March 14, 2000
2000 NCAA Tournament South Regional
March 17-19, 2000Birmingham Civic Center
Birmingham, Ala.
TIGERS SET TO DANCE IN 2ND-STRAIGHT NCAA TOURNAMENT
The Missouri Tigers (18-12 overall) will make their second-straight appearance (and 15th in the last 21 years) in the NCAA Tournament, when they travel to Birmingham, Ala. for a first-round tussle with North Carolina (18-13).
Missouri will carry the #9 seed in the South Region, while Carolina will defend the #8 seed. It is the third straight time that Missouri has played in the 8-9 game in the NCAA Tournament.
Missouri is guided by rookie Head Coach Quin Snyder, who has won the most games of any first-year head coach in MU history. Snyder, a graduate of Duke (1989), is no stranger to the NCAA Tournament, however, as he was involved in five Final Fours as a player and assistant coach for the Blue Devils.
SOUTH REGION SCHEDULE
FIRST-ROUND SCHEDULE -- Friday, March 17
At Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center - Birmingham, Ala.
Game 1 -- #4 Tennessee (24-6) vs. #13 La.-Lafayette (25-8)
11:30 a.m. CST
Game 2 -- #5 Connecticut (24-9) vs. #12 Utah State (28-5)
30 minutes after game 1
Game 3 -- #8 North Carolina (18-13) vs. #9 MISSOURI (18-12)
6:55 p.m. CST
Game 4 -- #1 Stanford (26-3) vs. #16 South Carolina St. (20-13)
25 minutes after game 3
At Nashville Arena - Nashville, Tenn.
Game 5 -- #2 Cincinnati (28-3) vs. #15 UNC-Wilmington (18-12)
11:30 a.m. CST
Game 6 -- #7 Tulsa (29-4) vs. #10 UNLV (23-7)
30 minutes after game 5
Game 7 -- #3 Ohio State (22-6) vs. #14 Appalachian State (23-8)
6:50 p.m. CST
Game 8 -- #6 Miami, Fla. (21-10) vs. #11 Arkansas (19-14)
25 minutes after game 7
SECOND-ROUND SCHEDULE -- Sunday, March 19
At Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center - Birmingham, Ala.
Game 9 -- Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner
1:20 p.m. CST
Game 10 -- Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner
30 minutes after end of game 9
At Nashville Arena - Nashville, Tenn.
Game 11 -- Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner
1:15 p.m. CST
Game 12 -- Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner
30 minutes after game 11
SOUTH REGIONAL SCHEDULE
Friday, March 24 At Frank Erwin Center - Austin, Texas
Game 13 -- Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner
time TBA
Game 14 -- Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner
time TBA
Sunday, March 26
Game 15 -- Game 13 winner vs. Game 14 winner
time TBA
Mizzou's NCAA Tournament History
18th NCAA Tournament - 13-17 NCAA Record
| YEAR | REGION | SITE | OPPONENT | RESULT | SCORE |
| 1999 | West (8) | Denver, Colo. | New Mexico (9) | Lost | 61-59 |
| 1995 | West (8) | Boise, Ida. | Indiana (9) | Won | 65-60 |
| UCLA (1) | Lost | 75-74 | |||
| 1994 | West (1) | Ogden, Utah | Navy (16) | Won | 76-53 |
| Wisconsin (9) | Won | 109-96 | |||
| Los Angeles, Calif. | Syracuse (4) | Won | 98-88 (ot) | ||
| Arizona (2) | Lost | 92-72 | |||
| 1993 | West (10) | Salt Lake City, Utah | Temple (7) | Lost | 75-61 |
| 1992 | East (5) | Greensboro, N.C. | West Virginia (12) | Won | 89-78 |
| Seton Hall (4) | Lost | 88-71 | |||
| 1990 | Southeast (3) | Richmond, Va. | Northern Iowa (14) | Lost | 74-71 |
| 1989 | Midwest (3) | Dallas, Texas | Creighton (14) | Won | 85-69 |
| Texas (11) | Won | 108-89 | |||
| Minneapolis, Minn. | Syracuse (2) | Lost | 83-80 | ||
| 1988 | East (6) | Chapel Hill, N.C. | Rhode Island (11) | Lost | 87-80 |
| 1987 | Midwest (4) | Indianapolis, Ind. | Xavier (13) | Lost | 70-69 |
| 1986 | West (11) | Ogden, Utah | Alabama-Birm. (6) | Lost | 66-64 |
| 1983 | Midwest (2)# | Louisville, Ky. | Iowa (7) | Lost | 77-63 |
| 1982 | Midwest (2)# | Tulsa, Okla. | Marquette (7) | Won | 73-69 |
| St. Louis, Mo. | Houston (6) | Lost | 79-78 | ||
| 1981 | Midwest (9) | Austin, Texas | Lamar (8) | Lost | 71-67 |
| 1980 | Midwest (5) | Lincoln, Neb. | San Jose St. (12) | Won | 61-51 |
| Notre Dame (4) | Won | 87-84 (ot) | |||
| Houston, Texas | LSU (1) | Lost | 68-63 | ||
| 1978 | Midwest | Wichita, Kan. | Utah | Lost | 86-79 (2 ot) |
| 1976 | Midwest | Lawrence, Kan. | Washington | Won | 69-67 |
| Louisville, Ky. | Texas Tech | Won | 86-75 | ||
| Michigan | Lost | 95-88 | |||
| 1944 | Western | Kansas City, Mo. | Utah | Lost | 45-35 |
| Pepperdine | Won& | 61-46 | |||
Note: Numbers in parenthesis indicates regional seedings, which began with the 1979 NCAA Tournament.
