Men's Basketball Hosts Winthrop
1/4/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 4, 2000
Game #12 Winthrop (5-5) at Missouri (7-4) Jan. 4, 2000 -- Columbia, Mo.
TIPOFF: 7:00 p.m. (central).
ARENA: Hearnes Center (13,300).
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: No television for this contest.
RANKINGS: AP: WU (n/a)/MU (n/a), ESPN/USA Today: WU (n/a)/MU (rv)
SERIES: This will be the first meeting between the two schools.
COACHES:
Missouri: Quin Snyder (Duke '89), 7-4 at MU (1st season), 7-4 overall (1st season).
Winthrop: Gregg Marshall (Randolph-Maco '85), 26-13 at WU (2nd season), 26-13 overall (2nd season).
OFFICIALS: Will be announced prior to tipoff.
TIGERS CLOSE NON-CONFERENCE SEASON VS. WINTHROP
The Missouri Tigers (7-4 overall) close out the non-conference portion of the 1999-2000 schedule when they play host to the Winthrop Eagles (5-5) Tuesday night at the Hearnes Center in Columbia, Mo. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m.
Missouri hopes to rebound from its last outing, in which the Tigers had a two-game winning streak snapped by #25 Kentucky, 70-53, on Dec. 30 in New Orleans, La.
The Tigers look to get the new milennium underway with a win against Winthrop, which has a record that looks a bit deceiving. The Eagles have dropped two overtime games, and lost twice to quality opponents at Maryland and at Dayton. The Eagles return three starters from last year's team which went 21-8 and reached the NCAA Tournament by winning the Big South Conference championship.
MU-WINTHROP SERIES HISTORY
Tuesday will be a blind date, of sorts, between Missouri and Winthrop, as the two schools will be meeting for the first time ever.
The Tigers are 4-0 alltime in games against schools from the Big South Conference, including a 75-69 win back on Nov. 19 vs. UNC-Asheville.
MISSOURI TIGERS (7-4)
(Probable Starting Lineup/Just an SID's best guess)
| P | NO | NAME | HT | WT | YR | HOMETOWN | PPG/RPG |
| F | 24 | Jeff Hafer*** | 6-5 | 212 | Sr. | Joplin, Mo. | 5.9 / 2.6 |
| C | 33 | Tajudeen Soyoye | 6-9 | 236 | Jr. | Lagos, Nigeria | 10.4 / 6.6 |
| G | 5 | Keyon Dooling* | 6-3 | 184 | So. | Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. | 16.6 / 2.0 |
| G | 12 | Brian Grawer** | 6-0 | 165 | Jr. | St. Louis, Mo. | 6.1 / 2.9 |
| G | 4 | Clarence Gilbert* | 6-2 | 197 | So. | Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. | 10.7 / 3.2 |
WINTHROP EAGLES (5-5)
(Probable Starting Lineup/Just an SID's best guess)
| P | NO | NAME | HT | WT | YR | HOMETOWN | PPG/RPG |
| F | 30 | Greg Lewis | 6-6 | 215 | Jr. | Akron, Ohio | 16.6 / 4.9 |
| F | 32 | Eric Fisher | 6-6 | 200 | Sr. | Mauldin, S.C. | 3.6 / 2.7 |
| C | 44 | Eyo Effiong | 6-9 | 235 | So. | Lagos, Nigeria | 10.4 / 1.4 |
| G | 20 | Roger Toxey | 6-3 | 180 | Jr. | Monroe, N.C. | 8.8 / 3.0 |
| G | 41 | Tyson Waterman | 6-0 | 185 | Sr. | Hemingway, S.C. | 12.9 / 1.9 |
MU NON-CONFERENCE HISTORY
A Tiger win on Tuesday against Winthrop would give MU eight wins for the non-conference season. That would be just one win fewer than the Tigers had last year against non-league foes.
Here's a look at the last 10 years of non-conference play for Missouri (regular-season games only):
| 1998-99 | 9-2 |
| 1997-98 | 8-5 |
| 1996-97 | 8-5 |
| 1995-96 | 6-5 |
| 1994-95 | 11-1 |
| 1993-94 | 10-2 |
| 1992-93 | 11-4 |
| 1991-92 | 12-1 |
| 1990-91 | 9-4 |
| 1989-90 | 14-2 |
HOME SWEET HOME
Missouri returns to the friendly confines of the Hearnes Center for Tuesday's game vs. Winthrop, and the Tigers are 5-1 this year at home. MU's only loss at home came against #15 Indiana, 73-68, in a game in which the Tigers led the entire game, until the final :43 seconds.
