MISSOURI-TEXAS A&M HISTORY
Missouri and Texas A&M will meet for just the 8th time when they hook up Saturday in College Station. MU holds a 6-1 edge in the series, including 3-1 since the Big 12 came about for the 1996-97 season.

MU is 3-1 in College Station, and has won its only previous appearance at Reed Arena, a 96-91 triumph there in 1999.

RECORDS SOON TO FALL
Two prominent MU records are likely to fall Saturday in College Station.

Senior guard Brian Grawer, thanks in large part to a recent surge that has seen him make 17 three pointers in the last three games, will become MU's alltime three-point king with his next trey. He enters Saturday's game at Texas A&M with 190 career three pointers, which is tied with previous leader Jason Sutherland, who set the mark from 1994-97.

Freshman center Arthur Johnson needs just two blocked shots to break the MU single-season record of 56 that has stood since the 1982-83 season by Steve Stipanovich. Johnson enters the A&M game with 55 blocks, and ranks 3rd in the Big 12 with an average of 2.4 blocks per game. He needs just 7 blocks to surpass what the entire Tiger team did in 31 games last year, as MU blocked 61 shots as a team during the 2000-01 season.

IT'S THE NEW STYLE
It's hard to imagine that any team in America in position for an NCAA berth has been affected more in its lineup than Missouri, with the Tigers' recent loss all-American candidate Kareem Rush for the season.

Maybe Iowa, which has lost their leading scorer, Luke Recker, for the season with an injury. Recker averaged 18.1 points per game, but the Hawkeyes could still fall back on two others (Reggie Evans -- 15.5 ppg and Dean Oliver -- 14.3 ppg) who average double figures.

But Missouri's loss of Rush seems more impacting, as his scoring average of 21.9 ppg accounted for 28.4% of the teams' 77.2 per-game average. Additionally, MU has just one player left averaging double figures -- Clarence Gilbert who carries a 16.6 average into the final five games of the regular season.

Things got worse for Mizzou recently when Gilbert sat out the Iowa State game last Sunday for disciplinary reasons. Credit Brian Grawer, Wesley Stokes and Rickey Paulding for picking up the slack. Additionally, reserve Justin Gage has quadrupled his normal output coming into the last two games.

PLAYING WITH PUPS
Missouri's youth was never more evident than Sunday at Iowa State, as the Tigers started three freshman (Arthur Johnson, Rickey Paulding & Wesley Stokes) against ISU's veteran-laden lineup that featured four senior starters. Also, after senior T.J Soyoye picked up two quick fouls, MU's fourth freshman, Travon Bryant, found his way on the court as the Tigers played with four rookies and senior captain Brian Grawer.

MU's rookies held up quite nicely in the heated atmosphere at Hilton Coliseum, as the quartet combined to score 34 points (Paulding 15, Stokes 12), 23 rebounds (Johnson 11), 8 assists (Stokes 5) and 6 blocks (Johnson 3).

Wednesday vs. Colorado, it was a pair of rookies again who led the way, as Wesley Stokes had career highs of 19 pts. & 4 rebs. in his second career start, and Johnson added a career high of 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for his 5th double-double of the year.

ROAD RULES
Missouri is looking to snap a five-game road losing streak Saturday. Overall, MU is 2-6 in true road games this season. The Tigers' last road win came Jan. 10 at Colorado, when MU downed the Buffaloes, 82-76 in Boulder.

Since then, the Tigers had a rough three-game January road swing (MU's longest in five seasons), where they went 0-3 at Kansas State, at #13 Virginia and at Nebraska. After that came hardfought losses at Oklahoma State and at #12 Iowa State.

Mizzou is a perfect 12-0 at home this season, and is averaging 81.6 points per game at Hearnes. Dating back to last season, the Tigers have won 13 straight at Hearnes, which ties for the 7th-longest such streak in the building's history. The record is a ways off, as MU won 34 straight games at Hearnes from March, 1988 to December, 1990.

After recent home losses by Kansas and Texas, MU now holds the 2nd-longest home court winning streak among Big 12 schools, behind only Iowa State's current string of 33.

As expected, MU has performed better statistically at home.

The most glaring numbers that jump out relate to shooting and free throws. MU is shooting 44.5% from the floor at home, compared to just 39.7% away from home. MU turned in its best game of the season on Dec. 30th, as they fired in 56.5% of their shots (35-of-62) at home against Stetson. That mark was also the 2nd-highest under Quin Snyder.

Additionally, Tiger opponents are getting an average of 33.0 free throw attempts per game away from Hearnes (led by a massive 50 attempts by Iowa on Dec. 16), but are being held to 18.9 attempts on average at Hearnes.

Also, the Tigers have controlled the glass at home, posting a rebounding margin of +4.2 at Hearnes, as opposed to a deficit of -5.4 away from home.

GOOD THINGS COMING IN THREES
Missouri has found great success of late from beyond the three-point line.

Even with an average night from long range vs. Colorado Wednesday (7-of-21 for 33.3%), MU has still connected on 42.4% of its threes in its last 7 games (67-of-158). The Tigers were 11-of-26 Sunday at Iowa State for a success rate of 42.3%. MU went 13-of-28 from long range last week vs. K-State, good for an outstanding 46.4% mark.

MU went a solid 8-of-19 from beyond the arch Jan. 29th against Kansas, and previously made 12-of-26 threes at Nebraska, and followed with 8-of-17 vs. Texas Tech.

The recent surge has broken a stretch that saw MU struggle from beyond the arch, as they connected on just 32.6% of its attempts in a six-game stretch from Jan. 2 to Jan. 20.

Missouri is now 10-0 on the season when they attempt 20 or fewer treys.

HITTING THE FREEBIES
Missouri has been solid from the foul line of late, as the Tigers have connected on 77.1% of their free throws in the last 7 games entering Saturday's contest at Texas A&M.

Mizzou sank 33-of-41 free throws in Wednesday's win over Colorado, good for a salty 80.5% mark. Both numbers represented season highs for MU. Leading the way was freshman guard Wesley Stokes, who sank 14-of-16 freebies on the night, including 7-of-8 in the final two minutes as MU sealed the win.