# - Missouri received a first-round bye
& - Regional third-place game
TIGER ROSTER & QUICK FACTS
| No. | Tiger | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Hometown | Ppg. | Rpg. | Note |
| 3 | Kenge Stevenson | F | 6-5 | 230 | So-1L | Ladue, Mo. | 0.2 | 1.1 | Walkon played career-high 5 min. vs. Okla. and had 2 rebs. |
| 4 | Clarence Gilbert* | G | 6-2 | 197 | So.-1L | Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. | 13.6 | 3.7 | MU's 3-pt. record holder averaged 23.5 ppg in Big 12 Tournament |
| 5 | Keyon Dooling* | G | 6-3 | 184 | So.-1L | Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. | 15.3 | 2.7 | Leads MU in scoring (15.3 ppg), assists (110) and blocks (17) |
| 11 | Mark Wampler | F | 6-5 | 200 | Gr.-2L | Savannah, Mo. | 0.2 | 0.5 | Former walk-on started vs. Iowa//Scored 1st pt. of season vs. A&M |
| 12 | Brian Grawer | G | 6-0 | 165 | Jr.-2L | St. Louis, Mo. | 7.5 | 2.9 | Big 12's leading FT shooter (90.5%)//Had 10 pts. vs. OU Friday |
| 15 | Josh Kroenke | G | 6-4 | 184 | Fr.-HS | Columbia, Mo. | 2.8 | 0.8 | Freshman is 5th on team w/22 3-pt. FGs |
| 21 | Kareem Rush* | F | 6-6 | 214 | Fr.-HS | Kansas City, Mo. | 14.9 | 4.3 | Big 12 Freshman of the Year averaged 18.2 ppg in Big 12 play |
| 24 | Jeff Hafer* | F | 6-5 | 212 | Sr.-3L | Joplin, Mo. | 7.3 | 3.6 | Led MU comeback at KU w/14 pts. , including career-high 4 3-pt. FGs |
| 31 | Johnnie Parker | F | 6-6 | 221 | Jr.-2L | St. Louis, Mo. | 6.1 | 4.4 | Had 5 pts., 5 rebs., 2 steals and 1 assist Fri. vs. Oklahoma |
| 33 | Tajudeen Soyoye* | F/C | 6-9 | 236 | Jr.-Tr | Lagos, Nigeria | 8.9 | 6.3 | MU's top rebounder was held to 3 pts./3 rebs. Fri. vs. Oklahoma |
| 41 | Justin Gage | G/F | 6-5 | 200 | Fr.-HS | Jefferson City, Mo. | 2.2 | 2.5 | Provided key minutes off the bench in Big 12 Tournament |
| 54 | Pat Schumacher | C | 6-11 | 242 | So.-1L | St. Louis, Mo. | 1.3 | 1.3 | Gave MU big lift w/6 pts. & 2 rebs. in 11 minutes vs. OSU |
* - Denotes probable starters
Head Coach: Quin Snyder (Duke, '89), 18-12 at MU, .600 (1st season), 18-12 overall, .600 (1st season)
Associate Head Coach: John Hammond (Greenville, '76)
Assistant Coaches: Tony Harvey (Cameron, '88), Igor Kokoskov (Belgrade, '93)
QUOTING THE TIGERS
HEAD COACH QUIN SNYDER
On Playing North Carolina: "I think Carolina has more wins than any other team in the history of the NCAA, so its not only exciting to be in the tournament, it is exciting to play a team that has such a rich tradition. I think more than Carolina though, its us and what these guys have done. To have what I think is a season in which we have controlled the things we have been able to control such as how hard we work and our passion this is a stamp on those things for these guys. The good guys won. We got in. Now you roll the dice and get ready to play ball."
On making the Tournament: "I went to my first Big 12 meeting last year and Bob Frederick had a talk with the coaches on what you needed to do to get in and I think we did those things. We played the right people. Everybody we lost to this year is in the tournament and the fact that we lost to some teams that were No. 3 seeds was not held against us. We played those teams tough and battled. That has to give our guys some sense that we belong and we can compete. Whether or not that turns into victories that remains to be seen. I think it does translate into a team that believes it can make some noise."
On the tough non-conference schedule: "We will continue to schedule the tough opponents. Any chance you get to play Kentucky, Indiana, Kansas twice and now North Carolina it is a plus for the program. That is the kind of season that builds character."
On match-ups: "It will not be size versus. size. I am familiar with Carolina's team obviously. I think they have an excellent team. Coach Gutheridge does a great job. They have a system that has been time tested. In addition to that, they have kids individually that are great players. Whether is it Ed Cota or Jason CapeL. I coached his brother as an assistant. I recruited Chris Lange so I am familiar with those guys and like them and respect them. We are different than them and we just need to see how all that plays out. I think our guys will be ready to play."
On the possibility of an NCAA bid when the team was 7-6: "I think I have been consistent in the lens through which I have viewed this year. When we were 7-6 we started to do some good things during that time and we stayed focused on what we were doing. We practiced a little harder, but I don't think anybody would look at this team and say 'Wow" that is a team to be reckoned with. I mean that as an ultimate compliment to my players. They have somehow found things inside them that they can do on the floor that have gotten us there. That is a credit to them."
On all the close losses: "We are certainly a team that plays unconventional. It can be a good thing or a rough situation. I think we are do in some respects for something. I don't know what that is, but they deserve something for what they have put in. I believe in karma so we will see what happens."