The Tigers hold a 2-3 record in games away from the Hearnes Center thus far. Each of MU's five games outside of Columbia have all come at neutral site courts, and the Tigers won't play a true road game until Jan. 8, when they travel to Iowa State.
Here's a look at the Tigers' numbers this season at home compared to the five games they've played thus far outside the friendly confines of Hearnes:
| Category | Home | Away |
| Record | 5-1 | 2-3 |
| Points | 75.7 | 61.8 |
| Opp. Points | 63.5 | 66.2 |
| FG % | 44.2 | 38.1 |
| Opp. FG % | 41.4 | 50.0 |
| 3-pt. FG % | 36.3 | 38.3 |
| Rebounds | 36.5 | 29.0 |
MU RPI IS A-OKAY
Thru games of Jan. 2nd, Missouri ranks 30th in the country, according to the latest RPI rankings.
Missouri, at 7-4 entering the Winthrop contest, stands 30th with a power rating of .602. Winthrop stands 264th prior to their game Tuesday, with a rating of .425.
Missouri has played the nation's 22nd-toughest schedule, according to the rankings. The Tigers have already played five teams which rank in the top 20 in the RPI: Kentucky (2nd -- .669), Indiana (4th -- .660), Wisconsin (13th -- .640), Illinois (15th -- .628), and Iowa (19th -- .614). MU is 2-3 against those teams.
The Big 12 Conference is well represented in the RPI rankings, as six league teams are among the top 30 currently.
Kansas (6th -- .649) leads the way, followed by Texas (9th -- .646), Oklahoma (11th -- .645), Iowa State (25th -- .608), Colorado (29th -- .602) and Mizzou. Oklahoma State (42nd -- .587), Texas Tech (50th -- .578) and Nebraska (54th -- 573) are also among the top 64 to date.
The Big 12 Conference ranks 2nd toughest in the nation, to date, just behind the Big Ten Conference.
THE QUIN-TISENNTIALS
The 15th head coach in Missouri basketball history, Quin Snyder is 7-3 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.
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.
RUSH BACK FOR TEXAS A&M GAME
The NCAA has ruled that freshman forward Kareem Rush must miss a total of nine games, down from the original ruling of 14 games. He's already sat out three games thus far, and will miss six more, including Tuesday's game vs. Winthrop. The first game he'll be back for is on Jan. 29th vs. Texas A&M.
After declaring Rush ineligible for competition on Dec. 14th, the University of Missouri learned from the NCAA on Dec. 21st that Rush could be reinstated given that certain conditions are met.
The NCAA ruled that Rush will be required to repay the amount of money he received from an AAU coach, prior to his enrollment at Missouri, which has been deemed as an impermissible benefit. Rush will have the length of his eligibility to complete the payment. The money will go to the charity or charities of his choice.
The reinstatement staff has also ruled that Rush must be withheld from 33 percent of Missouri's competition during the 1999-2000 season (nine games). Prior to the appeal, the NCAA had ruled that he must miss 50 percent (14 games).
THE DYNAMIC DUO
Batman and Robin beware, Missouri can claim a pretty potent duo of its own, in sophomore guards Keyon Dooling and Clarence Gilbert.
Dooling and Gilbert, childhood friends and high school teammates from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., are the top two scorers on the Tiger squad, entering the Winthrop contest.
Dooling leads all MU scorers, and ranks among the Big 12's top ten, with an average of 16.6 points a game. He leads the team in field goals made and attempted, three-point field goals made and attempted, free throws made and attempted, steals and minutes played, and is second on the squad in assists.
Gilbert is second on the team with a scoring average of 10.7 points a game, more than double his freshman average of 4.2. Gilbert has 24 three-point field goals in 11 games, which is the same number he made in 29 games last season. He's also raised his three-point shooting percentage to 41.4%, up from 27.3% a year ago.
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.
Earlier in the year, the Tigers were holding their own on the boards, using quickness, leaping ability and rebounding from guards to grab the ball.
But the last four games have seen the outsized Tigers get outrebounded by a margin of 159-to-107 (an average of 39.8 to 26.8), including a season-high deficit of 18 against Kentucky (44-to-26).