Last Sunday at Iowa State, MU didn't get much of a chance, as they made five of only eight opportunities from the line (62.5%), while ISU essentially won the game from the line, going 20-of-29. For the first time this season, the Tigers did not attempt a single free throw in the game's final two minutes.

MU is missing its top threat to get to the foul line in Kareem Rush. Rush's ability to drive the basketball led him to attempt 112 foul shots this season, which is currently 26 more than the next most -- 86 by T.J. Soyoye.

Last week vs. Kansas State, MU had a sterling effort from the foul line, as the Tigers connected on a season-best 90.5% of its free throws in MU's 70-66 comeback win.

MU sank 19-of-21 free throws vs. KSU, including 6-of-7 in the last four minutes as they charged back from an eight-point deficit.

For the season, MU ranks 4th in the Big 12, with a team percentage of 70.3%. The Tigers have upped that mark to 73.1% in league games only, and rank 3rd in league play.

STOPPING THE RUNS
If it were only as simple as reaching for the Pepto Bismol or Immodium-AD. Missouri has had trouble stopping scoring runs by the opposition.

Last Sunday's hardfought loss at Iowa State was a game of momentum swings. ISU led off by scoring the first 10 points of the game to go up 10-0 in the first 3 minutes. MU surged back after trailing 19-8 with its own 11-0 run to tie the game with 9:55 left in the half, but the Cyclones threw together another 10-0 run late in the half to establish control.

Last week vs. K-State, the Tigers were cruising with a 39-28 lead with 17:37 left in the game, but the Wildcats threw a 10-0 run over the next 1:32 to get back into the game. After consecutive three pointers for MU pushed the lead back to seven (45-38 with 14:26 left), KSU put together another run, scoring 13 straight points over the next 4:13 to take a 51-45 lead with 9:57 left.

K-State led by as many as eight points with 4:08 left, but the Tigers turned the tables late in the game, as MU scored the last nine points of the game to claim the 70-66 win, erasing a 66-61 deficit with just 1:29 remaining.

In MU's January three-game losing streak, opponents broke open games with damaging scoring runs.

Jan. 24th at Nebraska, MU was cruising midway through the second half, holding a comfortable 55-44 lead with 12:28 left in the game. But before you could blink, the Huskers dropped a 15-0 run on the Tigers over 4:31 to claim a 59-55 lead they would never relinquish.

On Jan. 20th at 13th-ranked Virginia, Mizzou held a 69-68 lead with 4:18 left to play after a Kareem Rush three-pointer (trifecter, as they're called back East), and was poised for a big road win. UVA reeled off 12 straight points, however, over the next 3:18 to take a commanding 80-69 lead. During the scoring drought, MU missed seven straight shots, two front ends of one-and-one free throw opportunities, and comitted one turnover.

Earlier that week at Kansas State, the Wildcats used a 16-0 run late in the first half to break open what was a nine-point game at the time. With leading scorer Kareem Rush on the bench in foul trouble, K-State took advantage and turned a 22-13 lead at the 8:00 mark into a commanding 38-13 bulge with :54 seconds left in the first half. MU would get no closer than 17 the rest of the way.

On Jan. 29th, Missouri led #3 Kansas by 17 points early in the second half, but became helpless as the Jayhawks ripped off 18-straight points to take the lead. The young Tigers showed some moxie, however, as they responded by quickly re-establishing control and going on to the big 75-66 win.

BIG 12 RECORD BREAKDOWN
Winning on someone else's home court is a tough chore, but the Tigers have shown an ability to come away with some key road wins over the past two seasons, and those wins have spurred MU to consecutive finishes in the top-half of the Big 12 standings.

Last season, MU went 5-3 on the road in Big 12 play, and ended 10-6 overall to finish 6th. All five wins came by 10 points or less.

In 1999, MU went a similar 5-3 in Big 12 road games, and finished 11-5 overall to take second in the league. All but one of those wins came by 10 points or less, as well.

Missouri went the entire first two years of Big 12 play without a conference road win.

REBOUND THAT BASKETBALL
Missouri has hit the boards with aplomb of late, as they've outrebounded two of the nation's top 10 rebounding teams.

Sunday at #12 Iowa State, the Tigers grabbed 38 rebounds, equaling ISU's total for the game. The Cyclones aren't accustomed to not having their way on the boards, as they entered the game ranked 2nd in the NCAA in rebounding margin, at +10.8 before Sunday.

On Jan. 29th against #3 Kansas, the Tigers outrebounded the taller Jayhawks by a 41-37 margin. KU is currently ranked 7th in the country in rebounding margin (+8.5).

That broke a streak in which Missouri had been outrebounded in seven straight games, and 10 of its previous 11. The Tigers had opened the season by winning the battle of the boards in six of their first eight contests. They have now outrebounded opponents nine times in 24 games, a year after doing so only eight times all of last season (31 games).

Last week, MU outrebounded Kansas State by a 39-34 margin. That was a turnaround from the previous meeting between the two, when KSU outboarded MU by a similar 42-37 margin.

On Jan. 24th, Nebraska outboarded MU, 44-24, and had as many offensive rebounds (24) as the Tigers could muster on both ends of the court. MU entered the game as the Big 12's top offensive rebounding team (over 15 per game), but could snag only 6 offensive caroms.

For the season, MU is being outrebounded by a slim margin (-0.3 per game). That's still a significant improvement from last season, when MU was outrebounded by 5.0 boards per game (38.5-to-33.5).

CARDIAC KIDS
Missouri has been predisposed to playing tight ballgames of late, as 11 of its previous 18 games have been decided by six points or fewer. MU has fared well in the close ones, as they're 9-5 in games decided by 10 points or fewer overall for the season.

After playing a total of one overtime period in the last two seasons combined, the basketball gods are making Tiger faithful sweat it out this year.

Jan. 13th's four-overtime affair against Iowa State was historic on several fronts. It marked the most overtimes played in MU and Big 12 history.