SOPHOMORE GUARD KEYON DOOLING
On the end of the season: "We've been in ballgames, but we haven't won any of them yet, really. Hopefully we can start now. What a perfect time to start winning. We don't care about advantages or disadvantages. We know what we have and we've been doing it together all year. We are just going to go out there and continue to do this together."
JUNIOR GUARD BRIAN GRAWER
On North Carolina: "Carolina is a good ballclub. Not only in tradition, but this year. Ed Cota leads their team, he's one of the best point guards in the nation. Haywood down low is a force to be reckoned with. We've got our work cut out for us, but it is going to be one of the best match-ups of the first round. It's exciting to play against Carolina Blue. Everybody knows who North Carolina is and knows what they represent."
SENIOR FORWARD JEFF HAFER
On the tough schedule paying off: "If you look at a schedule of games that gives you an NCAA type atmosphere, I don't think anyone has as good of one as us. We're prepared for this. Now we just have to realize it is a one-game season. We have to be ready to lay it all on the line again."
TIGERS HEAD TO ALABAMA
For the 18th time in school history and the 1st time under first-year Head Coach Quin Snyder, the Missouri Tigers are playing in the NCAA Tournament. Mizzou has been assigned the #9 seed in the South Region, where they'll take on the #8-seeded North Carolina Tarheels in first-round action.
Missouri is making its second straight appearance in the tournament, and its 15th in the last 21 years. The Tigers are looking to atone for a 61-59 loss last season in the opening round against New Mexico. The 9th-seeded Lobos downed the 8th-seeded Tigers on a last-second shot.
Missouri is 13-17 alltime in NCAA play, and twice got as far as the Elite Eight round, first in 1976, and most recently in 1994.
MU's assignment to the South Region is a bit of a refreshing thing for Tiger fans, as the last four times the Tigers have been to the "Big Dance," they've been sent out West - 1993 (#10 seed), 1994 (#1), 1995 (#8) and 1999 (#8).
8-9 GAME IS A FAMILIAR SIGHT
This will mark the third straight time that MU has appeared in the NCAA Tournament as part of the 8-9 seed game.
Last year, the #8 Tigers were defeated 61-59 by #9 New Mexico in Denver, Colo. The previous appearance in 1995 saw 8th-seeded MU down #9 Indiana 65-60 in the opening round in Boise, Ida., and then fall 75-74 to #1-seeded UCLA, on what we now refer to as the Tyus Edney affair. UCLA went on to win the national championship.
MU's only other appearance in the 8-9 game came back in 1981, when the 9th-seeded Tigers fell in the opening round to #8 Lamar, 71-67, in Austin, Texas.
MU vs. the 2000 ncaa field
Missouri has played one of the nation's toughest schedules this season, and that probably went a long way toward helping the Tigers land an NCAA bid.
Mizzou's schedule ranks as the 16th-toughest in the nation, according the latest strength ratings at www.collegerpi.com.
Every one of MU's 12 losses on the season have come to teams that are in the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers stand 2-12 against the tournament field, but seven of those losses were virtual toss-ups that were decided by five points or fewer.
MU-NORTH CAROLINA SERIES
Missouri and North Carolina will meet for the 9th time when they take the court on Friday in Birmingham, Ala. The previous eight meetings have been evenly split, 4-4.
Oddly, this will mark the 9th different court on which the schools have played, and all of the games have been played at neutral sites.
MU and UNC first met in St. Louis, Mo. in the season opener for the 1982-83 season, and Mizzou defeated the Tarheels - the defending national champions - by a 64-60 margin. Tiger all-Americans Steve Stipanovich and Jon Sundvold led the way, with 22 points and 18 points, apiece. Additionally, MU's Ron Jones guarded UNC's Michael Jordan, and held the great one to 13 points, on 5-of-11 shooting.
Since that first meeting, the teams have met seven more times on seven different courts: twice in Honolulu (once in the Blaisdell Center, the other in the Bloch Arena), and once each at Greensboro, N.C., Charlotte, N.C., Anchorage, Alaska, Lahaina, Hi. and New York, N.Y.
Six of the meetings have come in tournaments, including such name outings as the Maui Classic, Rainbow Classic, Great Alaska Shootout and the Pre-Season NIT.
SNYDER EARNS NATIONAL HONOR
Missouri has enjoyed a nice bit of success this season under Head Coach Quin Snyder, who has led MU to an NCAA Tournament berth in just his first year as a head coach.
Snyder's efforts haven't gone unnoticed, as he was named this week as the national Rookie Coach-of-the-Year, by Basketball Times.
Snyder broke the school record for wins by a first-year coach last week when the Tigers defeated Texas Tech in the opening round of the Big 12 Tournament.
Snyder's 18th win broke the record for coaches in their first year at MU, a feat which had 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 College Basketball Hall of Fame) coached the first of his two seasons at MU, and led the Tigers to a similar 17-1 record, and an MVC title - that marked Mizzou's first-ever conference championship in the sport of basketball.
POST-SEASON HONORS ROLL IN
Missouri has enjoyed quite a bit of success in its first year under Head Coach Quin Snyder, and the accolades are beginning to flow.
Last week, three Tigers earned honors as part of the Big 12 Coaches and Associated Press season-end awards.
Sophomore guard Keyon Dooling was a unanimous 2nd-team all-Big 12 selection by both the coaches and media, for his play in leading the Tigers to a 10-6 mark in league play. Dooling was an honorable mention all-Big 12 pick last year as a freshman, and was a Big 12 all-freshman team pick, as well.