Missouri is averaging 33.1 rebounds a game entering the Winthrop contest, which despite the recent deficiencies is just 3.8 fewer per game than opponents at this point. The Tigers are 3-0 when outrebounding their opponent, and 3-3 when losing the battle of the boards.
Despite the smallness of the Tiger lineup, they do hold a 116-113 edge on the offensive glass.
CARDIAC KIDS
While the Tigers would certainly prefer a big win on Tuesday vs. Winthrop, MU has been predisposed to playing tight ballgames this season.
All but three of MU's 11 games this year have been decided by 11 points or less, including six which have been decided by 6 points or less. The Tigers are 4-2 in games decided by six points or fewer.
DEFENSE TIGHTENING THE SCREWS
In its last game out, Missouri was seriously outmanned in the middle vs. Kentucky. That helped lead to a Wildcat shooting performance of 48.4%.
Prior to that, however, Missouri had turned up the heat defensively in its last two outings, and that effort helped key wins over Iowa and Illinois.
Illinois shot a respectable 48.2 percent against MU, but that number was largely skewed by the fact that UI hit 13-of-16 shots to open the contest. From that point on, MU held the Illini to just 35.0 percent (14-of-40), which was certainly a key in MU's comeback from a 14-point deficit.
Against Iowa, MU held the Hawkeyes, who opened the season with a win over defending national champion UConn, to just 37.3 percent from the floor. Mizzou also harassed Iowa into 16 turnovers on the day, paving the way to MU's 72-61 win.
On Dec. 12th, Saint Louis shot an opponent season-high 58.3%, and scored a season-most 75 points against Mizzou, despite the fact that the Tigers forced 25 Billiken turnovers. SLU's ability to get points down low were the deciding factor, as SLU outscored MU 46-24 in the paint.
MU defeated SMU on Dec. 1st, 63-60, in a game in which they held the Mustangs to just 34.9% shooting. SMU guard Stephen Woods scored 24 points on the night, but the Tiger defense did a great job against Mustangs' top two scorers -- Willie Davis and Jeryl Sasser -- holding them to a combined 8-of-29 (27.6%) from the floor.
The Tigers have twice held opponents to under 35% -- including an opponent season-low mark of 34.5% percent vs. Morgan State.
WELL, NO DUH!
Okay, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that you tend to do fairly well in the game of basketball if you: shoot the ball better, rebound the ball better, defend better and take care of the ball better than your opponent.
That being said, here are some keys for the Tigers early in the season:
Missouri is 5-0 on the year thus far when they've shot a higher field goal percentage than an opponent. MU is also 4-0 when holding foes to less than 45.0% from the floor, and the Tigers are also 5-0 when attempting more free throws than opponents.
Additionally, Missouri is 4-0 when shooting 45.0% or better in a game, and is 3-0 when outrebounding an opponent.
Other numbers to consider include the fact that MU is 5-1 when leading at the half, and is 5-1 when allowing 69 points or fewer.
GOOD THINGS COME IN THREES
Missouri has used the three-point shot to its advantage this year. The Tigers enter the Winthrop game Tuesday as the top three-point outfit in the Big 12 Conference. Through 11 games, Missouri has hit 103-of-277 three pointers, both totals which are tops in the Big 12 Conference thus far.
MU has made at least 10 three pointers in in four of its last eight games, and recently turned in a scintillating 13-of-20 performance from beyond the arch against Illinois (season-best 65.0%).
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 an MU single-game record, previously accomplished in 1997 vs. Wake Forest and in 1998 vs. Kansas State.
Seven different Tigers dialed long distance vs. Morgan State, including freshman Josh Kroenke, who came off the bench to nail five treys for the second straight game.
Conversely, Tiger opponents have yet to reach double digits in threes made for a game. Princeton had an opponent high when they hit eight treys on Nov. 13 against the Tigers.
Season records to keep an eye on include 214 three-pointers made and 580 treys attempted, both by the 1997-98 squad. Through 11 games, the Tigers are on pace to make 272 three pointers in 730 attempts.
GETTING TO THE LINE
Missouri hopes to make a bigger impact from the foul line against Winthrop on Tuesday than that of the Kentucky game, in which MU made just 10-of-16 foul shots (62.5%), compared to 19-of-25 by the Wildcats (76.0%).
Against Kentucky, Keyon Dooling did nicely getting to the line, as he made 9-of-14 freebies, but only one other Tiger earned a trip to the line. T.J. Soyoye went 1-of-2.