MU has also now played seven overtime periods this season -- that's just one five-minute period short of a complete extra game.

The current group of Tigers are now tied for the most extra periods played in one season at MU. The 1982-83 team, which won the Big Eight championship that year, also played seven extra stanzas.

IMPORTANT NUMBERS
Numbers don't always tell the story, but these numbers haven't lied yet. Some trends that dictate MU success include:

Missouri enters Saturday's game ranked 32nd in the Feb. 15th RPI power poll (www.collegerpi.com). The Tigers have played the 26th-toughest schedule in the land to this point.

MU had been 16th prior to enduring its January three-game losing streak, representing their highest showing this season in the rankings.

Texas A&M enters the game ranked 144th in the power rankings, with a strength of schedule rating of 61st.

Half of MU's eight losses have come to teams ranked 26th or higher in the RPI system -- #5 Illinois, #11 Iowa State, #17 Syracuse and #26 Iowa.

As mentioned earlier, MU is one of only 18 teams to have beaten as many as three teams currently ranked in the RPI top-25. Only six schools have more than three wins against that group: Kentucky (7), Stanford (5), Arizona (5) Duke (4), North Carolina (4), and UCLA (4).

MORE RANKINGS
Five of MU's eight losses on the year have come at the hands of teams which were ranked in this week's Associated Press Top-25 poll, and two of those came in overtime away from home.

Illinois leads the list at #4, followed by #7 Iowa State, #10 Syracuse, #12 Virginia and #25 Iowa as ranked teams that MU has come up short against. Kansas, ranked #6 this week, and Iowa State (#10), find themselves on MU's victim list.

Overall, the Tigers are 2-4 against ranked teams at tipoff. Syracuse was not ranked when MU faced them in the championship game of the Great Alaska Shootout in November.

IT'S A BLOCK PARTY
Missouri has blocked 106 shots in 24 games on the season, and long ago surpassed last year's total of 61 for the season (31 games).

Freshman center Arthur Johnson is leading the charge, with 55 blocks. That's an average of 2.3 per game, and puts him just 2 blocks shy of breaking the MU single-season record of 56 set by former all-American Steve Stipanovich in 1982-83. A.J. needs only six more blocks to equal MU's output as a team last season (61 in 2000-01).

Missouri ranks 3rd in the Big 12 with an average of 4.42 blocks per game. Last season, the Tigers were dead last, at 2.0 per game.

Missouri is on pace to finish the season with 135 blocks as a team, which would break the MU single-season record of 128, by the 1990-91 team.

RUSH HOUR COMES TO A HALT
Prior to the season-ending thumb injury suffered last week, Mizzou sophomore forward Kareem Rush had established himself as an all-America candidate, as well as a leading candidate for Big 12 Player-of-the-Year honors.

Prior to the beginning of conference play, The Sporting News released its all-American team, and Rush was listed as a first-teamer at small forward. He was also listed as one of 30 mid-season candidates for the prestigious Wooden Award, as announced recently by the Wooden Award Foundation. ABC/ESPN color man Dick Vitale recently named Rush to his all-Rolls Royce team.

The top scorer in the Big 12 Conference (21.9 ppg), Rush made 30-point performances seem routine. He turned in four 30-pt. games this year, including two of his last 7 outings.

Rush had 21 points and seven rebounds in his last outing of the season, at Oklahoma State. He injured his left thumb with 1:50 left in the game, but stayed in to finish as MU tried for the comeback win.

Rush played in 21 games as a sophomore, after playing in 22 games as a freshman.

Rush had arguably the best performance of his young career on Jan. 29th vs. Kansas, as he notched his fourth double-double of the year, with 27 points and 11 rebounds. Rush scored 18 of his points in the second half, including 8-of-9 free throws to help seal the win. He was named Big 12 Player-of-the-Week for his efforts -- his 2nd time earning the honor this season.

He made 52.2% of his shots in the last three games (24-of-46) and scored 20 or more points in five straight outings.

Rush had a 23-point outing Jan. 27th vs. Texas Tech. He hit the game-winning three-pointer with 33 seconds left to give MU a 64-62 lead, and later notched a steal with time running out to preserve the win. Rush hit 4-of-6 three-pointers on the day, and hit 9-of-15 from the floor overall.

On Jan 13th, Rush had a 32-point game vs. Iowa State, which tied his career high. He hit only 13-of-31 shots on the day, but was solid from beyond the three-point line, where he sank 5-of-10 attempts.

Rush had 30 points vs. Nebraska in MU's Big 12 opener, and was a perfect 8-of-8 from the foul line on the night, including a pair of clutch freebies with 1:04 left that provided the final margin in MU's 68-66 win.

Rush turned in an outstanding performance at #22 Iowa, as he tallied a career-high 32 points. He also added 11 rebounds.

Rush scored 24 of his points after halftime, and was a perfect 10-of-10 from the foul line, including 8-of-8 in overtime.

Prior to that, Rush had a huge week when he averaged 28.0 points and 6.5 rebounds in leading MU to comeback wins over DePaul and Saint Louis. He scored 31 points in MU's 99-84 win over DePaul, and followed with 25 more vs. SLU, including a gutsy fall away jumper in the lane that gave MU the lead for good, at 71-70 with just 1:33 left in the game.

For his efforts, Rush was named national player of the week by ESPN.com, FoxSports.com, CNN/SI.com and was also named Big 12 Player-of-the-Week.

GRAWER LEADS THE CHARGE
When Kareem Rush went down with a season-ending injury, everyone wondered where MU's points would come from. Everyone except senior guard Brian Grawer. In the three games since Rush went down, Grawer has stepped up his scoring role immensely, and has averaged 20.3 points per game.

Grawer had 15 pts. in his last outing vs. Colorado Wednesday, and tied the MU career record for three-pointers made, as he drilled 3-of-7 treys on the night to up his career total to 190. His next three will make MU's alltime king of the three, passing previous leader Jason Sutherland.

Grawer has made 190-of-445 threes in his Tiger career, good for a school-best 42.7% career mark.

