Feb. 20, 2000
TIPOFF: 8:00 p.m. (central).
ARENA: Hearnes Center (13,300). Opened in 1972. MU is 9-4 at home this season, and is 353-62 (.851) alltime there. MU is 26-2 alltime at Hearnes vs. OSU.
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. Ron Franklin, play-by-play, Jon Sundvold, color, Jay Kutlow, producer.
RANKINGS: OSU is #8 AP/#9 ESPN/USA Today, MU is not ranked.
SERIES: MU leads the series, 67-34 alltime. OSU has won three of the last four meetings, however, and leads 2-1 since the formation of the Big 12 Conference.
COACHES:
Missouri: Quin Snyder (Duke '89), 16-8 at MU (1st season), 16-8 overall (1st season).
Oklahoma State: Eddie Sutton (Oklahoma State '58), 223-91 at OSU (10th season), 653-255 overall (30th season). Sutton is 8-10 vs. MU alltime, including 7-10 at OSU.
OFFICIALS: Will be announced prior to tipoff.
TIGERS HOST 8TH-RANKED OKLAHOMA STATE IN BIG MONDAY CONTEST
The Missouri Tigers (16-8 overall, 9-3 in Big 12 play) get a shot at a redemption, of sorts, as they play host to the 8th-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys (21-3, 10-2) Monday evening in a nationally-televised ESPN Big Monday contest. Tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m.
The Tigers, winners of nine of their last 11 ballgames, won a pair of road games last week, and are looking for one more victory against a marquee club to solidify its position for the postseason. Mizzou is looking to avenge a pair of heartbreaking home losses two weeks ago to then #17 Iowa State and then #18 Texas.
Oklahoma State comes to Columbia tied for first place in the Big 12 standings, at 10-2, along with Iowa State and Texas, just one game ahead of Missouri. OSU is coming off a 94-55 drubbing of Nebraska in Stillwater on Saturday evening.
THE QUIN-TISENNTIALS
The 15th head coach in Missouri basketball history, Quin Snyder is 15-8 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.
SNYDER CAN TIE MU COACHING MARK
With a win Monday evening against Oklahoma State, MU Head Coach Quin Snyder would tie the school record for wins by a first-year coach.
The win record for coaches in their first year at MU is 17, and that's been accomplished twice -- but not since the 1920-21 season, when Craig Ruby guided MU to a 17-1 mark and the Missouri Valley Conference championship.
Three years prior to that, in the 1917-18 season, Walter Meanwell (now in the Basketball Hall of Fame) coached the first of his two seasons at MU, and led the Tigers to a similar 17-1 record, and a MVC title -- that marked Mizzou's first-ever conference championship in the sport of basketball.
MISSOURI-OKLAHOMA STATE SERIES
Missouri leads the alltime series by a 67-34 margin, including a rather heady 26-2 edge in games played at the Hearnes Center. OSU's only two wins here came in 1979 and in the final Big Eight Conference game ever played here, in 1996.
The last time Oklahoma State brought a national ranking into Hearnes, MU came away 70-64 winners. That came in 1998, when the Cowboys were ranked 25th in the country.
Cowboy Head Coach Eddie Sutton is 8-10 alltime against Missouri, including 7-10 at Oklahoma State, and 1-0 at Arkansas.
Please see page four of these propagana-lined pages for a breakdown of the MU-OSU series.