Missouri didn't exactly shoot lights out from the foul line against Illinois on Dec. 21, but the Tigers were able to get to the line more frequently, and hit the crucial ones down the stretch to hold on for the win.
MU outshot Illinois from the line, as the Tigers hit 19-of-29 attempts to 12-of-18 for the Illini. Mizzou nailed 7-of-8 freebies in the game's final two minutes to hold on for the win.
In its last two games, MU has come up big down the stretch, as they've hit 15-of-18 free throws (83.3 %) in the last two minutes of the previous three games.
MU had an outstanding performance as it connected on 15-of-19 freebies (78.9%) against Iowa, including 6-of-8 in the game's final minute. Iowa did hold a slight edge from the line, as they made 18-of-23 attempts.
The disparity in free throw opportunities wasn't as much as recent games, however. In the three games prior to Iowa, Tiger opponents attempted 74 free throws, to just 40 for MU.
Previously, the Tigers suffered a 75-72 loss to Saint Louis in which the Billikens made more free throws (18) than the Tigers attempted (17). When the Tigers did get to the foul line, MU made just 8-of-17 free throws, compared to 18-of-29 freebies by SLU.
MU had trouble getting to the line against Indiana. In that game, MU earned only eight free throw attempts, making six, while the Hoosiers connected on 18-of-27 on the night -- clearly a deciding factor in IU's five-point win.
DOOLING LEAVES 'EM DROOLING
Electrifying guard Keyon Dooling has emerged as one of the top players in the Big 12 Conference of late, as he's averaged 21.4 points per game in MU's last five outings.
Dooling is coming off a 19-point outing vs. #25 Kentucky. Prior to that, he had 25 points vs. #15 Illinois, which tied his career-high. He hit a career-best six three pointers in the game, which is the 7th-best single game total in MU history. He keyed a 16-0 first half Tiger run which dug MU out of a 30-16 deficit by nailing two three-pointers to start things. He also sealed the win by hitting 3-of-4 free throws late in the game.
Prior to that, Dooling had a 19-point game vs. Iowa that was arguably one of his best of the year. He's had bigger numbers thus far, but his leadership in the game's final minutes when the game was still undecided was crucial.
Dooling scored six of the Tigers' final 13 points in the game, including a huge three pointer that extended MU's lead from six to nine, at 62-53, with 3:53 left in the game. He later nailed a 15-foot jumper that put MU up 64-55 with 2:12 left, and had an assist on a Clarence Gilbert basket just 40 seconds later.
Prior to that, Dooling turned in a 23-point game vs. Saint Louis, including eight points in the game's final :35 seconds that kept Mizzou in the game. He also had a game-high 21 points vs. Indiana.
Entering the Kentucky game, Dooling leads the Tigers in scoring (16.6 ppg), three-point field goals (27-of-66) and free throws (42-of-68).
When he's not on his game offensively, the sophomore has shown he can still lead the team. On Dec. 1st vs. SMU, he was held to eight points, on just 1-of-10 shooting. He contributed to the Tigers' comeback win in other ways, however, as Dooling had four assists, five rebounds, three steals and hit 6-of-8 free throws, including a pair of game clinchers with under 20 seconds left in the game.
Dooling led Missouri to victory against Princeton on Nov. 13th, as he scored 25 of MU's 51 points on the night (that's 49.0 percent of the team's scoring). The 25 points was a career high for the Fort Lauderdale, Fla. native. He hit a 5-of-6 three pointers on the night.
In the offseason, Dooling vowed he would become more of a scoring threat from the outside, and it's shown in the early going. Through 11 games, Dooling, who was the runner-up last year in Big 12 Freshman-of-the-Year voting, has made 27 three pointers. In 28 games last year, he made all of eight treys.
Gilbert Taking Charge
One of Missouri's most valuable players continues to be sophomore guard Clarence Gilbert, who can give the Tigers a lift by scoring, rebounding and defense.
He's averaging 16.0 points a game in MU's last three contests, including a career-best 24-point outing vs. Illinois in helping lead the Tigers to the upset win. Gilbert went off in a two-minute stretch in the second half, scoring 12 straight points that took MU from a 52-52 tie to a 64-54 lead with with 7:32 left in the game.
The string began when he got to the basket for a layup that put MU up, 54-52 with 9:53 left. In MU's next three possessions, Gilbert hit three straight three-pointers, and picked up a free throw after getting fouled on the second one, giving him a four-point play. He also led the Tigers in rebounding on the night, grabbing six boards.