Grawer had a brilliant performance at #12 Iowa State last Sunday, when he sank 8-of-13 three-point field goals and ended with 24 points. The eight treys tied the MU single-game record held by John Woods (vs. UAB in 1998), and was the fourth-most in Big 12 history.

In the previous game, Grawer stole the show in MU's 70-66 come-from-behind win over Kansas State.

In MU's first game without the services of Kareem Rush, and a sick Clarence Gilbert who scored just 2 points (he was averaging 17.7 ppg coming in), the Tigers were in desparate need of someone picking up the scoring slack.

Grawer did just that, by shooting his way to a season-high 22 points, on the strength of a 6-of-12 night from three-point range. His biggest one of the night came with just 17 seconds left in the game, and MU trailing by one. His 23-footer settled home perfectly, and gave MU a 68-66 lead.

On Jan. 29th, Grawer tallied 14 points vs. #3 Kansas. He nailed 4 three pointers on the night (in 7 attempts), and scored 11 of his points in the second half.

Grawer is showing that he's regaining the stroke from long range that saw him rank 3rd in the NCAA as a sophomore in three-point percentage (49.6%).

The St. Louis native has made 27-of-52 three-point field goals in his last 7 games (51.9%), and his season total of 51 is already four more than he made all of last season, when he struggled behind the stripe (shot a career-low 32.8%). His 27 makes in the last 7 games represents 52.9% of his season total (27-of-51).

Grawer has scored in double figures nine times this season, and his contributions to the scoring attack haven't gone wasted, as MU is 8-1 in those games.

A quick check of the MU career records shows that Grawer is statistically one of the school's most productive players.

He is the only Tiger in school history to rank among the career top-10 lists in free throw percentage (3rd -- 83.7%), steals (3rd -- 185) and assists (10th -- 306).

He is also joined by former Tiger greats Anthony Peeler and Melvin Booker as the only players to rank among the career top-10 lists in three point field goals, assists and steals.

STOKES FANS THE FLAMES
After taking awhile to make the typical freshman adjustments, point guard Wesley Stokes has emerged as an invaluable cog in the Tiger attack.

Stokes has combined with fellow guard Brian Grawer to spearhead the Tiger scoring attack of late, as he's averaged 16.7 points per game in MU's last 3 outings, after averaging 4.7 points a game in his first 21 contests.

Stokes scored 19 points Wednesday vs. Colorado, on the strength of a 14-of-16 performance from the foul line. He hit 7-of-8 freebies in the game's final three minutes to help seal the win.

That followed a solid performance at #12 Iowa State, where he had 12 pointsand added career highs in rebounds (6) and assists (5) in his first career start.

Last week, Stokes turned in a heroic performance in MU's 70-66 win over Kansas State. The dynamic rookie scored a career-high 19 points on the night -- an invaluable feat considering the fact that MU got only 2 points from Clarence Gilbert, who entered the game with a 17.7 scoring average.

Stokes picked up the scoring slack mostly from long range, as he nailed a career-high 5-of-8 three pointers. He had made 9 treys in 21 games prior to his feat last week.

His performance came just two nights after he suffered a bruised tailbone at Oklahoma State, when he landed hard after being undercut on a drive to the basket. He left that game for awhile, but came back later in the game.

In his last 11 games, Stokes is averaging 8.8 points, and has sank 50.0% of his three-pointers (14-of-28).

Stokes had 5 pts., 2 rebs. and 2 assists in 11 minutes vs. Kansas on Jan. 29th. He hit 2-of-2 FTs in the game's final minute to help salt away the big victory. He was also perfect on his only 3-pt. attempt.

Stokes had 9 points in MU's big win at Colorado, including 7-of-8 free throws in the game's final four minutes to help seal the win.

At Indiana, Stokes provided a huge spark off the bench, as he scored a career-high 11 points and added an assist and a steal in 15 minutes of play.

Stokes hit 4-of-7 FGs on the night, including a gutsy floater in the lane over IU's 6-foot-9 Jeff Newton with 1:06 left in the game that gave MU a 62-61 lead.

That performance was preceded by an equally-clutch outing in MU's double overtime affair at #22 Iowa. He scored 8 points, with all of them coming after regulation.

Stokes hit 6-of-7 FTs in overtime, including 2-of-2 with just 29 seconds left in the 1st overtime to force a second extra period. He also added 3 assists and 3 rebounds in 11 minutes of action.

He added 9 pts., 4 rebs., 3 steals and 2 asst. in 24 mins. vs. #5 Illinois. Seven of his points came in the second half, as he helped MU rally from an 8-point deficit to force overtime.

The Sporting News recently listed Stokes as having the best hair in college basketball.

GILBERT THE GREAT
Junior guard Clarence Gilbert has emerged as one of the Big 12's top scorers this season, and after missing Sunday's game at Iowa State due to disciplinary reasons, he's back with the team.

He came off the bench Wednesday vs. Colorado and scored 8 pts. and added 3 rebs. and 3 assists in 26 minutes. He took only 7 shots on the night and passed up several open shots, which prompted Head Coach Quin Snyder to joke after the game, "I told Clarence that I was going to suspend him again if he didn't start shooting the ball."

In his previous game, Feb. 7 vs. Kansas St., Gilbert suffered from the flu, and got sick several times in the lockerroom prior to tipoff. He played, however, but was obviously not himself as he was held to a season-low two points on only five shot attempts. His two points came with five seconds left as he nailed two foul shots to provide the final score in MU's 70-66 win.

Gilbert had a solid night at Oklahoma State, where he scored 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting in Stillwater. That marked the third time this season he connected at 50 percent or better in a game.

Gilbert had a 7-of-15 shooting night at Nebraska (46.7%) on Jan. 24th. He sank 7-of-13 from three-point range, which tied his career high for makes, and was just one shy of John Woods' school record for a game.

In case you hadn't heard, Gilbert had a pretty good gameon Jan. 13th in MU's 4-overtime win against Iowa State.

