-2) Saturday in Columbia, Mo. Tipoff is set for 12:45 p.m.
Saturday's game marks the second game of a tough stretch which will see the Tigers play five of their last eight regular-season games versus ranked opponents. Missouri had rolled up seven consecutive wins before being knocked off at home by #17 Iowa State on Wednesday, 72-62. The win gave ISU a season sweep of the Tigers.
Texas, the defending Big 12 Champions, has won two straight games entering Saturday's contest, and five of their last six overall. Their only conference losses came at Oklahoma State (73-65) and at Oklahoma (83-59).
TIPOFF: 12:45 p.m. (central).
ARENA: Hearnes Center (13,300). Opened in 1972. MU is 342-56 alltime at Hearnes, including 2-0 alltime vs. Texas.
RADIO: Tiger Network (Mike Kelly, play-by-play/Gary Link, color). Carried on more than 50 stations statewide, and on the Internet at www.mutigers.com.
TV: ESPN-Plus (Big 12 Network). Dave Armstrong (play-by-play), Jon Sundvold (color). Please see page seven of these notes for a statewide listing of affiliates.
RANKINGS: MU is receiving votes in both polls, UT is #18 AP/#16 ESPN-USA Today.
SERIES: MU leads, 8-2, and has won 3-of-4 meetings in Big 12 Conference play.
COACHES:
Missouri: Quin Snyder (Duke '89), 14-7 at MU (1st season), 14-7 overall (1st season).
Texas: Rick Barnes (Lenoir-Rhyne '77), 35-19 at UT (2nd season), 237-153 overall (13th season). Barnes is 1-1 vs. Missouri (1-0 at Clemson/0-1 at Texas).
MISSOURI TIGERS (14-7, 7-2)
(Probable Starting Lineup/Just an SID's best guess)
| P | NO | NAME | HT | WT | YR | HOMETOWN | PPG/RPG |
| F | 24 | Jeff Hafer*** | 6-5 | 212 | Sr. | Joplin, Mo. | 7.8 / 3.4 |
| C | 33 | Tajudeen Soyoye | 6-9 | 236 | Jr. | Lagos, Nigeria | 9.8 / 6.2 |
| G | 5 | Keyon Dooling* | 6-3 | 184 | So. | Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. | 15.5 / 2.5 |
| G | 12 | Brian Grawer** | 6-0 | 165 | Jr. | St. Louis, Mo. | 8.1 / 3.0 |
| G | 4 | Clarence Gilbert* | 6-2 | 197 | So. | Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. | 13.0 / 3.7 |
#18 TEXAS LONGHORNS (16-6, 7-2)
(Probable Starting Lineup/Just an SID's best guess)
| P | NO | NAME | HT | WT | YR | HOMETOWN | PPG/RPG |
| F | 3 | Gabe Muoneke*** | 6-7 | 250 | Sr. | Houston, Texas | 13.6 / 6.1 |
| C | 4 | Chris Mihm** | 7-0 | 262 | Jr. | Austin, Texas | 18.4 / 10.6 |
| G | 5 | Ivan Wagner* | 6-1 | 195 | Sr. | San Antonio, Texas | 8.6 / 3.0 |
| G | 22 | Lawrence Williams | 6-1 | 190 | Jr. | Ruston, La. | 6.8 / 1.8 |
| G | 25 | Darren Kelly | 6-3 | 185 | Jr. | Forrestville, Md. | 8.6 / 2.8 |
THE QUIN-TISENNTIALS
The 15th head coach in Missouri basketball history, Quin Snyder is 14-7 in his first season as a head coach. He notched his first career win Nov. 13th vs. Princeton, when the Tigers grabbed a 51-48 victory in the NABC Classic in Syracuse, N.Y. His first win in the Big 12 Conference came on Jan. 12th, as the Tigers jumped Colorado, 100-86. His first-ever road win will go down in the books as a 74-72 win at Baylor on Jan. 18th.
An exciting new era began at Missouri this past April, when Snyder was introduced as men's head basketball coach by Director of Athletics Michael Alden.
Snyder, an assistant coach at Duke University the past four years, is just the fifth different head coach at Missouri since 1926.
Snyder's mission is to take the Tiger program to the next level. And if that next level represents the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament, Snyder will be a repeat visitor. In 10 years at Duke, he took part in five Final Fours - three as a player (1986, 88, 89) and two more as a coach (1994, 99). For those of you keeping score at home, that's exactly five more Final Fours than Mizzou has qualified for in its previous 93 years.
Snyder had served as Duke's associate head coach the past two seasons, and was entrusted with numerous on-court coaching responsibilities, as well as recruiting duties for the Blue Devils by Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski. He was widely credited with recruiting the group of student-athletes (including 1999 national player-of-the-year Elton Brand) at Duke who compiled a 37-2 record last year and finished as NCAA runners-up.
Snyder and his wife, Helen, were married on Sept. 24th of this year. Snyder celebrated his 33rd birthday on Oct. 30th.
MISSOURI-TEXAS SERIES
Missouri and Texas have met 10 times previously, and the Tigers own an 8-2 edge in the series, including a 3-1 advantage since the inception of the Big 12 Conference.
