Aug. 10, 2001
Columbia, Mo. - Momentum is building in Columbia, Mo. as Head Coach Quin Snyder and his Missouri Tigers prepare for the upcoming 2001-02 season.
Buoyed by a strong returning cast - led by pre-season All-American Kareem Rush and record-setting marksman Clarence Gilbert - as well as a talented group of newcomers, the Tigers have plenty of reasons to expect great things in what will be Snyder's third year directing the program.
National prognosticators have taken notice of what's happening in mid-Missouri. A scan of virtually every pre-season ranking shows the Tigers firmly embedded in the nation's top-25 teams. One outlet - CNN/SI.com - even had MU topped out at third in the nation for the `01-02 campaign.
While that No. 3 ranking could be a little lofty, there is no question that the mindfulness being afforded the Tigers in the national press is an indication of respect for what's taking place with the program.
"It's certainly gratifying to see your name listed among the top programs in the nation," said Snyder. "We try not to focus so much on the guesswork in the offseason, however, because it doesn't mean much unless you can be there at the end of the year. I think the recognition is an indicator that people believe we're heading in the right direction," he said.
That direction, Tiger fans hope, appears to be straight up. Not that the team has far to go, however, as last year's squad earned 20 wins (despite missing an injured Rush for seven games) and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Statistically speaking, Missouri looks to be in good shape, as the team returns over 77 percent of its scoring production from last year, as well as 63 percent of its rebounding and 73 percent of its assists. Leading the way are the teams' top three scorers from last year - returning starters Kareem Rush, Clarence Gilbert and Arthur Johnson.
THE RETURNING STARTERS
All attention begins with pre-season All-American junior forward Kareem Rush, and rightfully so. The silky smooth lefty forward turned in one of the best individual seasons in recent Tiger history in 2000-01, as he emerged as the Big 12 Conference's top offensive threat. Rush led the Big 12 in scoring, at 21.1 points per game, and earned honorable mention All-American honors from the Associated Press.
Rush is fully recovered from the thumb injury that forced him to miss seven games last season, and which likely cost him a shot at Big 12 player of the year. The 5th-leading returning scorer in the nation has worked hard in the offseason to add strength to his frame in MU's new strength and conditioning program, and he made a favorable impression with his play during the summer.
A preseason All-American by Playboy Magazine, Rush is looking to become MU's first All-American since Melvin Booker in 1993-94.
The other component of MU's lethal 1-2 perimeter scoring assault is senior guard Clarence Gilbert, who ranked 4th in the Big 12 Conference in scoring last season, at 16.5 points per game. Gilbert broke the MU single-season three-point field goal record with 102 treys last year, and enters his senior season already holding the school career three-point record (214 in 92 games).
He earned national attention after tying the Big 12 scoring record with 43 points in MU's historic four overtime win over Iowa State, as well as his last-second game winner in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament against Georgia.
While his scoring grabs the headlines, those in the Tiger camp feel he's just as valuable for his all-around contributions. Playing at the two-guard spot for most of the season, Gilbert led the Tigers in assists (112), and served as the teams' top defensive stopper. With the departure of Brian Grawer, Gilbert will likely handle some point guard duties this year in addition to his leadership responsibilities as the teams' only senior on the roster.
Sophomore big man Arthur Johnson was an invaluable addition to the squad last season, and he looks to make an even bigger impact this year.
Johnson, who was the runner-up for Big 12 Freshman of the Year, was MU's best inside offensive presence in many years, as he averaged 9.0 points per game (3rd on the squad) last season. He led the Tigers in rebounding (7.8 rpg), becoming the first freshman to do so since Stan Ray in 1975-76.
Johnson also established himself as an intimidator in the middle, as he set a school record for blocked shots (65). An honorable mention All-Big 12 pick as a rookie, Johnson ranked among the top six in the Big 12 in four categories: offensive rebounding (2nd), blocked shots (4th), double-doubles (5th) and rebounding (6th).
He worked hard over the summer with the goal in mind of establishing himself as the best post player in the Big 12, and with improved conditioning, Tiger coaches believe the ability is there to do just that.
A STRONG SUPPORTING CAST
A quartet of sophomores round out the returning cast for Snyder's squad, and quite a dynamic quartet it is.
Guard Rickey Paulding returns to the fold after an exciting rookie season in which he averaged 7.0 points per game. He faced the daunting task of replacing Kareem Rush in the lineup while Rush missed seven games to injury last year.
Paulding started the last eight games of the regular season, and filled in quite admirably, averaging 10.1 points a game -- nearly double his scoring output of 5.9 per game in his first 21 games. Included in his strong close to the season was a sterling game at #10 Kansas to close the regular season, when he scored a career-high 16 points, including a ferocious putback dunk that ended the year on many highlight reels.
