Men's Hoops Opens Big 12 Play At Iowa State
1/6/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 6, 2000
TIPOFF: 4:00 p.m. (central).
ARENA: James H. Hilton Coliseum (14,044). ISU is 10-0 at home this season.
RADIO: Tiger Network (Mike Kelly, play-by-play/Gary Link, color). Carried on more than 50 stations statewide, and on the Internet at www.mutigers.com.
TV: ESPN. Ron Franklin, play-by-play, Jon Sundvold, color.
RANKINGS: AP: ISU (RV)/MU (n/a), ESPN/USA Today: ISU (n/a)/MU (RV)
SERIES: MU leads, 134-72, and has won four straight meetings. ISU leads 49-44 in Ames, but MU leads 15-14 in Hilton Coliseum, including a 77-61 win last season.
COACHES:
Missouri: Quin Snyder (Duke ?89), 7-5 at MU (1st season), 7-5 overall (1st season).
Iowa State: Larry Eustachy (Long Beach State ?79), 27-17 at ISU (2nd season), 196-103 overall (10th season). Eustachy is 0-2 vs. Missouri.
OFFICIALS: Will be announced prior to tipoff.
BIG 12 SEASON BEGINS WITH TIGERS ON THE ROAD IN AMES, IOWA
The Missouri Tigers (7-5 overall) get the first Big 12 season of the new milennium underway this Saturday, as they visit the red-hot Iowa State Cyclones (12-2), for a Saturday afternoon game. Tipoff is set for 4:00 p.m., and the game will be televised on ESPN.
The Tigers are looking to bounce back from a 51-46 home loss at the hands of Winthrop on Tuesday evening. Missouri shot just 25.0 percent from the floor on the evening, including just 5-of-30 (16.7%) from three-point range. Of MU?s five losses, three have now come by five points or fewer.
Conversely, there isn?t a hotter team in the Big 12 Conference than Iowa State at the present. They?ve won nine straight games heading into Saturday?s contest, and ISU has won its last five games by an average of 30.8 points a game.
MISSOURI TIGERS (7-5)
(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. | 5.8 / 2.8 |
| C | 33 | Tajudeen Soyoye | 6-9 | 236 | Jr. | Lagos, Nigeria | 9.5 / 6.7 |
| G | 5 | Keyon Dooling* | 6-3 | 184 | So. | Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. | 16.4 / 1.8 |
| G | 12 | Brian Grawer** | 6-0 | 165 | Jr. | St. Louis, Mo. | 6.0 / 2.7 |
| G | 4 | Clarence Gilbert* | 6-2 | 197 | So. | Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. | 10.4 / 3.4 |
IOWA STATE CYCLONES (12-2)
(Probable Starting Lineup/Just an SID?s best guess)
| P | NO | NAME | HT | WT | YR | HOMETOWN | PPG/RPG |
| F | 45 | Paul Shirley** | 6-9 | 230 | Jr. | Meriden, Kan. | 8.7 / 4.8 |
| F | 5 | Marcus Fizer** | 6-8 | 265 | Jr. | Arcadia, La. | 20.6 / 7.6 |
| G | 4 | Kantrail Horton | 6-1 | 225 | Jr. | Covington, Ga. | 8.9 / 4.3 |
| G | 11 | Jamaal Tinsley | 6-3 | 175 | Jr. | Brooklyn, N.Y. | 8.6 / 4.1 |
| G | 53 | Michael Nurse* | 6-1 | 175 | Sr. | Teaneck, N.J. | 11.9 / 2.3 |
MISSOURI-IOWA STATE SERIES
Missouri has won more games against Iowa State than against any other school, and leads the series, 134-72. MU has won four straight over the Cyclones, and leads 15-14 in games played in Hilton Coliseum, including a 77-61 win there last season.
The MU-ISU series has been rather streaky of late. Prior to MU?s current four-game winning streak, the Cyclones reeled off seven straight wins against MU, from 1995 through 1998. Before that, the Tigers won five straight in the series from 1993-95.
Please see page four of this release for a breakdown of the last 20 games of the MU-ISU series.