TALE OF THE TAPE
| MIZZOU | OKLAHOMA ST. | |
| 16-8 | Overall Record | 21-3 |
| 9-3 | Big 12 Record | 10-2 |
| W 2 | Current Win-Loss Streak | W 1 |
| .430 | Field Goal Percentage | .489 |
| .449 | Opponent FG Percentage | .379 |
| .383 | 3-PT FG Percentage | .381 |
| .321 | Opponent 3-PT FG Percentage | .302 |
| 9.6 | 3-PT FGs Made Per Game | 6.5 |
| 25.1 | 3-PT FGs Attempted Per Game | 17.0 |
| .696 | Free Throw Percentage | .703 |
| 33.8 | Rebound Average | 38.7 |
| -3.2 | Rebound Margin | +3.8 |
| 13.4 | Turnovers Per Game | 13.8 |
| 17.1 | Opponents Turnovers Per Game | 17.8 |
| 74.0 | Points Per Game | 78.7 |
| 68.0 | Opponents Points Per Game | 60.5 |
| +6.0 | Average Margin | +18.2 |
MISSOURI TIGERS (16-8, 9-3)
(Probable Starting Lineup/Just an SID's best guess)
| P | NO | NAME | HT | WT | YR | HOMETOWN | PPG/RPG |
| F | 31 | Johnnie Parker** | 6-6 | 221 | Jr. | St. Louis, Mo. | 6.7 / 4.7 |
| C | 33 | Tajudeen Soyoye | 6-9 | 236 | Jr. | Lagos, Nigeria | 9.7 / 6.4 |
| 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. | 7.9 / 3.0 |
| G | 4 | Clarence Gilbert* | 6-2 | 197 | So. | Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. | 13.1 / 3.8 |
#8 OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS (21-3, 10-2)
(Probable Starting Lineup/Just an SID's best guess)
| P | NO | NAME | HT | WT | YR | HOMETOWN | PPG/RPG |
| F | 30 | Brian Montonati** | 6-10 | 220 | Sr. | Muskegon, Mich. | 12.6 / 7.5 |
| F | 34 | Desmond Mason*** | 6-5 | 215 | Sr. | Waxahachie, Texas | 18.3 / 6.8 |
| C | 12 | Fredrik Jonzen* | 6-10 | 230 | So. | Uppsala, Sweden | 8.8 / 6.2 |
| G | 35 | Joe Adkins*** | 6-1 | 190 | Sr. | Oklahoma City, Okla. | 10.1 / 3.7 |
| G | 44 | Doug Gottlieb** | 6-1 | 180 | Sr. | Orange, Calif. | 6.2 / 2.3 |
MU VS. RANKED TEAMS
Missouri will be playing its 7th game this year against a ranked opponent when they take on Oklahoma State Monday evening, and the Tigers stand 2-4 in the previous six outings.
MU dropped a pair of back-to-back tough home games two weeks ago, against then-#17 Iowa State, and then #18 Texas.
Against Texas, MU led the majority of the game, but the veteran Texas squad made enough plays down the stretch to pull out a 66-63 win, when three last-second shots wouldn't fall for the Tigers.
Just three days before, against #17 Iowa State, the Tigers came up on the short end of a 72-62 decision that was a toss-up until the end. 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.
MU BIG MONDAY HISTORY
Mizzou will be making its 18th appearance on ESPN's Big Monday package, and the Tigers stand 9-8 in the previous 17 outings.
MU and OSU have never met before on Big Monday.
MU TIES BIG 12 RECORD FOR THREES
Missouri came out firing on all cylinders Saturday at Kansas State, as the Tigers hit their first six three-point field goal attempts, on the way to a 12-of-19 effort beyond the arch in the first half.
The 12 threes made in the opening half tied the Big 12 record for threes made in a single half, tying the 12 made by Texas against Kansas State in 1997.
The Tigers appeared well on their way to breaking the MU single-game mark of 15 threes made (accomplished three times previously, including once this season), as well as the Big 12 single-game record of 18 (by Texas in 1997 vs. Kansas State), but the basket tightened up after halftime. MU connected on just 2-of-14 threes in the second half, to end the game 14-of-33.
RED RAIDERS CAUGHT IN RUSH HOUR
Mizzou freshman Kareem Rush firmly inserted himself as a front-runner for Big 12 Conference Freshman-of-the-Year with an incredible performance last Tuesday at Texas Tech.
Rush scored a career-high 31 points, leading MU to a come-from-behind win that was crucial to keeping the Tigers in the Big 12 race, as well as keeping hopes alive for an NCAA Tournament bid.
Just how impressive were his exploits in Lubbock? You be the judge:
Rush virtually single-handedly drew MU back from an 11-point second-half deficit. Texas Tech took an 11-point lead, at 55-44, with 15:31 left in the game. From that point on, Rush scored 19 points, just two fewer than the 21 points tallied by the Red Raiders the rest of the way, as MU rallied for an 86-76 win.