Gilbert tied a Big 12 record by scoring 43 points vs. ISU, and added 9 assists and had zero turnovers in 56 minutes. He set Big 12 and MU records in minutes (56) and field goal attempts (36). His 18 three-point attempts (of which he made 7) were also an MU single-game record. His point total was the 4th-most in MU history, and if the 78.0% free throw shooter had made more of his 12-of-17 attempts from the foul line, he might have surpassed the MU scoring record of 46 points.

He tallied 23 of his points in the second half alone, including sinking 5-of-8 from the three-point line.

Gilbert had a clutch game at Colorado, where he scored a game-high 22 points. He struggled for most of the night to find his shot, yet he still proved to be the key to MU's win as he scored eight straight Tiger points in less than a minute in the second half to stake MU out to a 64-48 lead with 6:47 left. That personal binge, which included two three pointers, essentially put the game away. He later hit 6-of-6 free throws in the final 3:05 to help seal it up.

The 32.5 points-per-game average vs. CU and ISU, coupled with his 11 assists to just 1 turnover, earned him Big 12 Conference Player of the Week honors (Jan. 15). He was also named ESPN national player of the week.

He had a 23-point outing vs. Illinois. Despite making just 8-of-23 FGs on the night (4-of-13 3-pt. FGs), he was forced to carry the load offensively while his teammate Rush was on the bench with foul trouble. Gilbert did his best to play hero, though, as he hit a runner in the lane with 1:03 left in regulation that gave MU its last lead of the game, at 72-70, before Illinois sent it into overtime.

Gilbert turned in a 32 point outing at #22 Iowa. He hit 5 three pointers on the night, and added 3 rebounds and 2 assists, playing 46 of 50 minutes.

Gilbert had 26 points vs. DePaul, going for 17 second-half points. He hit 6-of-9 3-pt. field goals on the day -- a performance that reminded many of his 27-point outing last year that helped sink then-No. 7 Kansas. He sank 7-of-10 threes in that contest.

Gilbert currently ranks among league leaders in several categories. Here's a quick glance (rankings as of Feb. 15th):

DOCK BLOCK
You can call him A.J., or you can call him Arthur, or you can call him Dock. Whatever you prefer, Tiger opponents are calling Arthur Johnson a handful.

The Detroit, Mich. native is laying claim to Big 12 Freshman-of-the-Year candidacy, as he's averaging 9.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. He leads Big 12 freshmen in four categories, including field goal percentage, rebounding, blocks and steals, and is currently 3rd in scoring.

Johnson ranks not only among league leaders in freshmen, but all players.

A.J. notched his 5th double-double of the season Wednesday as he scored a career-high 17 points and added 11 rebounds vs. Colorado. He sank 3-of-4 free throws, and has now made 9 of his last 12 foul shots in three games, and has raised his season percentage to 49.0%.

A.J. had a solid game at Iowa State, where he grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, and added 7 pts. and 3 blocks to the cause.

He previously had a 9-point, 7-rebound, 2-block outing vs. Kansas State. A 41.0% foul shooter coming into the game, he sank 5-of-6 free throws on the night to raise his average five points.

He had a solid performance at #13 Virginia, where he scored 14 points, on 7-of-9 shooting. He proved to be vital to MU's success, as the Tiger offense suffered without him in the game. When he picked up his fifth foul with 3:34 left in the game, MU trailed by just two points. Without him patrolling the middle, MU went scoreless until a free throw with 50 seconds left. UVA took advantage to claim an 80-70 lead by that point, however, effectively sealing the game.

A.J. had a monster game at Colorado, as he pulled down an MU freshman record 19 rebounds, which broke the old record of 16 by Gary Leonard in 1986. He might have approached the single-game record of 27 by Bob Reiter (1955), but foul trouble limited him to just 23 minutes of play. He added 9 points, 4 blocks and 1 assist to the cause.

On Dec. 30 vs. Stetson, Johnson blocked a school-record 8 shots. That shattered the old MU single-game mark of 5, which was held by seven former Tigers. He also added 10 points and 6 rebounds on the day.

He followed that with a 14-point outing vs. Coastal Carolina. He blocked 7 shots during the game, marking the second straight game he surpassed the old school record.

Against 5th-ranked Illinois, A.J. had a solid 15-point, 12-rebound performance vs. the Illini's strong front line, which marked his 4th double-double since being inserted into the starting lineup.

OH, RICKEY, YOU'RE SO FINE
Freshman slasher Rickey Paulding is one of the more quiet guys on the Missouri team, and sometimes he can get a lost in the shuffle.

But with MU's recent hits to the roster, he's been thrust into the spotlight more than ever. The Detroit, Mich. native has responded with flying colors in MU's last 3 games, as he's averaged 9.7 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while facing the daunting task of replacing all-American candidate Kareem Rush in the lineup.

Paulding started his second straight game Sunday at #12 Iowa State, and scored 15 points (one shy of his career best) and added five rebounds and a career-high 3 assists in 37 minutes of play. He had an important 3-point play that was MU's first score after ISU jumped out to a 10-0 lead right off the bat.

Last week vs. Kansas State he scored 10 points and added 5 rebounds and 2 assists in his first career start. Paulding appeared unfazed, as he hit 3-of-6 shots on the night, including a career-best 2-of-2 from three-point range.

Prior to the Rush injury, Paulding had been MU's top reserve this season.

Paulding had 3 points in a limited 7 minute-stint at Oklahoma State, hitting 3-of-4 free throws on the night. He went 0-of-3 from the floor, after having made 6-of-10 from the floor in his previous three games.

Paulding had 5 points in 13 minutes on Jan. 29th vs. #3 Kansas, and hit 1-of-2 from three-point land.

He's finding his stroke from the foul line, as he's hit 9-of-11 free throws (81.8%) in his last 4 games.

12-GAGE PLAYS A KEY ROLE
Sophomore forward Justin Gage might not have big numbers, but he gives much more to the team than his 1.8 point and 1.8 rebound per game averages would indicate.

Gage, who wears #11 in basketball but is #12 in football, where he was MU's leading receiver last season, has played more on the wing in Kareem Rush's absence, and his number have gone up considerably. In his last three games, Gage is averaging 5.0 points per game.