Last season, Mizzou closed out the regular season by defeating the 22nd-ranked Longhorns on their homecourt, 54-47. The win gave MU its 20th of the season, and gave the Tigers a share of the north division title.
Texas Head Coach Rick Barnes is 1-1 in his career vs. Missouri. Prior to last year's meeting, Barnes was on the winning bench in a 47-45 Clemson win over Missouri in the opening round of the 1996 San Juan Shootout.
TOUGH STRETCH CONTINUES
After winning 7-of-8 games to begin conference play, the Tigers head into the second half of the league season staring at tough road to hoe, as it were.
Saturday's game against 18th-ranked Texas marks the second-straight ranked opponent that the Tigers will face, following Wednesday's loss to #17 Iowa State.
In all, the Tigers will face five ranked teams in its final eight games of the regular season, with later ranked foes such as #14 Oklahoma State (Feb. 21 in Columbia), #16 Oklahoma (Feb. 26 at Norman) and #20 Kansas (March 5 in Lawrence) lining the docket.
STREAK ENDS AT SEVEN
Missouri saw its seven-game winning streak come to an end Wednesday in a rugged game vs. 17th-ranked Iowa State.
Missouri entered the game averaging a league-best 84.0 points a game in conference play, but the Cyclones' stifling defensive efforts on the perimeter kept the Tigers' guards at bay for the most part, as MU shot just 38.5% from the floor on the evening.
A key stretch came at the start of the second half, when in the first three minutes of play, ISU scored on only one of its first seven possessions, yet managed to cut a five-point MU lead to three points.
MU's inability to stretch that five-point lead into a more comfortable working margin proved vital later, as the Cyclones put together separate scoring runs of 12-0 and 10-0 later in the half to eventually pull away for the win.
Individually, ISU's Marcus Fizer played like the Big 12 Player-of-the-Year, as he scored seemingly at will against the undersized Tigers. Fizer scored 28 points (on 11-of-16 FGs) and grabbed 12 rebounds, to boot.
ISU outrebounded MU by a 38-25 margin on the evening, and the Tigers managed only seven assists, less than half of the 15.88 they averaged in league games entering the contest.
The seven straight wins was the longest such streak for MU since the inception of the Big 12 Conference, in 1996-97. The previous longest streak was five games, accomplished last season.
RUSH WINS BIG 12 ROOKIE AWARD
Missouri freshman forward Kareem Rush had two big performances last week, and on Monday was named the Big 12 Conference Rookie-of-the-Week for his efforts.
Rush won the award after averaging 18.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, in helping lead MU to key road wins at Colorado and Nebraska.
Rush followed with another stellar performance Wednesday in MU's 72-62 loss to #17 Iowa State, as the Kansas City, Mo. native scored 17 points in 30 minutes of play. He hit 3-of-4 three-pointers on the night.
Last Saturday, Rush scored a career-high 21 points at Nebraska, and added six rebounds. While his team was struggling offensively in the first half, the unflappable freshman took charge. He scored 10 of the team's 24 first-half points, a performance which kept the Tigers within striking distance.
Earlier in the week, Rush tallied 15 points at Colorado, helping MU gain its first win there since 1994.
Rush enters the Texas contest averaging 13.0 points per game, including 17.3 per game in Big 12 Conference play. His season point total ranks 2nd among Big 12 freshmen and 16th in the league overall, but after missing nine games from Dec. 18 through Jan. 22 due to an NCAA ruling, Rush hasn't played in enough games to qualify for the league leaders.
MU VS. RANKED TEAMS
Missouri will be playing its 6th game (and second consecutive) this year against a ranked opponent, and the Tigers stand 2-3 in the previous five outings.
Wednesday against #17 Iowa State, the Tigers came up on the short end of a 72-62 decision. Previously, MU demolished then-#7 Kansas, 81-59 in Columbia on Jan. 22nd. MU had #15-ranked Indiana on the ropes in Columbia (Dec. 7), leading by as much as 16 points in the first half, but the Hoosiers clawed back for a 73-68 win. Two weeks later, MU defeated #15 Illinois at the Kiel Center in St. Louis, by a similar 78-72 score. Later, MU was beaten by #25 Kentucky, 70-53 in New Orleans, La., on Dec. 30th.
Individually, Keyon Dooling is averaging 19.0 points per game against ranked teams, with efforts of 25 vs. Illinois, 21 vs. Indiana, 19 vs. Kentucky, 12 vs. Kansas and 18 vs. Iowa State. His running-mate Clarence Gilbert is averaging 16.2 points in those same games, and had a career-high 27 points in a lights-out performance against Kansas. Freshman Kareem Rush is also averaging 16.5 points in two games vs. ranked teams (17 vs. Iowa State & 16 vs. Indiana).
SCORING EXPLOSION
Missouri began its recent seven-game winning streak on Jan. 12th in Columbia against Colorado. Since then, MU knocked off Kansas State, Baylor, Kansas, Texas A&M, Colorado again, and Nebraska in succession, prior to Wednesday's defeat against Iowa State.