Freshman phenom Kareem Rush made enough of an impression upon league coaches to be named Big 12 co-Freshman-of-the-Year, along with Bernard King of Texas A&M. Rush, who is on the way to setting an MU freshman scoring record, was named to the honorable mention all-Big 12 team by both the coaches and media,as well. Rush also was named to the Big 12 all-freshman team, as well as part of the all-bench team by the Associated Press.
Sophomore guard Clarence Gilbert was named to the all-Big 12 3rd team by league coaches. He was also selected to the Big 12 all-improved team by the Associated Press, as the Fort Lauderdale, Fla. native has averaged 13.6 points a game this year - nearly three times as much as his average of 4.8 points a game last year as a freshman at Mizzou.
THE QUIN-TISENNTIALS
The 15th head coach in Missouri basketball history, Quin Snyder is 18-12 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 last 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 previous 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 previous 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 1999. Snyder celebrated his 33rd birthday on Oct. 30th.
SEVEN-GAME STREAK WAS HUGE
After losing the Big 12 conference opener at Iowa State back on Jan. 8th, the Missouri Tigers returned to Columbia with a record that stood at just 7-6. Hopes of an NCAA Tournament berth weren't exactly high at the time.
But give credit to the Tiger coaches and players, who kept working to improve, and kept their focus on one game at a time. That focus led to a seven-game winning streak which is a huge reason why the Tigers are in the "Big Dance."
Missouri began its seven-game winning streak on Jan. 12th in Columbia against Colorado. After that, MU knocked off Kansas State, Baylor, #15 Kansas, Texas A&M, Colorado again, and Nebraska in succession. The streak was broken on Feb. 9th by #17 Iowa State, as the Cyclones posted a 72-62 win in Columbia.
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).
Prior to the seven-game winning streak, the Tigers dropped three-straight games to the hands of Kentucky, Winthrop and Iowa State. Here's a comparison of the numbers from those two streaks:
| 7-Game Streak | Previous 3 Gms. | |
| MU Points Per Game | 84.4 | 60.0 |
| Scoring Margin | +13.9 | -9.0 |
| Rebounding Margin | +0.2 | -13.3 |
| MU FG Percentage | 49.5% | 34.8% |
| Opp. FG Percentage | 43.3% | 44.9% |
| MU 3-pt. FG Percentage | 42.7% | 28.0% |
| MU Assists Per Game | 17.0 | 7.0 |
| MU FT Attempts Per Game | 26.3 | 17.3 |
SO CLOSE, YET SO FAR
Missouri has marquee wins this year over Illinois and Kansas, but has been so tantalizingly close to knocking off even more top-notch foes, only to see things get away in the end.
In MU's last two losses, the Tigers led in each of the games' final 13 seconds, only to see things turn the wrong way.
Against 15th-ranked Oklahoma last week, MU led 72-70 after a pair of Keyon Dooling free throws with 12 seconds left in regulation. But OU's Hollis Price got the good side of a block/charge call with three seconds left, and hit both foul shots to send the game into overtime. OU eventually won, 84-80.
On March 5th at Lawrence, Kan., MU rallied from as far as 14 points down in the second half to take an 80-79 lead with 1:40 left. MU held that same lead heading into the final 15 seconds, but KU's Drew Gooden was fouled by Jeff Hafer on what was ruled an intentional foul. Gooden sank both foul shots, and Kirk Hinrich made another pair after KU got the ball again to go up, 83-80. The 23rd-ranked Jayhawks held on for the win when Keyon Dooling's three-pointer from the wing wouldn't go down with three seconds left. Clarence Gilbert tipped in the miss at the buzzer to account for the final score.
On Feb. 12th against #18 Texas, Mizzou led for most of the game, only to see the Longhorns post the comeback win. MU had a last-second three-pointer try by Brian Grawer, but the 35-footer fell short just before the buzzer.
One that got away came back on Dec. 7th vs. #15 Indiana. Playing before a record home crowd, Mizzou jumped out to a 16-point first half lead. But the veteran Hoosiers posted a furious comeback in the second half, and got their first lead of the game with just :43 seconds left on a Dane Fife layin. MU's Clarence Gilbert couldn't connect on a three-pointer on MU's next possession, and IU hit 5-of-6 free throws down the stretch to claim the win.
BIG 12 TOURNAMENT REVIEW
Missouri enters the NCAA Tournament coming off a hard-fought 84-80 overtime loss to 15th-ranked Oklahoma, which took place last Friday in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament.
Missouri went toe-to-toe with the bigger and stronger Sooners, and had a chance to win at the end of regulation. MU's Keyon Dooling hit a pair of free throws with just 12 seconds left to put the Tigers up, 72-70. But OU's Hollis Price drove to the basket, and drew a foul with just three seconds left. The freshman calmly sank both freebies to send the game into overtime - Mizzou's first extra period of the year.
Dooling scored four quick points in overtime to put MU up, 76-72, and MU led 78-74 with 2:28 left on a floater in the lane by freshman Kareem Rush. But the Sooners wouldn't be denied, as Kelley Newton hit a three pointer with 23 seconds left to give OU an 82-80 lead. After MU's Clarence Gilbert's three pointer from the left corner went in and out, Newton hit a pair of foul shots with four seconds left to ice the game. There were 21 lead changes and 14 ties during the game, which is already being called the best game ever played in the four-year history of the Big 12 Tournament. MU made just 4-of-25 three pointers on the night, more than five below its season average.