He's coming off a season-high 7-point outing vs. Colorado. He hit a three-pointer for the second straight game, and sank 4-of-6 free throws on the night in 17 minutes of play.

Gage made several big plays late in MU's win over Kansas State last week.

His first big play came with 1:14 left in the game, and MU trailing by five points. MU's Brian Grawer missed a three-pointer, and KSU's Quentin Buchanan grabbed the rebound. Just when things started looking bad for the Tigers, Gage quickly stole the ball from Buchanan underneath MU's basket, and was fouled as he tried to score.

A 40.0% foul shooter coming in, Gage calmly sank both shots to pull MU to within three, at 66-63 with 1:10 left. He later set up the game-winning three-pointer by Brian Grawer when he stepped in front of K-State's Larry Reid and drew a charge with 51 seconds left and KSU holding a 66-65 lead. Grawer hit a three-pointer on MU's ensuing possession which proved to be the game winner.

His was limited to 10 minutes due to foul trouble at Iowa State, but he still managed four points, including a huge three-pointer (his first of the season) in the game's final three minutes that pulled MU to within six points.

Gage has been battling injuries in the past month, as he's missed seven out of the past 13 games. He sprained a knee at Kansas State on Jan. 16, and has played in just 4 games since. His first game back was against Kansas on Jan. 29th, but he re-aggravated the knee when he drew a charge late in the game on KU's Kirk Hinrich. He did not play at Oklahoma State.

Earlier in the year, he suffered a broken nose in practice, and missed a three-game stretch from Dec. 30 through Jan. 6.

He is second on the team in charges taken, with 4 for the season.

BRYANT FINDING HIS WAY
Freshman center Travon Bryant has had a crash course in Division I college basketball since joining the team in late December. And he's shown signs lately that he's coming along quite nicely, which will come in handy for Tiger fans due to the absence of Kareem Rush.

He is looking to find his groove offensively a bit, as he's been held to a total of 2 points in his last three games (going 1-of-8 FGs in that stretch).

Bryant had 4 rebounds, and added 2 assists, 2 steals and 1 block in 20 minutes vs. Kansas State last week. He was held scoreless on an 0-of-5 effort from the floor, but showed some nice post moves in the process, while shots just weren't falling.

Bryant played well at Oklahoma State, as he grabbed 5 rebounds and blocked 3 shots while scoring 3 points in 20 minutes.

Previously, Bryant had a solid game vs. #3 Kansas, as he contributed 4 points and 5 rebounds in a 9 minutes off the bench.

Bryant had a breakout performance at Colorado on Jan. 10th, when scored 12 points and added 9 rebounds vs. the Buffs, and was a key to MU's big road win.

Showing he's getting more and more comfortable with every day, the Long Beach, Calif. native added 1 block and 1 assist in a very efficient 15 minutes.

He followed with another stellar performance vs. ISU, as he hit the Cyclones for 9 points, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks. More importantly, he gave MU 31 minutes off the bench, which proved invaluable in the 60-minute marathon.

Bryant was held to 3 points Kansas State (on 1-of-6 FGs), but grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds in 18 minutes of play.

He's made just 8-of-27 free throws so far (29.6%), but one look at his nice shooting stroke, and there's no doubting he'll improve on those numbers when he begins to feel more comfortable on the floor.

A McDonald's All-American out of Long Beach Jordan High, Bryant signed with MU last spring. He attended Maine Central Institute for the first semester, and after receiving a qualifying test score, joined the team at the conclusion of the first semester. His first practice with the team was Dec. 20th at Vashon High School in St. Louis, as the Tigers prepared for their next-day battle with 5th-ranked Illinois.

A NEW CAPACITY FOR HEARNES
After adding several new seating areas to Hearnes this year, Tiger Athletics officials have taken a look at the capacity for the Hearnes Center, and have come up with a new number.

Hearnes' official capacity will now be listed as 13,545. That's up from the previous listed capacity of 13,300.

MU drew 11,449 last Wednesday vs. Kansas State, which broke a string of two consecutive sellouts (13,545 vs. Texas Tech on Jan. 27th and vs. Kansas on Jan. 29th).

MU is averaging 11,236 in 11 home games thus far this season. Last year, MU averaged 10,882 in Quin Snyder's first season -- the first season since 1986-87 that MU listed attendance as actual turnstile count, rather than tickets sold.

LAST TIME VS. THE CYCLONES
Missouri's make-up has changed just slightly since the last time these two teams met, on Jan. 13th., when MU came away with a gut-wrenching 112-109 four-overtime win in Columbia.

MU will take the court Sunday in Ames without the services of Kareem Rush (injured) and Clarence Gilbert (suspended), who are respectively the #1 and #4 scorers in the Big 12.

ISU might as well have thrown away the game tape from that day, because the Tigers are without 75 of those 112 points (or 67.0%), as Gilbert scored 43 points and Rush added 32.

Here's a recap of the noteworthy happenings on that historic day:

TIGERS, CYCLONES SET NCAA MARK
Okay, just one more note about that MU-ISU game, then we promise we'll leave it be already.

It has been discovered that MU and ISU broke an NCAA record when they combined to score a total of 77 points in the four overtime periods. Missouri had 40 points, to ISU's 37.

That broke the old record of 75, set by Cleveland State (39 pts.) vs. Kent State (36) on Dec. 23, 1994. That was also a quadruple-overtime affair.

COMEBACK KIDS
In 52 games under Head Coach Quin Snyder, Missouri has shown a propensity to comeback from precarious situations, as the Tigers have won five games this year in which they've trailed opposition by 10 or more points. In Snyder's rookie season, MU won four games under similar circumstances. Included in that was a huge comeback last year at Nebraska, where MU rallied from a 14-point second-half deficit to post an 84-78 win. Missouri scored a whopping 60 points in the second half, compared to just 24 in the opening 20 minutes.

This year, in MU's league opener vs. Nebraska, the Tigers trailed by 10 points with 15:20 left in the game. But MU strung together a 10-0 run that got them back in the game, and held on at the end for the win.