In those seven games, Missouri really put things together on the offensive end. MU shot 49.5 percent as a team in the seven wins, compared to just 43.3 percent by opponents.
Perhaps most impressive was the fact that the Tigers averaged 84.4 points a game in the string - just under 16 points more than the team was averaging prior to the first meeting with CU (68.5 ppg). The Tigers outscored foes by a 13.8 point margin per game during the streak (84.4 to 70.6).
MORE SCORING FACTS
Missouri has scored 80 or more points in 6-of-9 conference games thus far (66.7 percent), entering the Texas contest.
That's a pretty heady accomplishment, given the fact that in the previous years of Big 12 Conference play, MU had scored 80 or more points in just 13 of 48 league contests (27.0 percent).
PICK YOUR POISON
During the Big 12 Conference season, Quin Snyder's bunch has exhibited an impressive balance offensively, making it hard for opponents to focus on one person.
A whopping six Tigers, led by freshman Kareem Rush (17.2 ppg), are averaging double figures in scoring in conference play. Others in double figures include Clarence Gilbert (16.3 ppg), Keyon Dooling (14.3), Brian Grawer (10.9), Jeff Hafer (10.4) and Tajudeen Soyoye (10.1). Additionally, Johnnie Parker, at 8.6 ppg, is just shy of giving the Tigers seven players in double figures, as well.
Here's a quick look at a few numbers which have told the story during MU's 7-2 start to the conference season:
| Big 12 Season | Prior to Big 12 | |
| MU Points Per Game | 81.6 | 67.4 |
| Scoring Margin | +9.2 | +3.8 |
| Rebounding Margin | -2.9 | -4.2 |
| MU FG Percentage | 47.9% | 40.3% |
| Opp. FG Percentage | 45.1% | 44.2% |
| MU 3-pt. FG Percentage | 41.9% | 35.2% |
| Opp. 3-pt. FG Percentage | 27.5% | 32.5% |
| MU Assists Per Game | 14.9 | 12.8 |
MORE POISON
To illustrate just how improved MU's offensive attack has been since conference play began, here's a quick look at how several Tiger individuals have done scoring-wise in league play, compared to non-league play:
| PPG | PPG | |
| Tiger | Big 12 | Non-Conf. |
| Kareem Rush | 17.2 | 10.9 |
| Clarence Gilbert | 16.3 | 10.4 |
| Keyon Dooling | 14.3 | 16.4 |
| Brian Grawer | 10.9 | 6.0 |
| Jeff Hafer | 10.4 | 5.8 |
| Tajudeen Soyoye | 10.1 | 9.5 |
| Johnnie Parker | 8.6 | 6.5 |
BREAK OUT THE CALCULATORS
Missouri earned its 84-78 comeback win at Nebraska last Saturday thanks in large part to a monster 2nd-half offensive performance that saw MU score a whopping 60 points.
The Tigers shot 53.1 percent from the floor in the second half, after making just 9-of-30 shots in the opening 20 minutes (30.0%), and hit 9-of-19 three pointers (47.4%) after making just 2-of-10 in the first half (20.0%).
MU also got it done at the foul line, as they hit 17-of-22 freebies in the second half (77.3%), including 12-of-16 in the final two minutes to seal the win.
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
While MU's bid at eight straight conference wins fell a bit short Wednesday against Iowa State, the fact that the Tigers strung together seven consecutive wins was no small feat.
Since the 1922-23 Tigers went 14-2 in Missouri Valley Conference play, only four other MU teams have won as many as seven consecutive regular-season conference games. All four of those teams went on to claim conference championships.
Here's a look at the longest conference winning streaks by MU since 1922-23:
| Winning | League | League | |
| Year | Streak | Record | Standing |
| 1993-94 | 14 | 14-0 | 1st |
| 1981-82 | 8 | 12-2 | 1st |
| 1999-00 | 7 | 7-2 | T-3rd |
| 1989-90 | 7 | 12-2 | 1st |
| 1979-80 | 7 | 11-3 | 1st |
| 1988-89 | 6 | 10-4 | 2nd |
| 1986-87 | 6 | 11-3 | 1st |
| 1976-77 | 6 | 9-5 | 3rd |
AND DOWN THE STRETCH THEY COME
Missouri stood 7-1 through the first half of the Big 12 season, MU's best halfway mark in the short history of the league.
We all know that a good start is important, but it's likely even more important how a team finishes the season. Last year, MU followed a 6-2 first half with a solid 5-3 second half, which helped propel the Tigers into the NCAA Tournament.
In the previous three years of Big 12 play, MU was an even 24-24 in league action. Oddly, the Tigers were a symmetrical 12-12 combined in the three years between the first and second halves of season play.
Here's a look at how the Tigers have started and finished the league season:
| Year | 1st 8 | 2nd 8 | Overall (Place) |
| 1996-97 | 2-6 | 3-5 | 5-11 (10th) |
| 1997-98 | 4-4 | 4-4 | 8-8 (5th) |
| 1998-99 | 6-2 | 5-3 | 11-5 (2nd) |
| 3-Year Totals | 12-12 | 12-12 | 24-24 |
| 1999-00 | 7-1 | 0-1 | 7-2 (T-3rd) |
| Totals | 19-13 | 12-13 | 31-26 |
WELCOME BACK, KAREEM!