MU opened the tourney with a methodical dismantling of Texas Tech, 80-47 in the first round. Gilbert torched the Red Raiders for 26 points, just one shy of his career high. Gilbert made six three pointers on the night, and helped lead a defensive effort that held Tech to just 32.0% shooting. It was MU's largest win in tournament history.
LAST YEAR AT THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
#25 New Mexico 61, MU 59
March 11, 1999 -- Denver, Colo.
New Mexico's Lamont Long hit a jumper in the lane with six seconds left to give New Mexico a first-round win over Missouri in the NCAA West Regional. Due to a timer's error, the game clock did not stop after Long's bucket, meaning the Tigers lost around two precious seconds as they raced down court to get their own buzzer-beater off, but Brian Grawer's desperation 25-footer couldn't find the mark. Despite the error being correctable under NCAA rules, the game officials left the court immediately at the buzzer, and refused to return. Missouri rallied from a 12-point first-half deficit to twice take leads of three points, late in the game. But the Tigers couldn't get the ball to drop in a key sequence with one minute left, as Keyon Dooling missed a layup in traffic after a steal, and Albert White's follow dunk rimmed out. That happened with the score tied at 59 apiece, setting up Long's heroics.
| NMU (61) | FG | 3PT | FT | RB | A | PF | TP |
| Davis - f | 3-4 | 0-0 | 1-3 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| Thomas - c | 5-14 | 1-6 | 9-11 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 20 |
| Long - g | 7-17 | 2-4 | 1-2 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 17 |
| Henry - g | 4-15 | 3-10 | 0-0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 11 |
| Robinson - g | 3-6 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
| Walker | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hannah | 0-5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 22-61 | 6-21 | 11-16 | 45 | 14 | 12 | 61 |
| MU (59) | FG | 3PT | FT | RB | A | PF | TP |
| White - f | 6-19 | 1-3 | 3-4 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 16 |
| Hardge - c | 4-11 | 0-0 | 2-3 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 10 |
| Dooling - g | 1-8 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Grawer - g | 2-6 | 2-6 | 0-0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| Woods - g | 5-12 | 1-5 | 0-0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 11 |
| Gilbert | 2-5 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Hafer | 0-4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| Parker | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Schumacher | 4-6 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| Totals | 24-72 | 4-17 | 7-9 | 45 | 13 | 17 | 59 |
Officials: Scagliotta, Bova, Jones
| New Mexico | 34 | 27 | - 61 | ||
| Missouri | 28 | 31 | - 59 |
Attendance: 15,000
MU'S RPI IS A.O.K.
Missouri ranks 37th in the latest RPI rankings, while North Carolina rates #41 in the land. MU's schedule ranks as the 16th-toughest in the nation currently. The Big 12 Conference is ranked as the #4 league in strength ratings, behind only the Big Ten, SEC, and Conference USA.
For you historians, here's a look back at MU's last few NCAA appearances, and where the Tigers ranked in the RPI rankings after the regular season.
| Season | Record | RPI | Schedule |
| 1999-00 | 18-12 | 37th | 16th |
| 1998-99 | 20-8 | 31st | 79th |
| 1994-95 | 19-8 | 17th | 22nd |
| 1993-94 | 24-3 | 2nd | 35th |
TIGERS SET THREE-POINT RECORD
After nailing 14 three-pointers on Feb. 15th at Texas Tech, Missouri broke the school single-season three-point field goal record. Through 30 games now, the Tigers have far and beyond proven to be the school's most prolific long-range shooting team, with 283 treys.
That shatters the single-season team record of 214 treys made by the 1997-98 squad.
Missouri has also broken the Big 12 record for three pointers in a season. They broke the record of 274 set by Oklahoma just last season. MU already has broken the Big 12 record for threes attempted in a season. The old mark was 717 attempts by Texas in 1997-98.
Additionally, MU's 773 three-point attempts thus far has shattered the school single-season mark of 580 set by the 1997-98 Tiger squad.
Here's a look at the single-season marks:
THREE-POINT FGs MADE
| 1. | 283 | 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. | 773 | 99-00 |
| 2. | 580 | 97-98 |
| 3. | 575 | 93-94 |
| 4. | 549 | 96-97 |
| 5. | 474 | 98-99 |
THREE-PEATS
Missouri enters Friday's contest as the 4th-most prolific three-point shooting team in the country, according to the latest set of NCAA statistics.
Through games of March 6th, Missouri ranked 4th in the NCAA with an average of 9.6 three-point field goals made per game. The Tigers trail only Tennessee Tech (10.0 per game), Belmont (9.8) and Samford (9.7).
Additionally, while MU's success isn't solely related to its success from long range, there is a standard that appears to dictate whether the Tigers will be successful, or not.
To date, MU is tough to beat when it hits 40.0% or better from three-point range, as the Tigers are 8-2 in those games. Conversely, MU is a .500 club (10-10) when it makes less than 40.0% from three-point range.
MU is looking to regain the touch from beyond the arch, as the Tigers connected on just 4-of-25 three pointers (16.0%) against Oklahoma last Friday in Kansas City. OU also held MU to a season-low 3-of-23 (13.0%) on Feb. 26th at Norman.
MU TIES BIG 12 RECORD FOR THREES
Missouri came out firing on all cylinders on Feb. 19th 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.
DOOLING DUNK WAS ONE FOR THE AGES
If you haven't had a chance to see the highlight of Keyon Dooling's breathtaking dunk at Kansas on March 5th, do yourself a favor and track down a copy of the play - it could arguably have been the play of the year.