Gilbert is the team's 2nd-leading scorer (10.7 ppg) and 4th-leading rebounder (3.2 rpg), at just 6-foot-2 inches tall.
Gilbert scored 13 points against Iowa, and had eight of MU's first 10 points, including two long three pointers that helped stake the Tigers out to an early 10-5 lead. He also got free under the basket for a big layin with just 1:30 left in the game that gave MU a 66-57 lead.
He had 12 points and added five rebounds vs. Indiana, but perhaps his defense was the most impressive. He grabbed three steals on the night, and helped hold IU all-American candidate A.J. Guyton to just 4-of-11 shooting. Gilbert guarded Guyton for most of the first half, in which Guyton scored just three points, and had four turnovers.
On Nov. 21st vs. Western Carolina, Gilbert grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds, in addition to tying a career-high with 13 points. That marked the sparkplug's first career double-double.
Previously, he was held to a season-low four points vs. SMU, and went without a made three-point field goal for the first time this season. Despite his lack of offense, Gilbert proved quite valuable as he held SMU's star guard Jeryl Sasser scoreless until 15 minutes were left in the game. Sasser, who entered the game averaging 19 points a game, was held to 10 on the night, on just 4-of-18 field goals.
Gilbert has scored in double figures six times on the year, and is currently third on the squad with 25 assists.
HAFER LEADING BY EXAMPLE
Senior forward Jeff Hafer is playing some of the best basketball of his Tiger career, of late. As the senior member of the squad, he's been an invaluable leader for a young and inexperienced Tiger team.
Hafer is coming off a 12-point performance vs. Kentucky. He hit 2-of-3 three pointers on the night, and is averaging 10.0 points per game in his last four outings.
Versus Iowa, Hafer played 31 minutes off the bench for Quin Snyder's depleted squad. He had a solid all-around game, turning in eight points, grabbing six rebounds and adding three steals and two assists.
Against Saint Louis, Hafer scored a season-best 15 points. Twelve of his points came in the second half as he helped lead a Tiger comeback that almost got MU a win. He hit 5-of-7 shots in the second half and grabbed four rebounds, as well. He hit 2-of-3 three pointers on the day, and played 27 minutes against the Billikens.
Not many people other than a senior could enter the final five minutes of a tight game in which he had zero points and four fouls and take control. But that's exactly what Hafer accomplished on Dec. 1 vs. SMU, when he almost single-handedly willed Missouri to a come-from-behind win.
Missouri trailed by six with five minutes left, and Hafer came in, despite being held scoreless and shackled with four fouls.
But he responded like the senior leader his teammates look to him for, as he had a hand in seven of MU's final nine points, as they came back for a 63-60 win.
Hafer began by knocking down a three-pointer with 3:10 left that tied the game at 57-57. Then, with 1:40 left, he stole the ball and fed T.J. Soyoye for a dunk that gave MU the lead for good, at 59-57. Finally, on MU's next possession, he got free on a drive to the basket for a layup which provided the eventual winning points.
On the defensive end, he's endeared himself to Coach Quin Snyder, as he's taken several charges of late -- a play which Snyder has declared as his favorite act of teammwork. He leads the team with five charges taken through 11 games.
SOYOYE IS DOUBLE TROUBLE
While his name gives broadcasters and public address announcers the heeby-jeebys, junior center Tajudeen Soyoye has been creating even more distress for Tiger opponents on the court of late.
After a slow start offensively, MU's "Nigerian Nightmare" is catching fire. He's scored in double figures in five of his last nine games. He's been held to single digits each of the last two times out, but previously had an outstanding performance against Iowa, in which he led MU with a career-high 23 points. He hit 8-of-12 shots on the day vs. the Hawkeyes, and sank 7-of-8 free throws to help seal the win in the game's final minutes.
His contributions vs. Iowa were even more valuable to the team given the fact that the Tigers had to play without 2nd-leading scorer Kareem Rush and 2nd-leading rebounder Johnnie Parker. Soyoye picked up the slack for the missing Tigers inside, and even did so despite the fact that he got to the arena barely 40 minutes prior to the noon tipoff. He had a political science final exam that morning, which lasted until 11:00 a.m.
Soyoye had been sadled with foul trouble in each of MU's previous two games, as he averaged just 21.5 minutes played vs. Indiana and Saint Louis. He averaged 8.0 points and 3.5 rebounds in those games, both Tiger losses. Conversely, he played with just two fouls up until the final minute of the game, and saw the court for 37 minutes vs. Iowa.