Sparkplug point guard Wesley Stokes returns for a second season with the Tigers, and looks to assume the primary point guard role with the departure of longtime floor leader Brian Grawer.
The diminutive 5-foot-10 Stokes developed nicely last season, and his play down the stretch helped land him a spot on the Big 12 All-Freshman team, after averaging 6.4 points and 2.0 assists per game. He was arguably among MU's most valuable players down the stretch run, as he averaged 12.6 points a game in a seven-game stretch, including a career-high 19 points in a key home win over Kansas State.
Stokes showed the ability to penetrate and dish effectively, as he ranked third on the squad in assists, but he also was effective from the perimeter. He ranked 8th in Big 12 Conference play in 3-pt. shooting (41.9%).
Fellow sophomore Travon Bryant will look to become a factor in the middle this year. The 6-foot-9 forward joined the team late last year, and spent most of the season trying to catch up.
He did give the Tigers some solid contributions, showing the talent that earned him McDonald's All-American status out of Long Beach (Calif.) Jordan High School. Bryant played in 24 games last season, and averaged 3.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, and was 2nd on the squad with a field goal percentage of 48.5%.
Making a return to the floor is redshirt sophomore Josh Kroenke, who missed last season due to post-concussive syndrome. He suffered a concussion in pre-season practice, and decided to sit the year out to get completely healthy.
Kroenke is completely healthy, and has been impressive in summer workouts. He hopes to provide an effective scoring punch off the bench for a team which looks to be strong from the perimeter. As a freshman during the 1999-2000 season, Kroenke played in 30 of 31 games, and averaged 2.7 points a game, and hit 22 3-pt. field goals.
THE NEWCOMERS
For the third straight year, Snyder and his staff have put together another outstanding recruiting class. This year's quartet of newcomers is widely considered to be among the nation's best, and should play a big role in how far the Tigers can go into the postseason.
Freshman Najeeb Echols is likely one of the most versatile talents to hit Columbia, Mo. in awhile. He's a 6-foot-7, 235-pound guard/forward combo who is strong enough, yet nimble enough to play the 1-2-3 or 4 positions on the court. He's got the size to bang inside, can handle the ball on the perimeter, and is known as a relentless defender.
Echols sat out his senior season at Chicago's Morgan Park High School, to recover from an injured knee. He had established himself as one of the nation's top prep players prior to the injury, and he expects to be full strength when fall practice opens in October. Echols averaged 25 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists per game as a junior at Chicago Whitney Young.
Freshman forward/center Jeffrey Ferguson is a versatile 6-foot-10 big man who could be a big contributor in the middle this season. He has the length to play inside, but possesses a nice jump shot with impressive range for his size. He spent most of the summer in Columbia, and worked hard in the weight room to add 15 pounds to his frame.
A native of Toronto, Ontario, he played prep ball in Benton Harbor, Mich., and averaged 12.2 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game as a junior. He was forced to sit out his senior year due to confusing Michigan rules concerning foreign transfer students.
Duane John is the third talented freshman to join the Tiger ranks next year, and he's expected to contribute quite nicely. A talented wing player, the 6-foot-6 John can score from all over the court, and will likely see most of his time at the 2 or 3 spots.
John is a consensus top-50 national talent who was considered the top player in Canada, where he averaged 32.5 points, 12.1 rebounds and 3 assists per game as a junior. He spent his senior season at prep powerhouse Homestead Berkshire Academy in Berkshire, Fla., where he was part of one of the nation's top high school teams last year.
Junior college center Uche Okafor wrapped up Snyder's recruiting class when he signed a letter of intent to attend Mizzou in the spring.
The 6-foot-11 big man will be counted on to solidify the middle, where he patrolled for the past two years at the College of Southern Idaho. At CSI, Okafor averaged 9.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game last year for a team that went 29-4 and finished the 2000-01 season ranked 4th in the final NJCAA poll.
Okafor is an athletic and mobile center who can be a proficient shot blocker and excellent defender. He was considered the top JUCO center by many recruiting experts, and was ranked as the No. 2 junior college player in the nation (any position) by CBSSportsline.com.
WHAT WAS LOST
Snyder's team will be looking to replace two starters from last year's NCAA Tournament squad.
The departure of point guard Brian Grawer will likely be the most crucial loss the Tigers will have to cope with. Grawer's leadership and experience will be hard to replace for a team which has just three scholarship players on the roster older than sophomores.
Center Tajudeen Soyoye was a fixture for Snyder, as he was the only Tiger start all 65 games the past two seasons.
Also departed was forward Johnnie Parker, who contributed in 118 games in his Tiger career.