With just under nine minutes left in the first half, and MU holding a 22-19 lead, Dooling led a 2-on-1 fastbreak opportunity, and he smelled blood.
Dooling attacked the left side, planted his feet roughly 8-10 feet from the basket, and soared high over KU's posterized Ashante Johnson. Dooling threw the dunk in, and fell to the floor after being bumped during the play.
Unfortunately for the Tigers, the basket was waved off, as Dooling was called for a charge. Wow. Really, we mean wow. That's all we can say without being flogged in public.
The play was a momentum turner, as the foul was Dooling's second of the half, and he was forced to sit the final eight minutes on the bench. Additionally, instead of a three-point play and a 25-19 MU lead, the score remained 22-19, and KU quickly tied it up when Kirk Hinrich nailed a three pointer on the Jayhawks' next possesion.
DOOLING NAMED TO NABC 1ST TEAM
Sophomore guard Keyon Dooling was selected to the National Basketball Coaches Association District 12 First Team, as recently released by the NABC.
Dooling was named on the District 12 First Team along with Eduardo Najera of Oklahoma, Marcus Fizer of Iowa State, Desmond Mason of Oklahoma State and Eric Coley of Tulsa.
Dooling was also recently named 2nd team all-Big 12 by league coaches and the Associated Press.
First and second teams were chosen in each of 15 districts, making 150 student-athletes honored overall. Fifteen of those players will later be selected to first, second or third team all-America teams.
Anthony Peeler is the last Tiger to be selected to the NABC all-America team, when he was named a 2nd-team NABC all-American in 1992.
CARDIAC KIDS
While the Tigers would certainly prefer a big win on Friday against North Carolina, MU has been predisposed to playing tight ballgames this season.
Just under half of MU's games (14-of-30 to be exact) have been decided by six points or fewer. The Tigers hold a 7-7 record in those games.
MU's last two losses have come by a combined five points. The Tigers are coming off a tough 84-80 overtime loss to #15 Oklahoma in the Big 12 Tournament. Sanwiched around an 80-47 bombing of Texas Tech, the Tigers dropped a heartbreaking one-point loss at #23 Kansas on March 5th, a game in which the Tigers led with as little as 13 seconds left in the contest.
MU VS. RANKED TEAMS
Missouri has played 10 games against ranked teams entering the NCAA Tournament, and the Tigers stand 2-8 in those contests.
Each of MU's last seven losses have come at the hands of teams which are currently ranked in the top-25 - Kansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas and Iowa State (twice). MU's other loss vs. ranked competition came at the hands of then-#15 Indiana.
MU's wins came against then-#7 Kansas and then-#15 Illinois.
KAREEM OF THE CROP
Since returning to the MU lineup 13 games ago, freshman Kareem Rush has established himself as the Tigers' top offensive threat, as he's averaged a team-high 17.4 points per game in that stretch. In those games, he's made 55.0% of his field goals, 48.5% of his 3-pt. field goals and 75.0% of his free throws.
His efforts were rewarded last week when he was named the Big 12 co-Freshman-of-the-Year by Big 12 coaches, along with Bernard King of Texas A&M. He was also selected to the all-Big 12 honorable mention team by both coaches and media, and was named to the Big 12 all-freshman and all-bench team by the Associated Press.
Rush averaged 13.0 points and 7.0 rebounds a game in MU's two Big 12 Tournament games last week. He's led MU in scoring seven times since his return on Jan. 29th from an NCAA-mandated nine-game leave of absence.
After coming off the bench in his first 16 games, Rush has been a starter now for the last five contests.
With 17 straight games in double figures entering Friday's contest, Rush has the longest freshman double-figure scoring streak ever at MU. The previous long for a Tiger freshman was 12, set by Nathan Buntin in 1986-87.
Additionally, his streak is the longest by any Tiger since Paul O'Liney did the trick in 17 straight games during the 1994-95 campaign. Doug Smith, with 30 straight games in double figures in 1990-91, holds the single-season record in the category.
Rush led MU in scoring during league play, with an 18.2 per-game average. It's the first time that a freshman has ever led MU in scoring in league play, and his average is the highest in league play by any Tiger since Paul O'Liney averaged 20.6 points a game during the 1995-96 Big Eight season.
On Feb. 21st, he won his second Big 12 Rookie-of-the-Week award in three weeks, based on incredible performances at Texas Tech and Kansas State.
At 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 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 RUSH-hour
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.
MU HITTING THE FREEBIES FREELY
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 32 free throw attempts in the last time out vs. Oklahoma, of which the Tigers connected on 28 (87.5%). Unfortunately, OU received 47 foul shots in the slugfest, and made 37 (78.7%).
The Tigers have been rather clutch from the line recently, as they've connected on 78.7 percent of its foul shots in their last eight games (148-of-188).
More importantly, in its last six wins, the Tigers have been solid from the foul line in the clutch, as MU has gone a combined 34-of-44 (77.3%) from the line in the last two minutes of all six games.
Mizzou finished 2nd in the Big 12 Conference in foul shooting in league play, with a team percentage rate of 72.2 percent. In all games, the Tigers rate 3rd in the league, with a season mark of 70.9 percent.
Getting to the line has proven to be an indicator of MU's success this season. In its 18 wins, the Tigers have attempted an average of 24.3 foul shots per game. In its 12 losses, MU is shooting just 17.8 freebies a game, compared to 24.1 by its foes. The 6.5 extra attempts would have certainly come in handy in its seven losses suffered by five points or fewer.