Rush was 10-of-14 from the floor, including 7-of-9 from three-point range, including consecutive threes with under four minutes left that gave MU the lead for good.
Rush's 10-of-14 (71.4%) shooting was vital, as the rest of the team shot a combined 29.4% as a team (15-of-51).
Rush followed with yet another salty performance Saturday at Kansas State, scoring 19 points, and adding three rebounds and three steals in 25 minutes. He hit 4-of-7 three pointers, and nailed 7-of-8 free throws.
MORE MOUNT RUSH-MORE
Kareem Rush's 31 point performance at Texas Tech marked just the second time in Tiger history that a freshman has scored 30 or more points in a game.
He joined former Tiger all-American Derrick Chievous in that select group, as Chievous scored 32 points as a rookie on Dec. 29, 1984 against Arizona.
Additionally, Rush's total was the most ever scored by a Tiger in Big 12 play, and was the most overall since Sammie Haley scored 31 against Murray State in the 1996 NIT.
The last time a Tiger had scored 30 or more in a conference game was back in 1994, when Melvin Booker scored 32 at Kansas.
when 17-0 is not a football score
A score of 17-0 is more suited for a football game than a game on the hardcourt, but that's exactly what Mizzou put on Texas Tech in an incredible ending to Tuesday night's game in Lubbock.
Missouri outscored Tech by a 17-0 margin to end the game, a span which stretched the last 6:42 of the contest.
Tech's James Ware hit a three-point field goal with 6:42 left to give the Red Raiders a seemingly comfortable 76-69 lead. But the Tigers turned up the heat, holding Tech scoreless in their last 11 possessions -- including eight turnovers and three missed shots.
ONE MORE IMPRESSIVE STAT
Okay, we promise to stop going on about MU's comeback win last Tuesday night, but just allow us one more brag:
After playing arguably its worst half of the season in the first half, the Tigers rebounded to post 11 assists, with zero turnovers in the second half. MU also forced 13 Red Raider miscues after halftime.
TIGERS SET THREE-POINT RECORD
After nailing 14 three-pointers Tuesday at Texas Tech, Missouri broke the school single-season three-point field goal record. Through 24 games now, the Tigers have already proven to be the school's most prolific long-range shooting team, with 231 treys.
That breaks the single-season team record of 214 treys made by the 1997-98 squad.
Additionally, the current Tigers have attempted 603 threes thus far, a total which breaks 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. | 231 | 99-00 |
| 2. | 214 | 97-98 |
| 3. | 204 | 93-94 |
| 4. | 197 | 96-97 |
| 5. | 180 | 94-95 |
| 180 | 98-99 |
THREE-POINT FGs ATTEMPTED
| 1. | 603 | 99-00 |
| 2. | 580 | 97-98 |
| 3. | 575 | 93-94 |
| 4. | 549 | 96-97 |
| 5. | 474 | 98-99 |
road sweet road?
Generally speaking, playing on the road is not preferred, but after dropping a pair of tough home games two weeks ago to ranked teams, the road must have been a welcomed site.
Mizzou has proven this season that it can get the job done in enemy territory, as the Tigers have won five straight games on the road, and stand 5-1 on the road in league play, which is the best road record in the league in Big 12 play. MU's wins have come at Baylor (Jan. 18th), at Colorado (Feb. 2nd), at Nebraska (Feb. 5th), at Texas Tech (Feb. 15th) and at Kansas State (Feb. 19th), with the sole loss coming to current league co-leader Iowa State on Jan. 8th in Ames.
The Tigers have had to gut out all five wins, however, as they came by an average of just 6.6 points per game.
Four Tigers are averaging double figures in scoring in the last five road wins. They're led by freshman Kareem Rush, who's averaged 21.5 points, followed by Keyon Dooling (15.6 ppg), Clarence Gilbert (13.6), and Brian Grawer (12.2).
PROTECTING THE HOME TURF
Missouri is looking to break a two-game losing streak at Hearnes, as the Tigers dropped a pair of tough games in a span of four days to league co-leaders Iowa State (Feb. 9) and Texas (Feb. 12).
The task gets no easier, as Oklahoma State rolls into town carrying the #8 ranking in the land.