A key stat shows that when Soyoye plays 26 minutes or more, the Tigers are 7-1, and when he plays 25 minutes or less, MU is 0-3.
Despite going up against taller opponents, he's hit a solid 64.4% of his field goals in the last eight games (38-of-59).
Soyoye tallied 19 points and 11 rebounds in MU's 85-68 win over Western Carolina. It marked the Lagos, Nigeria native's first career double-double at MU.
Soyoye enters the Winthrop game as MU's 4th-leading scorer (10.4 ppg) and is the team's top rebounder (6.6 rpg). He's also shooting a team-best 58.7% from the floor through 11 contests.
GRAWER SEARCHING FOR THE RANGE
Junior guard Brian Grawer is going through a rough shooting stretch that has seen the 48 percent career shooter (entering the season) connect on just 28.6% of his shots thus far in 1999-2000.
Grawer was held scoreless for just the second time this season, as he went 0-of-6 from the floor against Kentucky.
But previously, he had a performance that Tiger faithful hope will get him going, as he scored a season-high 15 points in MU's win over Illinois.
Against the Illini, Grawer was 2-of-3 from three-point range, and added 9-of-10 free throws to help seal the win. He also added five assists (to just one turnover) and had three steals in 31 minutes.
In his last four games entering the Winthrop contest, Grawer has recorded 15 assists to just three turnovers, good for a 5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Prior to that, Grawer had five points Iowa, and went just 1-of-7 from the floor (all three point attempts). But he proved his value to the team by playing 34 minutes on the day, and adding four assists (with no turnovers) and a steal.
The St. Louis native had an eight-point, six-rebound effort vs. SMU Dec. 1st. He hit 3-of-4 field goals on the night, including a perfect 2-of-2 from three-point land. Prior to that, Grawer went for a season-best 10-point game vs. Morgan State. He hit 4-of-5 field goals on the day, including both of his three-point attempts.
For the season, Grawer is now shooting 28.6 percent from the floor (29.5 percent from three-point range), and is averaging 6.1 points a game. He averaged 9.6 points a game last season as a sophomore, and shot 48.1 percent for the year.
.12-GAGE GIVES MU A SHOT
The Missouri roster grew by one in November, when freshman guard Justin Gage joined the team after Thanksgiving.
Gage is a quarterback for the Mizzou football team, and played in three games this season for coach Larry Smith's Tigers as a true freshman. He threw for 138 yards in those three games, and tossed two touchdowns against Texas A&M on Nov. 13th in Columbia.
A standout player in basketball for Jefferson City High School, Gage was also an all-state quarterback for the Jays.
He sat in street clothes on MU's bench for the first time vs. Morgan State, and began practicing with the squad the next day. He did not play vs. SMU on Dec. 1st, but saw his first action of the year on Dec. 7th against Indiana.
Gage played four minutes vs. the Hoosiers, and made the most of his time on the floor. In the first half, he grabbed an offensive rebound and swung the ball over to teammate Brian Grawer (who wears Gage's football number 12) for a three pointer, giving Gage a rebound and an assist on the same sequence.
His last time out, Gage played a career-high 25 minutes against Kentucky, and led MU with a career-high six rebounds.
Gage gave the Tigers some key play vs. Illinois, as he grabbed a career-high five rebounds and added two points. His solid defense also played a key role in helping MU dig out of a 14-point first-half deficit.
Previously, vs. Iowa, Gage scored the first points of his young Tiger career, when he drove the baseline and went in for a two-handed jam that gave the Tigers a 39-30 lead less than a minute into the second half.
Gage played 15 minutes off the bench vs. Iowa, and gave the team a big lift, as he nabbed two steals, blocked a shot and grabbed one rebound, in addition to his dunk.
RUSH MAKING AN EARLY IMPRESSION
Before the recent developments regarding his eligibility, Tiger rookie Kareem Rush has shown that he's one of the Big 12's top freshmen.
There's no question that Rush has made a big impact early on in his Tiger career. He's led Missouri in scoring two times already, and has done the same trick three times in rebounding, as well.
In eight games, Rush is averaging 10.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. His scoring output is 2nd-best on the team, and he's third on the squad in rebounding -- not bad considering he's coming off the bench.