MU SOLID IN THE CLUTCH
Since conference play began, Missouri has hit for an outstanding 81.6 percent as a team from the foul line in the last three minutes of the game, as well as overtime (84-of-103).
That breaks down to a a 31-of-36 mark at home (86.1%), 48-of-61on the road (78.7%) and 5-of-6 at neutral sites (83.3%). Here's a look individually at MU's numbers:
| Tiger | FT | FTA | PCT. |
| Parker | 4 | 4 | 1.000 |
| Gage | 2 | 2 | 1.000 |
| Grawer | 20 | 22 | .909 |
| Dooling | 26 | 30 | .867 |
| Rush | 5 | 6 | 83.3 |
| Soyoye | 7 | 9 | .778 |
| Hafer | 9 | 12 | .750 |
| Gilbert | 9 | 14 | .643 |
| Kroenke | 1 | 2 | .500 |
| Schumacher | 1 | 2 | .500 |
| Total | 84 | 103 | .816 |
PICK YOUR POISON
During the Big 12 Conference season, Quin Snyder's bunch exhibited an impressive balance offensively, making it hard for opponents to focus on one person.
Three Tigers, led by freshman Kareem Rush (18.2 ppg), averaged double figures in scoring in conference play. Others in double figures included Keyon Dooling (14.4 ppg) and Clarence Gilbert (14.8). Additionally, three other Tigers, Tajudeen Soyoye (9.1 ppg), Brian Grawer (8.5) and Jeff Hafer (8.7) were just shy of giving MU six people averaging double digits.
Here's a quick look at a few numbers which told the story during MU's 10-6 record in the conference season:
| Big 12 Season | Non-Conference | |
| MU Points Per Game | 78.9 (1st) | 67.4 (12th) |
| Scoring Margin | +4.9 (6th) | +3.8 (9th) |
| Rebounding Margin | -3.3 (10th) | -4.2 (12th) |
| MU FG Percentage | 44.0% (6th) | 40.3% (12th) |
| Opp. FG Percentage | 46.5% (10th) | 44.7% (12th) |
| MU 3-pt. FG Percentage | 38.6% (3rd) | 35.2% (7th) |
| Opp. 3-pt. FG Percentage | 33.5% (4th) | 32.5% (7th) |
| MU Assists Per Game | 14.6 (8th) | 12.8 (12th) |
MORE POISON
To illustrate just how improved MU's offensive attack was during conference play, here's a quick look at how several Tiger individuals did scoring-wise in league play, compared to non-league play:
| PPG | PPG | |
| Tiger | Big 12 | Non-Conf. |
| Kareem Rush | 18.2 | 10.9 |
| Clarence Gilbert | 14.8 | 10.4 |
| Keyon Dooling | 14.4 | 16.4 |
| Jeff Hafer | 8.7 | 5.8 |
| Brian Grawer | 8.5 | 6.0 |
MORE SCORING FACTS
Missouri scored 80 or more points in 10-of-16 conference games (62.5%).
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).
Missouri won the team scoring title in Big 12 Conference games, averaging a league-best 78.9 points per contest.
SCORING EXPLOSION
Missouri earned an 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.
WHEN 17-0 ISN'T 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 the Feb. 15th game at Lubbock, Texas.
Missouri outscored Texas Tech by a 17-0 margin to end the game, a span which stretche the final 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, and held Tech scoreless in its last 11 possessions - including eight turnovers and three missed shots.
SHOOTING HAS BEEN UP-AND-DOWN
Through the first seven games of the Big 12 season, Missouri was the top-shooting outfit in the league, as the Tigers shot an even 50.0% as a team in those contests (204-of-408), a mark which led the league through seven contests.
In the next seven games, however, the Tigers struggled to find the range. Mizzou shot a combined 37.7% from the floor as a team (157-of-417), which contributed to the Tigers' 3-4 mark during that span.
In the first seven games, MU shot 43.5% as a team from three-point range (67-of-154), but cooled off to shoot 35.0% from beyond the stripe (69-of-197) in the next seven outings.
MU broke out of its slump in a March 1st win against Nebraska, as the Tigers connected on 48.2% from the floor - its best mark in eight games, since going for a 48.3 mark at Colorado on Feb. 2nd.
MU is looking to rebound from a subpar 36.4% shooting effort against Oklahoma in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament. OU held Mizzou to just 24-of-66 field goals, including just 4-of-25 (16.0%) from three-point range.
GRAWER GOING FOR FT RECORDS
Individually, junior guard Brian Grawer leads the Big 12 with a season mark of 90.5 percent, making 67-of-74 freebies thus far. If he was to hold that percentage, he'd break the MU single-season record of 89.6 percent set by Travis Ford in the 1989-90 season.
Additionally, he is poised to break the single-season Big 12 free throw percentage record of 86.1 percent set by Cory Carr of Texas Tech in 1997-98.
Grawer also won the Big 12 FT shooting title for league games, as he led the way with a 90.5% success rate in league play. He had a shot at setting the Big 12 record for a league season, which is 90.9 percent, set by former Tiger Corey Tate in 1997 (40-of-44). He needed to go 3-of-3 from the line in the conference finale at Kansas to raise his percentage to 91.9 percent, but he did not get an opportunity to shoot any foul shots.
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.
The Tigers enter Friday's game against North Carolina having been outrebounded in each of their last six games (40.6-to-32.6). In last week's loss to #15 Oklahoma, the burly Sooners outrebounded the smallish Tigers, 48-36.