If the Tigers pull the upset, they'll avoid dropping three straight home games for the first time since the 1992-93 season. That year, MU dropped consecutive league games at Hearnes to Kansas (67-63), Nebraska (76-75) and Oklahoma (69-68) by an average margin of 2.0 points per game.
Missouri finished that season in 7th place in the Big Eight standings, but went on to win the conference tournament.
CARDIAC KIDS
While the Tigers would certainly prefer a big win on Monday vs. Oklahoma State, MU has been predisposed to playing tight ballgames this season.
Half of MU's games (12-of-24 to be exact) have been decided by six points or fewer. The Tigers hold a 7-5 record in those games.
MU's four home losses have been decided by an average of 5.8 points a game.
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.
Three Tigers, led by freshman Kareem Rush (18.7 ppg), are averaging double figures in scoring in conference play. Others in double figures include Clarence Gilbert (15.8 ppg), and Keyon Dooling (14.6). Additionally, three other Tigers, Tajudeen Soyoye (9.9 ppg), Brian Grawer (9.8) and Jeff Hafer (9.1) are just shy of giving MU six people averaging double digits.
Here's a quick look at a few numbers which have told the story during MU's 9-3 start to the conference season:
| Big 12 Season | Prior to Big 12 | |
| MU Points Per Game | 80.6 | 67.4 |
| Scoring Margin | +8.3 | +3.8 |
| Rebounding Margin | -2.2 | -4.2 |
| MU FG Percentage | 45.6% | 40.3% |
| Opp. FG Percentage | 45.5% | 44.2% |
| MU 3-pt. FG Percentage | 41.6% | 35.2% |
| Opp. 3-pt. FG Percentage | 31.6% | 32.5% |
| MU Assists Per Game | 15.1 | 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 | 18.7 | 10.9 |
| Clarence Gilbert | 15.8 | 10.4 |
| Keyon Dooling | 14.6 | 16.4 |
| Brian Grawer | 9.8 | 6.0 |
| Jeff Hafer | 9.1 | 5.8 |
MORE SCORING FACTS
Missouri has scored 80 or more points in 8-of-12 conference games thus far (66.7 percent), entering the Oklahoma State contest.
That's a pretty heady feat, 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).
SCORING EXPLOSION
Missouri earned its 84-78 comeback win at Nebraska on Feb. 5th 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.
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 | 2-2 | 9-3 (4th) | |
| Totals | 19-13 | 14-14 | 33-27 |
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
While MU's bid at eight straight conference wins fell a bit short on Feb. 9th 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 | 8-3 | T-4th |
| 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 |
rush one of league's best rookies
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 showed no signs of rust that day, as he scored a team-high 16 points, on 6-of-10 shooting. He followed up with 15 more points at Colorado, and added a career-high 21 at Nebraska. He was named Big 12 Rookie-of-the-Week last week on Feb. 7 for his efforts at CU and at NU. He scored 10 of his team's 24 points in the first half at Nebraska, keeping the Tigers within striking distance.
After scoring 17 points against #17 Iowa State and adding a team-best 12 more against #18 Texas (including scoring seven of MU's final eight points), Rush exploded for a career-high 31 points last Tuesday at Texas Tech, exploits of which we've discussed in detail previously.
He followed up with 19 more points Saturday at Kansas State, and continues to be MU's leading offensive weapon, despite his relative inexperience.
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.
Rush is now averaging 14.5 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 12th overall in the league, but he hasn't played in enough games to qualify for the statistics leader board.
Additionally, he would rank 2nd in scoring in league games (18.7 ppg), behind only likely player-of-the-year Marcus Fizer of Iowa State. He would also lead the league in 3-pt. field goal percentage in Big 12 games (59.3%) and would rank among league leaders in the other following categories: field goal percentage (4th -- 62.9%), free throw percentage (2nd -- 81.8%) and 3-pt. field goals made (5th -- 2.67).