After missing nine games due to an NCAA-mandated suspension, one had to wonder how long it would take freshman Kareem Rush to get back into the flow, when he returned to game action Jan. 29th vs. Texas A&M.
Well, it took the unflappable rookie from Kansas City, Mo. about as long as it takes a politician to flip-flop a position - not too long.
Rush entered the game with 14:30 left in the first half, and MU trailing the Aggies 13-5. Over the next three minutes, the Tigers went on a 14-0 run to regain the lead for good. On the day, Rush scored a team-high 16 points, on 6-of-10 shooting. He followed up with 15 more points last Wednesday at Colorado, and added a career-high 21 at Nebraska. He was named Big 12 Rookie-of-the-Week on Monday for his efforts.
Rush missed games from Dec. 18 through Jan. 22, due to impermissible benefits he received from an AAU coach prior to his enrollment at Missouri.
The University first declared him ineligible on Dec. 14th, and turned in its findings to the NCAA. The NCAA then ruled he must sit out 50 percent of MU's games originally, but reduced the sentence to 33 percent, or nine games. Additionally, Rush will have four years to donate to charity the monetary value of gifts he received from his former coach.
Missouri managed to go 6-3 during Rush's absence, with big wins over #7 Kansas, #15 Illinois and Iowa, but was certainly welcomed back with open arms.
Rush is now averaging 13.0 points and 4.3 rebounds a game, numbers which rank 2nd and 3rd on the team, respectively. His scoring average ranks him 2nd among Big 12 freshmen, and 16th overall, but he has played in enough games to qualify for the statistics leader board.
Because he's a smooth lefty who hails from Kansas City, Rush draws natural comparisons to former Tiger all-American Anthony Peeler ... Though it's early, Rush's numbers compare favorably to Peeler in his freshman year ... Here's a quick look at how other prominent Tigers fared as freshmen:
| Tiger | Fresh. Year | Pts. | Rebs. |
| Steve Stipanovich | 1979-80 | 14.4 | 6.4 |
| Derrick Chievous | 1984-85 | 13.1 | 5.3 |
| Kareem Rush | 1999-00 | 13.0 | 4.3 |
| Kelly Thames | 1993-94 | 12.2 | 7.1 |
| Jevon Crudup | 1990-91 | 12.0 | 7.1 |
| Nathan Buntin | 1986-87 | 11.8 | 4.9 |
| Doug Smith | 1987-88 | 11.3 | 6.6 |
| Anthony Peeler | 1988-89 | 10.1 | 3.7 |
| Melvin Booker | 1990-91 | 8.3 | 2.2 |
| Curtis Berry | 1977-78 | 6.8 | 4.7 |
| Larry Drew | 1976-77 | 6.9 | 2.8 |
| Jon Sundvold | 1979-80 | 6.3 | 1.7 |
DOOLING IS MU'S 'KEY'
Sophomore guard Keyon Dooling has been MU's leading scorer all season, but he's really excelled in running the team of late, as he's averaging 5.1 assists per game in MU's last eight games.
He currently ranks 10th in the Big 12, with a scoring average of 15.5 points a game. He's coming off a solid night against #17 Iowa State, a game in which he led MU with 18 points. He was credited with just two assists (his lowest total since Jan. 8, also vs. ISU) on the night, but had several nice dishes underneath bounce off teammates' hands, only to go unrewarded.
Dooling had a stellar performance at Nebraska last Saturday, when he scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half, leading MU to a come-from-behind win. He also added seven assists and six rebounds on the day to complete an excellent line.
On Jan. 12th vs. Colorado, he was near-perfect when he scored 25 points on 7-of-8 shooting, including a perfect 4-of-4 from three-point land. He also was good on 7-of-8 free throws on the night, and added five assists. His 25 points tied a career high, and he's accomplished that three times this season - against Princeton, #15 Illinois and Colorado.
GILBERT 6th IN BIG 12 IN SCORING
Sophomore guard Clarence Gilbert enters Saturday's game as the 6th-leading scorer in Big 12 Conference games, as he's scoring at a 16.3 points per game clip. He had been leading the league in scoring through five games, but has been held to an average of 8.8 points a game since spraining his left ankle at the end of the Kansas game on Jan. 22nd.
Gilbert recently turned in a performance against Kansas that will have Tiger fans talking for a long time. Against the Jayhawks, Gilbert scored a career-high 27 points, and didn't even play the last 6:09 because of the ankle sprain.
Gilbert hit 7-of-10 three pointers against KU, including a torrid stretch where he hit five straight treys to push MU out to a 56-39 lead with 12:41 left in the game. He also led the team with six rebounds, and added four assists.
Gilbert celebrated his 20th birthday on Jan. 15th vs. Kansas State by scoring 25 points and grabbing six rebounds. He's now scored 25 or more points in three league games already - 26 points (at Iowa State), 25 points (vs. KSU), and 27 points (vs. Kansas).