In its last nine games, however, MU has held its own with its opponents on the offensive glass, 117-to-112. That's no small feat (no pun intended), given MU's lack of size, and the fact that they routinely send only two people to the offensive glass in order to get defensive balance.
For the season, the smallish Tigers have held their own on the offensive glass, with 324 offensive rebounds, to 343 for their opponents.
MU's last big day on the glass came against then-#18 Texas on Feb. 12th, as MU outrebounded the Longhorns by a 45-36 margin. All 10 Tigers who played in the game had a rebound, and they were led individually by Jeff Hafer, who grabbed a season-high nine boards. MU had been 7-0 on the year when outrebounding their opponents, but fell to 7-1 on the year, as the Longhorns claimed a 66-63 win.
But the Tigers came up big on the glass during MU's earlier 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 streak, the Tigers were being outrebounded by a 37.8-to-32.8 margin by their opponents.
rush IS BIG 12'S TOP FRESHMAN
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 - no time at all.
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 at Texas Tech, exploits of which we've discussed in detail previously.
He followed up with 19 more points at Kansas State, and was named Big 12 Rookie-of-the-Week on Feb. 21st, for the second time in three weeks.
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 14.9 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 11th overall in the league, but he hasn't played in enough games to qualify for the statistics leader board.
Additionally, he ranked 3rd in scoring in league games (18.0 ppg), behind only Marcus Fizer of Iowa State and Jaquay Walls of Colorado. He also led the league in 3-pt. field goal percentage in Big 12 games (51.7%) and ranked among league leaders in the other following categories: field goal percentage (5th - 56.8%), free throw percentage (8th - 77.8%) and 3-pt. field goals made (7th - 2.82).
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 | 14.9 | 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 is one of the Big 12 Conference's top playmakers, and he's arguably one of the league's most valuable players.
Dooling currently leads MU in scoring (15.3 ppg), assists, free throws made and attempted, and as a 6-foot-3 point guard, he also leads the team in blocked shots, with 17.
Dooling was recently named to the NABC District 12 First Team, which means he's one of 150 players to be eligible for NABC all-American honors. He also was a unanimous 2nd team all-Big 12 selection by league coaches and media.
He's coming off a solid game against #15 Oklahoma in the Big 12 Tournament, where he took over during the stretch and put MU in a position to win. Dooling scored 21 points on the night, helping MU claw back from an 11-point deficit. He scored 12 of MU's final 16 points in the game, including six of the team's eight points in overtime.
On Feb. 21st against Oklahoma State he scored a team-high 19 points, despite spraining his right ankle. He had a hard time getting his shot to fall (5-of-15 FGs), but he remained aggressive offensively, as his constant penetration resulted in seven free throw attempts, of which he was perfect.
Dooling is one of the hotter shooters in the league from the foul line, of late. In his last 10 games, Dooling has connected on 88.9% of his freebies (48-of-54).
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 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.
THE MICROWAVE'S HEATING UP
When he's hot, he's one of the most dangerous and explosive scorers in the Big 12 Conference. And Tiger fans hope that with recent performances, sophomore guard and 3rd-team all-Big 12 selection Clarence Gilbert is ready help MU make a deep run into the postseason.
Gilbert has broken out of a recent shooting slump by averaging 21.0 points in the last four outings. He hit for 26 points on March 9th against Texas Tech in the opening round of the Big 12 Tournament, gunning for six three pointers in 12 attempts. He followed with 21 more points last Friday in the quarterfinals vs. #15 Oklahoma.
Previously, Gilbert hit for 18 points on March 5th at Kansas, hitting 4-of-10 from three-point range. Earlier in the week, he went for 19 points vs. Nebraska. He hit 5-of-11 three pointers vs. NU, which was the most he'd made in a game since scoring a career-high 27 points (including 7-of-10 three pointers) on Jan. 22nd vs. Kansas.
Gilbert ranked as the 11th-leading scorer in Big 12 Conference games, scoring at a 14.8 points per game clip. He had been leading the league in scoring through five games (22.4 ppg), but was held to an average of just 9.7 points a game in nine games from Jan. 29 through Feb. 26. In that stretch, he hit just 26.2% of his FGs (28-of-107) and just 25.8% of his 3-pt. FGs (17-of-66).
On Feb. 19th at Kansas State, 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, and finished with 15 points.
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 scored 25 or more points in three league games - 26 points (at Iowa State), 25 points (vs. KSU), and 27 points (vs. Kansas).
Gilbert's feats in conference play were 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 ranked 2nd in league games with an average of 3.30 three-pointers made per game, and was 10th in three-point shooting percentage (39.1%). His season scoring average of 13.6 currently ranks 14th in the league.
GOOD THINGS COME IN THREES
Missouri has used the three-point shot to its advantage this year. The Tigers enter the North Carolina game as the top three-point outfit in the Big 12 Conference. Through 30 games, Missouri has hit 283-of-773 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 15 times on the year, and hit 14-of-33 threes at Kansas State on Feb. 19th (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.
Another amazing fact that no-one has probably read this far to see, is that MU has made 11 or more three pointers in a game 11 times this year. In the previous 13 years since the three-point shot was brought about (1986-87 season), the Tigers had made 11 or treys just 12 times total!
TIGERS SIGN THREE PREP BLUE- CHIPPERS DURING EARLY PERIOD
MU Head Coach Quin Snyder 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:
Paulding, a 6-foot-5 guard from Detroit Renaissance High School, is considered one of the nation's top 30 prep prospects, and was 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 as a junior 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.
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 had a junior season in which he averaged 16 points and 13 rebounds per game. 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.
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.
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).
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 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.