Rush is averaging 13.3 points in his last three games, and has scored in double figures in five of his last six. He had a 10-point, 9-rebound outing vs. Saint Louis, and prior to that, had a scintillating performance against Indiana, where he tied a personal best with 16 points.
He had a career-high 16 point game vs. UNCA. He hit 3 three-pointers on the night, and helped keep the Tigers in a game in which they trailed by 10 points at one point.
In MU's win against Princeton, Rush gave Coach Quin Snyder 31 key minutes. He managed just five points (on 1-of-8 shooting), but came up huge on the boards, as he grabbed a game-high 10 caroms, including the game-saving rebound after Princeton's last-second attempt was no good. He also added two assists and a blocked shot on the night.
Because he's a smooth lefty who hails from Kansas City, Rush draws natural comparisons to former Tiger all-American Anthony Peeler. Though it's early, Rush's numbers compare favorably to Peeler in his freshman year. Here's a quick look at how other prominent Tigers fared as freshmen:
| Tiger | Fresh. Year | Pts. | Rebs. |
| Steve Stipanovich | 1979-80 | 14.4 | 6.4 |
| Derrick Chievous | 1984-85 | 13.1 | 5.3 |
| 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 |
| Kareem Rush | 1999-00 | 10.9 | 5.1 |
| 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 |
KROENKE DIALS LONG DISTANCE
Freshman guard Josh Kroenke came of age in a two-game stretch earlier in the season, as the Columbia, Mo. native averaged 16.5 points in wins over Western Carolina and Morgan State.
Kroenke, who was held scoreless in MU's first three games of the year, exploded for 33 points in those two games. He led Missouri with a career-high 18 point outing vs. Morgan State, in which he nailed 5-of-7 three pointers.
Prior to that, vs. Western Carolina, he came out gunning, and lit up the Catamounts for 15 points in just 13 minutes of play, on 5-of-8 three pointers. He came off the bench and gave MU a spark when they were struggling offensively.
All told, Kroenke hit 11-of-17 shots in the two-game stretch (64.7%) including 10-of-15 three-point field goals (66.7%).
Kroenke had a solid outing versus Saint Louis on Dec. 12th, as he scored five points in just 12 minutes of action. He hit a driving layup and nailed a three-pointer in the game's final minutes to help the Tigers claw their way back into the contest.
Kroenke enters the Winthrop game ranking third on the squad in field goal percentage (45.5%) and fourth in three-point shooting (40.7%).
HERE'S JOHNNIE
Junior forward Johnnie Parker might not have the flashiest numbers around, but the job he has done thus far for the Tigers has been solid.
Through 10 games, the St. Louis native is averaging a career-high 6.7 points and 4.8 rebounds, the latter of which is the 2nd-best total on the team. He currently leads the team with a stellar three-point shooting percentage of 47.4% (9-of-19). He has been held to two points in each of the last two games, after missing the Dec. 18 game vs. Iowa after being suspended briefly for a violation of team academic policies.
Prior to that, Parker had six points and three rebounds on Dec. 12th vs. Saint Louis. Before that, he was held to a season-low two points against Indiana on Dec. 7th. That marked the first game this year in which he didn't connect on a three-point field goal.
Prior to the Indiana game, Parker turned in a 10-point, six-rebound, game vs. SMU on Dec. 1st. That marked the third game in which he's tallied double figures in scoring.
He had a career-high 13 points in MU's win over Western Carolina on Nov. 21st, and began the year with 11 points against Wisconsin, including a career-best 3-of-6 three pointers.
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."
MIZZOU SETS ATTENDANCE RECORD
At Missouri's home game on Dec. 7th vs. Indiana, the Tigers played in an electric atmosphere that included 13,782 fans.
That was a single-game attendance record for the Hearnes Center -- breaking the previous mark 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. | 13,782, 12-7-99 vs. Indiana |
| 2. | 13,706, 2-11-89 vs. Kansas |
| 3. | 13,645, 1-14-89 vs. Iowa State |
| 4. | 13,610, 2-27-88 vs. Kansas |
| 5. | 13,558, 2-21-88 vs. Oklahoma State |
| 6. | 13,544, 1-23-88 vs. Iowa State |
| 7. | 13,471, 3-3-88 vs. Oklahoma |
| 8. | 13,470, 2-4-89 vs. Kansas State |
| 9. | 13,454, 12-28-88 vs. Arkansas |
| 10. | 13,360, 1-21-89 vs. Oklahoma State |
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