HEARNES BEING CHECKED FOR Y2K BUG
Apparently, the baskets in the Hearnes Center are not Y2K-compliant, as Missouri and Winthrop opened the new milennium Tuesday night at Hearnes by combining to make just 30.0 percent of their shots on the night (31-of-103). Winthrop shot 35.3 percent to just 25.0 percent for Missouri, as the Eagles claimed a 51-46 win.
Despite the shooting woes (MU made just 5-of-30 three pointers and 15-of-25 free throws) and being outrebounded by a 43-35 margin, the Tigers still had a chance to tie in the game?s final possession.
The 25.0 percent shooting night for Missouri was the lowest mark for a Tiger squad since MU managed just 23.9 percent (16-of-67) in a 96-49 loss to Kansas on Dec. 28, 1977 in Kansas City, Mo.
LAST YEAR AT IOWA STATE
MU 77, Iowa State 61
Feb. 8, 1999 --Ames, Iowa
Freshman Clarence Gilbert scored a season-high 13 points in his first start and led an early 3-point shooting barrage that sent Missouri to a 77-61 victory over Iowa State. The Tigers hit six straight 3-pointers and 7-of-11 shots overall in racing to a 21-6 lead less than seven minutes into the game and Iowa State never recovered. Mizzou tied a school record by committing just four turnovers in the ballgame. The Tigers had no turnovers at halftime, and didn?t notch their first mistake until 12:28 was left in the game. John Woods led Missouri with 16 points, including four 3-pointers, and Keyon Dooling scored 14. Gilbert nailed three 3-pointers in the first 4:55 to set the tone. The Tigers led 38-19 at the half. Iowa State's Marcus Fizer, the Big 12's leading scorer with an 18.7 average, missed all six of his first-half shots and finished with 14 points on 5-for-17 shooting.
| MU (77) | FG | 3PT | FT | RB | A | PF | TP |
| White - f | 3-11 | 0-1 | 4-6 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 10 |
| Hardge - c | 4-8 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 8 |
| Gilbert - g | 4-9 | 3-6 | 2-2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 13 |
| Dooling - g | 5-7 | 1-3 | 3-4 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 14 |
| Grawer - g | 2-5 | 2-3 | 2-2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| Parker | 2-4 | 1-1 | 3-4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| Woods | 6-10 | 4-6 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 |
| Schumacher | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Totals | 26-54 | 11-20 | 14-20 | 29 | 14 | 15 | 77 |
| ISU (61) | FG | 3PT | FT | RB | A | PF | TP |
| Fizer - f | 5-17 | 0-2 | 4-6 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 14 |
| Johnson - f | 4-4 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 9 |
| Rancik - c | 3-12 | 2-4 | 2-2 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 10 |
| Hampton - g | 3-7 | 1-4 | 0-0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| Nurse - g | 3-8 | 1-5 | 1-1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 8 |
| Corner | 1-1 | 1-1 | 1-2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Gregg | 1-3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Edwards | 2-2 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Rampton | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Totals | 22-54 | 5-16 | 12-16 | 34 | 13 | 12 | 61 |
Officials: Burr, O?Neill, Reynolds
| Missouri | 38 | 39 | ? 77 |
| Iowa State | 19 | 42 | ? 61 |
Attendance: 10,759
GILBERT, GRAWER HOPING FOR REPEAT
Sophomore guard Clarence Gilbert returns to the scene of his hot shooting last year, where he notched his first career start at Iowa State, and led MU to a big road win.
Gilbert made three three point field goals in the game?s first five minutes to set the tone for the Tigers, who jumped out to an insurmountable 21-6 lead less than seven minutes into the game. Gilbert finished with 13 points, which represented his career high, until he recently tallied 24 against Illinois back on Dec. 21st.
Additionally, junior guard Brian Grawer hopes to break from a shooting slump by regaining the touch that saw him score a career-high 27 points last year vs. Iowa State on Feb. 24, 1999 in Columbia. Grawer connected on a perfect 6-of-6 three pointers on the night in helping lead MU to a season sweep of the Cyclones.