Because he's a smooth lefty who hails from Kansas City, Rush draws natural comparisons to former Tiger all-American Anthony Peeler ... Though there's still some ball yet to played, Rush is having arguably the best year ever by an MU freshman -- and the Tigers have had a pretty good history of outstanding freshmen talent. Here's a quick look at how other prominent Tigers fared as freshmen:
| Tiger | Fresh. Year | Pts. | Rebs. |
| Kareem Rush | 1999-00 | 14.5 | 4.3 |
| Steve Stipanovich | 1979-80 | 14.4 | 6.4 |
| Derrick Chievous | 1984-85 | 13.1 | 5.3 |
| 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 5.3 assists per game in MU's last 11 games.
He currently ranks 11th in the Big 12, with a scoring average of 15.5 points a game. He is coming off a solid week in which he helped guide MU to a pair of crucial road wins, at Texas Tech and at Kansas State. Dooling tallied 19 points, seven assists and three steals at Tech, and followed with 20 points and six assists at K-State.
Dooling had a solid night against #17 Iowa State on Feb. 9th, 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, 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 among BIG 12 scorer's best
Sophomore guard Clarence Gilbert enters Monday's game as the 9th-leading scorer in Big 12 Conference games, as he's scoring at a 15.8 points per game clip. He had been leading the league in scoring through five games (22.4 ppg), but has been held to an average of 11.1 points a game since spraining his left ankle at the end of the Kansas game on Jan. 22nd.
He showed signs last week that he is regaining his form that saw him garner national attention, as he averaged 15.5 points a game last week at Texas Tech (16 pts.) and at Kansas State (15). At KSU, he got the Tigers off to a flying start, as he nailed three straight three-point bombs in the game's opening four minutes. He ended the day 4-of-11 from three-point range.
Gilbert turned in a performance against Kansas on Jan. 22nd 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 2nd in league games with an average of 3.50 three-pointers made per game, and is 7th in three-point shooting percentage (42.0%). His season scoring average of 13.1 currently ranks 15th 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 seven games that Rush has played since returning to the lineup, the Tiger bench has contributed an average of 29.9 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 Oklahoma State rates #20 in the land. MU's schedule ranks as the 28th-toughest in the nation currently. The Big 12 Conference is ranked as the #4 league in strength ratings, behind only the Big Ten, Pac-10 and Southeastern conferences.
GOOD THINGS COME IN THREES
Missouri has used the three-point shot to its advantage this year. The Tigers enter the Oklahoma State game as the top three-point outfit in the Big 12 Conference. Through 24 games, Missouri has hit 231-of-603 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 12 times on the year, and hit 14-of-33 threes at Kansas State on Saturday (just one make shy of the single-game school record of 15). MU torched the Wildcats in the first half by making 12-of-19 three pointers, which tied a single-game Big 12 Conerence record for threes made in a half. Mizzou cooled off in the second half, making just 2-of-14 threes, but still made 14 threes for the second straight game.
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.
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. The opponent high for threes made against MU this year is eight, accomplished by both Texas Tech and Princeton.
MU has already broken the school single-season three-point field goal record, with 231 made through 24 games. That breaks the old mark of 214 set by the 1997-98 squad. With 603 attempts, the Tigers have also set the single-season 3-pt. attempt record. The old record was 580, also by the 1997-98 team. Through 24 games, the Tigers are on pace to make 279 three pointers in 729 attempts.
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 54 foul shots in its two games last week, of which the Tigers hit 46, for a success rate of 85.2 percent.
More importantly, in its last four wins, the Tigers have been solid from the foul line in the clutch, as MU has gone a combined 30-of-40 (75.0%) from the line in the last two minutes of all four games.
MU averaged just 16.0 free throws in its pair of losses vs. Iowa State and Texas. MU hit 75.0 percent of its freebies in the two games, but needed more opportunities to overcome the combined 37.5 percent shooting from the floor in the two games as a team. In its recent seven-game winning streak, MU averaged 26.3 free throw attempts per game.
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.
WHEN BEING OFFENSIVE IS GOOD
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 80.6 per-game average entering Monday's game vs. Oklahoma State. That's despite averaging just 62.5 points in a pair of losses against Iowa State and Texas.
In conference play, MU leads the league in three-point shooting (41.6%), and is 2nd in the league in field goal percentage (45.6%).
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-12 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.
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).
TIGERS HIT THE ROAD
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.