Earlier this season, the Tigers won consecutive games under similar circumstances.

On Dec. 9th, Missouri led Saint Louis for a grand total of just 2 minutes, 20 seconds in the game -- 47 seconds in the first half and the final 1:33 of the game. SLU led by 10 points with 10:44 remaining in the game, and had the Tigers down by eight (69-61) with just 4:14 left. But MU out-excecuted the Billikens down the stretch, and outscored them by a 16-4 count the rest of the way.

Earlier that same week, Missouri rebounded from a 10-point first half deficit to DePaul, and went on to a solid 99-84 win. Previously, MU cameback from a 14-point second-half deficit against Rhode Island, followed by a comeback from a 10-point deficit the next game vs. Valparaiso.

WOE-KLAHOMA
Missouri has had its share of difficulty with the state of Oklahoma of late, as the Tigers have now lost eight straight games to teams from the Sooner state.

After MU's loss at OSU Monday, the Tigers have dropped three straight to the Cowboys, and will look to break a five-game losing streak to Oklahoma when the Sooners come to Columbia on Feb. 19th.

Since the inception of the Big 12 Conference for the 1996-97 season, MU is 3-9 combined vs. OU & OSU (25.0% winning percentage), and is 41-28 vs. the rest of the league (59.4%).

NORM STEWART COURT
Former Tiger legend Norm Stewart held court, of sorts, for 32 seasons at Missouri prior to his retirement after the 1998-99 season. Now, he's got a court named after him.

For his service to Mizzou, he was honored at halftime of the Kansas game on Jan. 29th, when the Hearnes Center court was dedicated in his name, and will henceforth be known as "Norm Stewart Court."

Stewart also saw his playing number of 22 retired to the Hearnes rafters, to take its place with five other former Tiger greats Doug Smith (#34), Willie Smith (#30), Bill Stauffer (#43), Steve Stipanovich (#40) and Jon Sundvold (#20).

Stewart had a record of 634-333 in 32 seasons at MU, and was 731-375 overall in 38 seasons. When he stepped down in April of 1999, he was the NCAA's 7th-winningest coach of alltime.

OH RICKEY, YOU'RE SO FINE
Freshman forward Rickey Paulding is a very quiet and humble young man. After helping lead MU's comeback win over Valparaiso with a career-high 16 points, he didn't want to go to the interview room after the game because he was timid about speaking in front a group of people.

Paulding acquitted himself just fine in the interview room, as he did on the court. You wouldn't know he was a shy person by the way he attacks the rim. The high-flying rookie is one of the Big 12's most exciting finishers around the basket, and continues to develop into a vitally important player off the bench for the Tigers.

Paulding had an outstanding performance at Colorado last week, when he scored 9 points and added 2 assists in 16 minutes of play. His point total was his highest output since scoring 13 points vs. Saint Louis on Dec. 9, and broke a spell in which he had scored a total of 2 points in his previous 2 games.

Paulding also had a landmark of sorts in Boulder, as he connected on the first three-point shot of his career. He entered the game having gone 0-for-20 from beyond the stripe, but he got the collar off his neck when he buried a trey as the shot clock expired with 15:30 left in the game to give MU an 8-point lead. The entire Tiger bench and team was so excited for him, that they forgot to get back on defense, as the Buffs scored a quick transition basket.

Paulding had a stellar performance Dec. 9th vs. Saint Louis, when he scored 13 points in 15 minutes and added a team-high 6 rebounds.

The Detroit, Mich. native was a key to MU's comeback win vs. Valparaiso, as he ended the game with a career-high 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting (including 2 rim-rocking dunks). He also sank 4-of-5 free throws and added 3 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 assist to the cause.

Through 16 games, Paulding is averaging 6.6 points a game, which is 6th-best on the squad.

T.J. LOOKING FOR BOUNCEBACK
Senior center Tajudeen Soyoye has had a solid overall season for the Tigers, showing an improving game from last season.

The 6-foot-9 center/forward is averaging 7.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, and has played well together with freshman Arthur Johnson. That combo has helped MU claim an advantage on the boards in 7-of-16 games this season, a year after MU won the battle of the boards just 8 times in 31 games.

He enters Saturday's game at Virginia looking to catch a rhythm offensively, however. Soyoye was held scoreless Tuesday at Kansas State for the first time this season. He didn't get off a single shot attempt in 19 minutes of play. He's averaging just 3.0 points in conference play, compared to 9.1 in non-conference action.

T.J. was held to 4 points vs. Nebraska, but added 7 rebounds and played the role of hero in the waning seconds of MU's 68-66 win. With MU clinging to its 2-point lead, Nebraska had the ball in its own court with 1.7 seconds left for an inbounds pass. Soyoye guarded NU's inbounds man, John Robinson, and promptly stole the pass to seal the Tigers' comeback win.

T.J. turned in an outstanding game vs. Indiana on Dec. 18th, when he grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds and added 5 points. Seven of his boards were of the offensive variety. Five of those came in the final 11 minutes of the game, and they led to five all important second-chance points for the Tigers in their five-point victory.

At Iowa, Soyoye scored 10 points and added 10 rebounds before fouling out in overtime. That marked the first double-double of the season for the Lagos, Nigeria native.

Soyoye has improved dramatically from the foul line. His season free throw percentage of 75.0% is up significantly from a mark of 63.1% last season. Included in his total is a perfect 9-of-9 effort from the charity stripe vs. Texas-Pan American.

REBOUNDING REPORT
Missouri struggled mightily last season to hold its own on the boards. Playing with a lineup that featured a front line of 6-foot-9, 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-6, MU was vastly undersized virtually each time out.

That disadvantage was difficult to overcome, and MU found itself outrebounded by a 5.0 margin per game. The Tigers were outrebounded in their last nine games last season, including a huge 55-30 deficit in the NCAA Tournament against North Carolina.

This year, the Tigers aren't exactly mammoth in size, but in the early going, rebounding is the area in which the Tigers have likely improved most.

MU ranked last in the Big 12 last season in rebounding, with a per-game average of 33.5. Through 16 games this season, the Tigers rank 3rd in the league with an average of 41.8 entering Saturday's contest.