Gilbert's feats in conference play thus far are pretty impressive, given the fact that he averaged just 4.8 points a game in Big 12 play last year as a freshman.
He also ranks 3rd in league games with an average of 3.56 three-pointers made per game, and is 7th in three-point shooting percentage (43.8%). His season scoring average of 13.0 currently ranks 16th in the league.
A VALUABLE RESOURCE
The return of Kareem Rush to the Tiger lineup gives Quin Snyder not only another explosive offensive weapon, but it helps give MU a much deeper bench.
To illustrate the point, consider the following fact: in the nine games that Rush had to sit out, the Tiger bench averaged just 9.8 points per game. In the 12 games that Rush has played, the Tiger bench has contributed an average of 25.3 points a contest.
The Jan. 29th game vs. Texas A&M was a perfect example of what depth can do for a team. In the Tigers' dismantling of the Aggies, MU reserves contributed 43 points off the bench, compared to just nine points off the bench for A&M.
MU's season high for reserves in a game came vs. Morgan State, when the Tiger bench outscored MSU by a 46-9 margin.
MU'S RPI IS A.O.K.
Missouri ranks 30th in the latest RPI rankings, while Texas rates #8 in the land. MU's schedule ranks as the 21st-toughest in the nation currently. The Big 12 Conference is ranked as the #3 league in strength ratings, behind only the Big Ten, and Pac-10 conferences.
OFFENSE GETTING UNTRACKED
Since conference season rolled around, the Missouri has turned itself into one of the league's top offensive units, as the Tigers rank as the Big 12's highest scoring team in league games, with an 81.6 per-game average entering Saturday's game vs. Texas. That's despite coming off a conference season low 62 points against Iowa State on Wednesday.
In conference play, MU also leads the league in field goal percentage (47.9%) and is 2nd in three-point shooting (41.9%).
The turnaround in offensive performance has been dramatic for the Tigers. Entering the league season, MU ranked 12th in the league in field goal percentage.
MU has shot better than 50.0 percent in 3-of-9 league games, including a 52.3 percent shooting day vs. Texas A&M. Previously, the Tigers had an outstanding performance against #7 Kansas, in which MU shot 54.7% from the floor, including 50.0% from three-point land (11-of-22).
In a 100-86 win over Colorado on Jan. 12th, the Tigers had a brilliant offensive performance. Missouri shot a scintillating 64.6% from the floor against the 'Buffs, which is the best shooting day for an MU team since the Tigers hit for 64.7% against Chicago State on Dec. 2, 1995. It's also the best mark put forth by a Tiger team since the inception of the Big 12 Conference. The previous Big 12 best by MU was a 56.7% shooting day at Texas A&M in 1999.
In scoring 100 points for the first time since beating Southern, 111-69 on Dec. 30, 1996, the Tigers' offensive prowess was impressive, considering the fact that just eight days earlier, MU suffered through its worst shooting performance in over 22 years. On Jan. 8th, MU fell to Winthrop, 51-46, in a game in which the Tigers made just 25.0% of their shots. That was MU's lowest output since shooting 23.9% in a 96-49 loss to Kansas on Dec. 28, 1977.
TIGER QUICK FACTS
Johnnie Parker was one of the key components in MU's recent seven-game winning streak, as the junior from St. Louis, Mo. has been playing the best ball of his Tiger career. For the season, he's averaging a career-high 7.4 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. He had 14 points (on 6-of-6 FGs) in 15 minutes vs. Texas A&M, and followed that with a 10-point outing at Colorado. He was a key performer in MU's win over Kansas on Jan. 22nd. He scored nine points off the bench (on 4-of-5 FGs), and gave the Tigers a spark when he scored a bucket on MU's last possession of the first half for the third straight game. He currently ranks 6th in conference play with a field goal percentage of 59.6 percent. Earlier, Parker had a career-high 16 points in 20 minutes off the bench vs. Colorado.
Senior forward Jeff Hafer continued his outstanding all-around play last week, as he scored 16 points, and added 7 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists at Colorado. He scored eight points and added a team-best six rebounds vs. Kansas, in just 19 minutes of play. Previously, he had a solid effort vs. Baylor, as he scored 15 points, on 7-of-9 shooting. He's averaging 10.4 points per game in Big 12 play, and is shooting 57.9 percent from the floor, which ranks 8th in league games. Hafer scored a career-high 19 points on Jan. 12th against Colorado, eclipsing the previous best of 18 he had against Coppin State as a sophomore. Hafer hit 12-of-14 free throws on the night, and added four assists.
Junior guard BRIAN GRAWER scored a season-high 23 points at Colorado, and followed up with 16 more at Nebraska. That gave him double figures in points in three straight games (a season first), and he averaged 16.7 points per game in those three outings. He hit 10-of-18 three pointers in the three games (55.6 percent). Grawer was held to just two points in Wednesday's loss to #17 Iowa State, as he went 0-of-5 from the floor, including 0-of-3 from three-point land. He scored 14 points on Jan. 15th vs. Kansas State, as he made 6-of-12 shots on the day. He's now scored in double figures in 5-of-9 league games, after doing so just twice during 13 non-conference games. The career 48 percent shooter is connecting on 34.8 percent of his shots thus far. Grawer is shooting 90.4 percent from the foul line this year (47-of-52), and leads the Big 12 Conference in that category.