ON THE ROAD
When Missouri takes the court Saturday at Iowa State, the game will represent Missouri?s first in an opponent?s gym for the 1999-2000 season. Due to a scheduling rarity, each of the Tigers? five 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.
The Tigers hold a 2-3 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 five games they?ve played thus far outside the friendly confines of Hearnes:
| Category | Home | Away |
| Record | 5-2 | 2-3 |
| Points | 71.4 | 61.8 |
| Opp. Points | 61.7 | 66.2 |
| FG % | 41.7 | 38.1 |
| Opp. FG % | 40.6 | 50.0 |
| 3-pt. FG % | 33.2 | 38.3 |
| Rebounds | 36.3 | 29.0 |
Individually, numbers which stand out include the following: T.J. Soyoye is averaging 12.3 ppg at Hearnes, and just 5.6 away from home ... Soyoye is shooting an outstanding 64.2% from the floor at Hearnes (34-of-53 FGs), and just 38.5% away from home (10-of-26)...Conversely, leading scorer Keyon Dooling is averaging 21.6 ppg away from Hearnes, compared to 12.7 ppg at home, and is shooting just 33.8% from the floor at home (27-of-80) compared to 43.4% away from home (33-of-76).
MU IN CONFERENCE OPENERS
In the immortal words of William Drayton (a.k.a. Flava Flav of Public Enemy), the Missouri Tigers want to "Get this party started right."
The party we?re referring to is the Big 12 Conference season. A win Saturday in Ames would not only help erase the sting from Tuesday?s loss to Winthrop, but it would help propel the Tigers into a key stretch which will see MU play four of its next five league games at home.
Missouri opened league play last season with a home win over Nebraska, and got out to a 3-0 start. The Tigers finished 11-5 in the Big 12 in 1999, and won the Big 12 North Division title.
In the league?s first two years, MU was just 1-4 through five games in 1997, and finished 5-11 and in 10th place. In 1998, MU stood 2-3 through five games, and finished an even 8-8 and tied for fifth place.
THE QUIN-TISENNTIALS
The 15th head coach in Missouri basketball history, Quin Snyder is 7-5 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 four games thus far, and will miss five more, including Saturday?s game at Iowa State. 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 Iowa State contest.
Dooling leads all MU scorers, and ranks among the Big 12?s top ten, with an average of 16.4 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 10.4 points a game, more than double his freshman average of 4.2. Gilbert has 24 three-point field goals in 12 games, which is the same number he made in 29 games last season. He?s also raised his three-point shooting percentage to 38.7%, up from 27.3% a year ago.
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS
From the "This does not compute" category comes the fact that Missouri has taken care of the ball offensively in each of its last two outings.
MU turned the ball over just 11 times Tuesday vs. Winthrop (forcing 18 Eagle turnovers), and just nine times last week against Kentucky (UK had 17). Despite the care taken with the ball, MU has dropped both games.
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 five games have seen the outsized Tigers get outrebounded by a margin of 202-to-142 (an average of 40.4 to 28.4), including a season-high deficit of 18 against Kentucky (44-to-26).
Missouri is averaging 33.2 rebounds a game entering the Iowa State contest, which despite the recent deficiencies is just 4.2 fewer per game than opponents at this point. The Tigers are 3-0 when outrebounding their opponent, and 3-4 when losing the battle of the boards.
Despite the smallness of the Tiger lineup, they do hold a 129-126 edge on the offensive glass.
CARDIAC KIDS
While the Tigers would certainly prefer a big win on Saturday at Ames, MU has been predisposed to playing tight ballgames this season.
All but three of MU?s 12 games this year have been decided by 11 points or less, including seven which have been decided by 6 points or less. The Tigers are 4-3 in games decided by six points or fewer.
DEFENSE TIGHTENING THE SCREWS
In its last game out, Missouri played solid defense, and held Winthrop to just 35.3 percent shooting Tuesday night.
Prior to that, 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.
The Tigers have twice held opponents to under 35% ? including an opponent season-low mark of 34.5% percent vs. Morgan State.