Mizzou is outrebounding opponents by a +1.6 margin through 16 games, and last Saturday held their own vs. Iowa State, as the Cyclones outrebounded MU by only two (50-48). ISU entered the game outrebounding their opponents by a Big 12-best margin of 13.7 per game.

MU also had an impressive performance on the glass vs. the tall and athletic DePaul Blue Demons back in December.

The Tigers outboarded DePaul by a 38-26 margin, including an eye-popping 20-to-9 advantage on the offensive end. The Tigers turned those rebounds into 27 second-chance points. The Tigers enter Saturday's game as the top offensive rebounding team in the Big 12 (15.4 p/g).

On Nov. 25th vs. Valpo, the Crusaders jumped out to a 10-point lead, and held a massive 26-12 rebounding edge in the first half. But the Tigers regrouped to get control of the game in the second half -- largely due to a 24-14 advantage on the glass after intermission.

RECRUITING COUP
Quin Snyder and his staff has put together what experts believe is one of the nation's top recruiting classes for next year. Four of the nation's elite prep players signed with Missouri during the early period.

The class of Najeeb Echols (Chicago, Ill.), Jeffrey Ferguson (Benton Harbor, Mich.), Duane John (Toronto, Ontario), and Robert Whaley (Benton Harbor, Mich.) has been ranked as high as fourth-best in the nation, according to HoopScoop.

Here's a brief look at each of them.

NAJEEB ECHOLS
The 6-foot-7, 220-pound small forward is considered one of the nation's top prospects, and has been ranked as high as No. 20 in the country by ESPN.com. He averaged 24 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists per game as a junior at Chicago Whitney Young High School, and led his school to second place in the Chicago Public League playoffs. An all-state special mention in 2000, Echols will attend Chicago's Morgan Park this season.

Echols chose Missouri over Illinois, DePaul and Houston primarily, and also considered Duke, Michigan State, Kansas, Michigan, UCLA and Cincinnati, among others. He is the son of Jim and Shirley Echols.

JEFFREY FERGUSON
Jeffrey Ferguson, a 6-foot-10, 215-pound forward from Benton Harbor, Mich., is considered among the nation's top-50 prospects by most recruiting analysts. Ferguson averaged 12.2 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.8 block per game as a junior at Benton Harbor High School. Ferguson helped lead Benton Harbor to a Big 8 Conference title and a Class A championship last season.

Ferguson is a Toronto native who moved to Benton Harbor for high school. He selected the Missouri program over Michigan State, North Carolina, Kentucky, Stanford and Michigan, among others. He earned first-team all-conference honors as a junior, and was selected honorable mention all-state. He is the son of Ms. Carol Ferguson.

DUANE JOHN
Mizzou picked up Canada's top prep player when John, of Toronto, Ontario, signed a national letter of intent to attend Mizzou.

John is a 6-foot-6, 195-pound forward who was rated by many analysts as the top prospect in all of Canada. He averaged 32.5 points, 12.1 rebounds and three assists as a junior at Boylen High School in Toronto. He was named to the Toronto Sun's All-Star Team, and later averaged 18.3 points a game this summer playing AAU basketball for Team Toronto Elite, under coach Rowan Russell.

A native of the West Indies, John moved to Canada prior to high school, to be with his mother, Aldona Fosu. He chose Missouri over Michigan State, Syracuse, Louisville and Pittsburgh, among others. He moved to Homestead, Fla. over the summer, and will attend Berkshire High School for his senior season.

ROBERT WHALEY
Whaley is a 6-foot-9, 250-pound power forward who is considered by many recruiting services as one of the nation's top prospects, and is ranked by ESPN.com as the No. 10 prep player in the country. He averaged 17.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.2 blocks, 3.2 assists and 3.1 steals per game last year at Benton Harbor, and helped lead his team to a Big 8 Conference title and a Class A district championship. He received honorable mention on USA Today's high school all-American team.

Whaley plays at Benton Harbor for Head Coach Paul Wilhite and Assistant Coach Lou Harvey, who is the father of MU Associate Head Coach Tony Harvey. He picked Missouri over Michigan State, Michigan, Kentucky, Georgetown, Syracuse, Cincinnati and Connecticut. He is the son of Ms. Sonya Whaley and John Barnes.

POLLING DATA
The Sports Illustrated college basketball season preview issue had Missouri well-represented.

For beginners, the magazine has Missouri ranked No. 22 in its pre-season poll.

Secondly, and more interestingly, the magazine conducted an informal poll among Big 12 Conference players this summer, and several Tigers won their own election, of sorts.

Head Coach Quin Snyder was voted as the "Opposing Coach You'd Most Like to Play For." We won't mention who was named the "Opposing Coach You'd Least Like to Play For."

Senior guard Brian Grawer was named as the best shooter in the league.

Junior guard Clarence Gilbert was named as the biggest trash-talker in the league. Since he's from the state of Florida, Gilbert is going to ask for a hand re-count.

NEW ARENA APPROVED BY CURATORS
Missouri received some rather exciting news on Nov. 9th, when the MU Board of Curators approved a presentation by Chancellor Richard Wallace to build a new arena, which will house the Tiger men's and women's basketball teams.

Wallace's proposal called for a $75-million facility to be built, most likely in time for the 2004-05 season. He announced a $25-million donation by an anonymous donor to go toward the arena - the largest gift ever in the history of the University.

That $25 million, along with $2 million more already raised for the arena, gives MU $27 million up front to help fund the arena. Dr. Wallace then asked the Curators to seek $35 million from the Missouri Legislature in general obligation bonds. Other donations/gifts, up-front seat payments and interest income would make up the remaining $13 million for the project.

The Board voted a unanimous 9-0 in favor of the project, and the next step is to get the appropriations from the state.

The arena would be located South of the Hearnes Center, and would seat anywhere from 15,000-to-17,000 people. The Hearnes Center would remain open to house the needs of MU Olympic sports such as volleyball, gymnastics, wrestling and indoor track and field.