Junior center tajudeen soyoye notched the second double-double of his career on Jan. 18th at Baylor, as he racked up 14 points and added 11 rebounds in 31 minutes of play. He followed up with a solid game against Kansas, when he scored 16 points and held KU's Eric Chenowith to six points and five rebounds. MU is now 11-1 on the year when he plays 26 minutes or more, and is just 3-6 when he plays 25 minutes or fewer. Soyoye currently ranks 10th in the Big 12 with a season field goal rate of 55.1 percent.
Freshman forward justin gage, was a key performer in last Saturday's win at Nebraska, as he grabbed a career-high seven rebounds. He also turned in some late-game heroics on Jan. 18th at Baylor. Gage entered the game at Baylor shooting just 46.2 percent from the foul line, but calmly nailed a pair of free throws with :16 seconds left to give MU a 73-68 lead, which proved to be the winning points in MU's 74-72 win. Gage is a quarterback on the MU football team who walked on to the basketball team following the conclusion of the football season.
REBOUND THAT BASKETBALL
Missouri is not exactly what you'd consider a huge team, as only two players on the roster stand 6-foot-9 or taller.
But the Tigers came up big on the glass during MU's recent seven-game winning streak, as they outrebounded opponents by a 35.9-to-35.7 margin per game. That doesn't seem like much, but consider the fact that prior to the current streak, the Tigers were being outrebounded by a 37.8-to-32.8 margin by their opponents.
In last week's sweep of road games at Colorado and Nebraska, the Tigers outrebounded both teams. MU outworked CU on the glass, 42-39, and did so in similar fashion to NU, 42-38. Colorado and Nebraska had entered last week ranking 2nd and 3rd in the Big 12 in rebounding, respectively.
Missouri was held to a season-low 25 rebounds Wednesday vs. Iowa State, and was outrebounded by the Cyclones, 38-25. The Tigers are averaging 33.5 rebounds a game entering the Texas contest. The Tigers are 7-0 when outrebounding their opponent, and 6-6 when losing the battle of the boards.
GOOD THINGS COME IN THREES
Missouri has used the three-point shot to its advantage this year. The Tigers enter the Texas game as the top three-point outfit in the Big 12 Conference. Through 21 games, Missouri has hit 193-of-510 three pointers, both totals which are tops in the Big 12 Conference thus far.
MU has made at least 10 three pointers in a game nine times on the year, and hit 11-of-29 threes at Nebraska last Saturday. Previously, they had an 11-of-20 night from beyond the arch at Colorado (55.0%). On Jan. 12th, the Tigers also scorched the nets vs. Colorado, when MU hit 10-of-15 attempts for a season-best 66.7% clip.
Ironically, however, when MU scored a season-high 100 points against Colorado, the 15 three point attempts were the fewest they've tried this season.
Taking a look at the season stats, it appears that when MU tries fewer threes, they are more successful. The three games in which MU has attempted the fewest number of threes this year, MU is 3-0. The three games in which they have attempted the most number of threes this year, the Tigers are just 1-2. Here's a breakdown:
| 15 vs. Colorado | W |
| 17 vs. SMU | W |
| 18 at Baylor | W |
| -- | |
| 31 vs. Morgan State | W |
| 30 vs. Indiana | L |
| 30 vs. Winthrop | L |
MU tied a single game school record back on Nov. 27th when it made 15 threes in a rout of Morgan State. The 15 threes made tied the record previously accomplished in 1997 vs. Wake Forest and in 1998 vs. Kansas State.
Seven different Tigers dialed long distance vs. Morgan State, including freshman Josh Kroenke, who came off the bench to nail five treys for the second straight game.
Conversely, Tiger opponents have yet to reach double digits in threes made for a game. Princeton had an opponent high when they hit eight treys on Nov. 13 against the Tigers.
Season records to keep an eye on include 214 three-pointers made and 580 treys attempted, both by the 1997-98 squad. Through 21 games, the Tigers are on pace to make 267 three pointers in 704 attempts.
MORE ON THE LONGBALL
Through 21 games, the Missouri Tigers have already proven to be one of the school's most prolific long-range shooting teams.
The 193 three-point field goals made to this point already stands as the fourth-most number of treys made in MU single-season history. The Tigers stand just 22 more to break the single-season team record at Mizzou, which is 214 treys made by the 1997-98 squad.
Additionally, the current Tigers have attempted 510 threes thus far, a total which similarly ranks fourth on the alltime MU single-season chart. With 71 more attempts, they'll break the single-season mark of 580 set by the 1997-98 squad.