GOOD THINGS COME IN THREES
Missouri has used the three-point shot to its advantage this year. The Tigers enter the Iowa State game Saturday as the top three-point outfit in the Big 12 Conference. Through 12 games, Missouri has hit 108-of-307 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 nine games, and recently turned in a scintillating 13-of-20 performance from beyond the arch against Illinois (season-best 65.0%). The Tigers are looking to bounce back from a sub-par performance in the game against Winthrop, in which MU shot a season-low 16.7 percent from three-point distance (5-of-30).
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 12 games, the Tigers are on pace to make 261 three pointers in 742 attempts.
GETTING TO THE LINE
Missouri enjoyed a nice advantage at the foul line in Tuesday?s game against Winthrop, shooting 25 foul shots to 10 for the visiting Eagles. But the Tigers could convert on only 15 of those freebies (60.0 percent), and made only two of six free throws in the game?s final two minutes.
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.
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 20.2 points per game in MU?s last six outings.
Dooling is coming off a 14-point game against Winthrop, but prior to that, he had a 19-point outing vs. #25 Kentucky and added 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 Iowa State game, Dooling leads the Tigers in scoring (16.4 ppg), three-point field goals (30-of-76) and free throws (47-of-74).
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 30 three pointers. In 28 games last year, he made all of eight treys.
.12-GAGE GIVES MU A SHOT
The Missouri roster grew by one in November, when freshman guard Justin Gage joined the team after Thanksgiving.
Since joining the team, Gage has played in six games, and is giving Missouri some big contributions, especially given the recent loss of Kareem Rush.
His last time out, Gage turned in a career-high 11-point performance against Winthrop. He had seven of his points in the game?s final five minutes, as the Tigers almost clawed all the way back from a 14-point deficit.
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.
Against Kentucky, Gage 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.
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 14.0 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 3rd-leading scorer (10.4 ppg) and 4th-leading rebounder (3.4 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.
Gilbert has scored in double figures six times on the year, and is currently third on the squad with 27assists.
HAFER LEADING BY EXAMPLE
Senior forward Jeff Hafer continues to be an invaluable leader for a young and inexperienced Tiger team.
Hafer is turned in a 12-point performance vs. Kentucky on Dec. 30th. 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 seven charges taken through 12 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 this season.
But he?s looking to find the groove that saw him score a career-high 23 points against Iowa on Dec. 18th. Since that game, Soyoye has scored just 12 points inside for the Tigers, and was held scoreless for the first time this season against Winthrop his last time out.
Against Iowa, he hit 8-of-12 shots on the day, 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 0-4.
Despite going up against taller opponents, he?s hit a solid 60.3% of his field goals in the last eight games (38-of-63).
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 Iowa State game as MU?s 4th-leading scorer (9.5 ppg) and is the team?s top rebounder (6.7 rpg). He?s also shooting a team-best 55.7% from the floor through 12 contests.
GRAWER SEARCHING FOR THE RANGE
His shots aren?t falling, but neither is the sky for junior guard Brian Grawer, who remains confident that he?ll work his way through a rough shooting stretch that has seen the 48 percent career shooter (entering the season) connect on just 26.4% of his shots thus far in 1999-2000.
Grawer was held to five points on Tuesday vs. Winthrop, and was held scoreless against Kentucky on Dec. 30th. In those two games, the sharpshooter who made 6-of-6 three pointers last year in Columbia against Iowa State (on the way to a career-high 27 points), has made 1-of-14 shots, including 1-of-10 from three-point range.
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 five games entering the Iowa State contest, Grawer has recorded 16 assists to just four turnovers, good for a 4-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.
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 Iowa State game ranking 4th on the squad in field goal percentage (42.9%) and fourth in three-point shooting (37.9%).
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 11 games, the St. Louis native is averaging a career-high 6.5 points and 5.0 rebounds, the latter of which is the 3rd-best total on the team. He currently leads the team with a stellar three-point shooting percentage of 47.4% (9-of-19).
Parker had four points and a team-best seven rebounds in his last outing, vs. Winthrop on Tuesday. He had been held to two points in each of the last two games, after missing the Dec. 18 game vs. Iowa due to 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.