Here's a look at the single-season marks:
THREE-POINT FGs MADE
| 1. | 214 | 97-98 |
| 2. | 204 | 93-94 |
| 3. | 197 | 96-97 |
| 4. | 193 | 99-00 |
| 5. | 180 | 94-95 |
| 180 | 98-99 |
THREE-POINT FGs ATTEMPTED
| 1. | 580 | 97-98 |
| 2. | 575 | 93-94 |
| 3. | 549 | 96-97 |
| 4. | 510 | 99-00 |
| 5. | 474 | 98-99 |
GETTING TO THE LINE
All season long, Tiger Coach Quin Snyder has preached the importance of driving the ball, which leads to open shots and getting fouled. Missouri's focus on being aggressive offensively led to 63 foul shots combined in its two road wins last week, of which the Tigers connected on 40 (63.5%). That compares to 31-of-48 foul shots combined for Colorado and Nebraska (66.7%).
More importantly, MU was a combined 18-of-24 (75.0%) from the line in the last two minutes of both road games.
On Jan. 12th, MU had a big night from the foul line against Colorado, as the Tigers' efforts resulted in a season-high 28 made free throws. MU shot a solid 77.8% from the line (28-of-38), which was a big factor in the outcome of the game, as CU was 19-of-28 on the night.
MU faced a huge deficit at the foul line at Iowa State, as the Cyclones hit 24-of-34 free throws, compared to just 8-of-11 for the Tigers. MU actually outscored ISU by a 73-62 margin from the field, but couldn't overcome the Cyclones advantage from the line.
MU had trouble getting to the line against Indiana. In that game, MU earned only eight free throw attempts, making six, while the Hoosiers connected on 18-of-27 on the night - clearly a deciding factor in IU's five-point win.
MIZZOU SETS ATTENDANCE RECORD
Missouri has broken single game attendance records twice in Quin Snyder's first year as head coach.
On Jan. 22nd vs. Kansas, a record 14,098 fans packed the Hearnes Center to see MU crush KU, 81-59. It was the first time over the 14,000 mark for an MU home game.
Previously, Missouri's home game on Dec. 7th vs. Indiana drew 13,782 fans, which broke the record of 13,706 set in 1989 vs. Kansas. It is only the second entry in the top ten that involves a non-conference team.
Here's a listing of the top ten single-game attendance records at Hearnes.
| 1. | 14,098, 1-22-00 vs. Kansas |
| 2. | 13,782, 12-7-99 vs. Indiana |
| 3. | 13,706, 2-11-89 vs. Kansas |
| 4. | 13,645, 1-14-89 vs. Iowa State |
| 5. | 13,610, 2-27-88 vs. Kansas |
| 6. | 13,558, 2-21-88 vs. Oklahoma State |
| 7. | 13,544, 1-23-88 vs. Iowa State |
| 8. | 13,471, 3-3-88 vs. Oklahoma |
| 9. | 13,470, 2-4-89 vs. Kansas State |
| 10. | 13,469, 2-9-00 vs. Iowa State |
TIGERS SIGN THREE PREP BLUE-
CHIPPERS DURING EARLY PERIOD
MU Head Coach Quin Snyder has signed three high school standouts in what looks to become one of the nation's top recruiting classes.
During the early signing period, which ran from Nov. 10-17, Snyder inked prep stars Rickey Paulding, Arthur Johnson and Wesley Stokes to national letters of intent.
Here's a look at each of them:
RICKEY PAULDING
Paulding, a 6-foot-5 guard from Detroit Renaissance High School, is considered one of the nation's top 30 prep prospects, and has been selected to the pre-season all-American team by Street & Smith Magazine . He averaged 25.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots per game last season at Renaissance High, and was selected to Michigan's all-state team in 1999. His point total led the extremely competitive Detroit Public School League last year.
Paulding selected Missouri over Michigan State, Ohio State and Miami, Fla.
ARTHUR JOHNSON
Johnson, a 6-foot-9 power forward from Detroit Pershing High School, is considered a top 30 national prospect by many recruiting services. He's one of the top big men in the country, and is coming off a season in which he averaged 16 points and 13 rebounds per game as a junior. He led his Pershing team to a top-five ranking in the state last year, and earned all-state honors for his efforts.
Johnson selected Missouri over Miami, Fla., Michigan, Ohio State and Michigan State. His high school coach is Arnold Neville.
WESLEY STOKES
Stokes, a 5-foot-10 point guard out of Long Beach Poly, is considered the top-rated point guard prospect in the West, and is a top-50 national recruit. Stokes averaged 16 points, eight assists and four steals per game last year as a junior, and garnered much attention after some superb play in various summer all-star camps.
Stokes selected Missouri over Southern California, San Diego State, Texas and Massachusetts. His high school coach is Ron Palmer, who directed Long Beach Poly to a 24-7 record last season, and the quarterfinals of the Southern California Regionals. They are a pre-season favorite to win the Southern Section Division I-AA championship, which would be their second in the past four years.
"We're obviously very excited to have such good kids want to join our program," said Quin Snyder. "We get better with all three of them, in different ways."
FOUR FORMER TIGERS HONORED
Four former Tiger basketball standouts were honored last weekend, as they were inducted into the MU Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame.
Joining the Hall this year were former players Kim Anderson, Melvin Booker, Ricky Frazier and Woody Hatfield.
- KIM ANDERSON - Currently in his first year as director of basketball operations for the Big 12 Conference, Anderson was a junior forward on Norm Stewart's first Big Eight Conference championship team in 1976, then led the league in scoring and was it's "Player of the Year" in 1977. He tallied 1,289 points in his career to rank among MU's top-20 alltime scorers. From 1982 until 1999, he was an assistant coach, including 12 years at MU and six others at Baylor.
- MELVIN BOOKER - Booker was the catalyst for MU's 14-0 run through the Big Eight Conference in 1994, and eventual advancement to the "Elite Eight" round of the NCAA Tournament. He was an all-Big Eight selection as a junior (15.8 ppg) and senior (18.1 ppg), and was a first-team all-American in 1994. He ranks fifth in school history in scoring (1,697 points) and second in both three-point field goals (183) and assists (488). Booker is currently playing in Europe, and will not be in attendance this weekend.
- RICKY FRAZIER - Played on three Big Eight Conference championship and NCAA Tournament teams from 1980-82. He was all-Big Eight and all-District in 1981 and '82 and Big Eight Player of the Year and all-America in 1982. He was selected to MU's "Team of the Decade" for the 1980s, and was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the second round of the 1982 NBA Draft.
- WOODY HATFIELD - Hatfield starred at MU in football, basketball and track and field in the 1930s, and will be inducted as part of the Pioneer Era (1890-1966).
When MU plays at Baylor Tuesday evening, the game will mark just the second true road game of the year for the Tigers.
Due to a scheduling rarity, five of the Tigers' six games thus far outside of the Hearnes Center have been played at neutral-court sites. Missouri opened up at the NABC Classic in Syracuse, N.Y., and never faced the host Orangemen. Later, the Tigers played a pair of neutral-site games in St. Louis and closed out 1999 by facing Kentucky in New Orleans, La. MU dropped a 86-81 decision at Iowa State on Jan. 8th to open league play.
The Tigers hold a 1-4 record in games away from the Hearnes Center thus far. Here's a look at the Tigers' numbers this season at home compared to the six games they've played thus far outside the friendly confines of Hearnes:
| Category | Home | Away |
| Record | 7-2 | 2-4 |
| Points | 74.8 | 65.0 |
| Opp. Points | 63.8 | 69.5 |
| FG % | 43.6 | 39.6 |
| Opp. FG % | 41.3 | 50.2 |
| 3-pt. FG % | 35.4 | 39.0 |
| Rebounds | 36.7 | 28.8 |
Individually, numbers which stand out include the following: T.J. Soyoye is averaging 12.3 ppg at Hearnes, and just 7.0 away from home ... Soyoye is shooting an outstanding 59.4% from the floor at Hearnes (41-of-69 FGs), and just 42.4% away from home (14-of-33)...Conversely, leading scorer Keyon Dooling is averaging 20.2 ppg away from Hearnes, compared to 13.8 ppg at home.
TIGER QUICK NOTES
Sophomore forward Matt Rowan left the University of Missouri men's basketball team, and will transfer from MU at the following of the fall semester, as announced Nov. 16th by Head Coach Quin Snyder.
Rowan, a Liberty, Mo. native, did not play in either of Missouri's games at the NABC Classic in Syracuse, N.Y. The 6-foot-7 forward saw limited action last season as a freshman, averaging 0.8 points and 1.4 rebounds in 17 games. He averaged 4.9 minutes played in those contests.
Rowan will remain on scholarship through the end of the fall semester, after which time he will be released from his commitment. By releasing him at the end of the semester, Rowan will be allowed to pursue a number of options. He will be eligible to play immediately at any Division II school, and would have to sit out until the end of the first semester of the 2000-2001 season if he was to choose another Division I program.
"We wish Matt the very best, and we'll do whatever we can to help him with his future plans," said Coach Snyder. "He's made a personal decision that he wants to be in a program where he'll be able to make more of a contribution, and we certainly understand and respect his decision."
A quick check of the MU record book shows that Missouri had never before won a game when shooting worse than 30.0%. The Tigers managed a 51-48 win over Princeton on Nov. 13th despite shooting just 29.4%. The previous low shooting night during a Tiger win was back on Feb. 8, 1995, when MU shot just 30.0%, but beat Iowa State, 59-56 in Columbia.
The first point scored in the Quin Snyder era came on a free throw from T.J. Soyoye. Johnnie Parker hit the first field goal (a three-pointer), got the first steal and blocked shot. Soyoye grabbed the first rebound, and Jeff Hafer was the first sub. Keyon Dooling clinched the first win for Snyder with a pair of free throws late in the game vs. Princeton.
An impressive handful of visitors have come calling in the early season to check out Quin Snyder and his Tigers. Early in the year, Doug Collins, current NBA analyst for NBC Sports, and a former NBA head coach and all-star player, visited Tiger camp. He saw the Tigers three days during his visit, and addressed the Tiger team following one practice.
Also paying a visit to Columbia a few weeks ago was former Duke and Vanderbilt standout Billy McCaffrey. He saw practices on two days before heading out of town.
Earlier this summer, current Detroit Pistons Head Coach Alvin Gentry paid a visit to Columbia. Gentry coached with MU associate head coach John Hammond at Detroit.