Missouri Ventures Outside The Big 12 To Take On Virginia
1/18/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 18, 2001
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#20 Missouri (12-4) at #13 Virginia (12-3)
Game# 17 -- Jan. 20, 2001
Charlottesville, Va.
TIGERS, CAVALIERS TUSSLE SATURDAY IN BATTLE OF RANKED TEAMS
The 20th-ranked Missouri Tigers (12-4) will play the middle game of a three-game road swing as they step outside of league play for the last time this regular season as they take on the 13th-ranked Virginia Cavaliers (12-3). Tipoff Saturday at UVA's University Hall is set for 2:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). The game will be televised by ESPN2.
Missouri is looking to regroup after seeing a five-game winning streak snapped Tuesday as they were ambushed at Kansas State, 80-59. The Tigers shot a miserable 29.9% from the floor for the game, including 6-of-30 in the first half (20.0%), while the Wildcats took control with a 16-0 first half run.
Virginia broke a two-game losing streak Tuesday with a home-court win over ACC-rival Florida State, 89-71. All of UVA's three losses this year have come to ranked teams.
THE QUIN-TISENNTIALS
The 15th head coach in Missouri basketball history, Quin Snyder is 30-17 in his second season as a head coach. He was named the national rookie coach-of-the-year by Basketball Times last season after leading the Tigers to an 18-13 record and an NCAA appearance.
Snyder will be making his first head coaching appearance vs. Virginia, but he is no stranger to the Cavs' University Hall. Snyder never lost in the building as a point guard at Duke University, as his Blue Devils went a perfect 4-0 there from 1986-89. Snyder never lost to UVA in his playing days, going a perfect 11-0 during the same time period.
Snyder's mission is to take the Tiger program to the next level. And if that next level represents the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament, Snyder will be a repeat visitor. In 10 years at Duke, he took part in five Final Fours -- three as a player (1986, 88, 89) and two more as a coach (1994, 99). For those of you keeping score at home, that's exactly five more Final Fours than Mizzou has qualified for in its previous 93 years.
Snyder had served as Duke's associate head coach the previous two seasons, and was entrusted with numerous on-court coaching responsibilities, as well as recruiting duties for the Blue Devils by Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski. He was widely credited with recruiting the group of student-athletes (including 1999 national player-of-the-year Elton Brand) at Duke who compiled a 37-2 record in 1998-99 and finished as NCAA runners-up.
ROAD TOUR CONTINUES
Missouri plays the second game of a three-game road swing Saturday when they play at Virginia.
While the Tigers are smarting from Tuesday's 80-59 whipping at Kansas State, they have shown an ability to find success on the road under Head Coach Quin Snyder.
MU is 2-2 this year in true road games, including a heartbreaker at then-#25 Iowa (99-94 in 2 OTs) and winning at Indiana (68-63) in a span of three days from Dec. 16-18.
Mizzou's win at Indiana got significantly more meaningful a couple of weeks ago, when the Hoosiers defeated defending national champion and previously unbeaten and top-ranked Michigan State on the same court.
MU has also played four other games away from Hearnes, as they're 2-2 in neutral court contests, including going 2-1 at the Great Alaska Shootout in November.
Last season, the Tigers went 5-3 in road contests, all coming in Big 12 play.
TIGERS CRACK RANKINGS
Missouri made its debut in the polls Monday, as they came in ranked 20th in the nation, according to the Associated Press Top 25.
It's the first time since March of 1999 that the Tigers have been ranked. MU was ranked 24th on March 5, 1999 when they lost to Kansas State, 84-74, in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, Mo. The Tigers dropped out of the rankings after that game. The Tigers played five games during that 1998-99 season as a ranked team, and went just 1-4 overall.
The #20 ranking is the highest since the Tigers were 18th in late December of 1995. MU entered the Rainbow Classic ranked 18th, but dropped out of the poll after going 1-2 at the tournament.
The Tigers will likely need a win Saturday at Virginia to stay among the top-25, following Tuesday's loss at Kansas State. Missouri has now lost five straight games (dating back to 1998-99) when they've taken the court toting a top-25 ranking.
MU VS. RANKED TEAMS
Missouri is 1-2 this season against ranked teams, with both losses coming away from home and both going overtime.
The Tigers lost at #22 Iowa back on Dec. 16th by a 99-94 count in double overtime. Two games later, MU led #5 Illinois with as little as 38 seconds left in regulation, but the Illini rallied for an 86-81 overtime win.
The Tigers got a win for the ages last Saturday, when they claimed an epic 112-109 quadruple-overtime win over #18 Iowa State. Clarence Gilbert (43 points) and Kareem Rush (32), the Big 12's top scoring duo, combined to score 75 points on the day. Gilbert's total tied a Big 12 single-game record.
Dating back to last season, MU's last four losses to ranked teams have come by five points or fewer, with three of them going overtime. Here's a look back:
MU-VIRGINIA SERIES
Missouri and Virginia have met three previous times, and the Cavaliers hold a 3-0 advantage in the brief series history.
Saturday's game will mark the second time that both teams will carry a national ranking into the fray vs. each other. In the first meeting between the two schools, on Feb. 20, 1983, 5th-ranked Virginia, led by 21 points and 10 rebounds from Ralph Sampson, downed #12 Missouri, 68-53 in East Rutherford, N.J.
MU's Steve Stipanovich led all players with 27 points and 12 rebounds. The Cavaliers enjoyed a huge advantage at the foul line, making 26-of-32 free throws, to 11-of-16 for the Tigers. That season marked the last of Missouri's four-straight Big Eight Conference regular-season championships.
The two schools played a home-and-home series in 1986 and 1987, and the Cavaliers got a sweep, winning 64-62 in Columbia (2-4-86) and 66-50 in Charlottesville (66-50), respectively.
The Columbia contest saw MU outshoot (60.0% to 52.1%) and outrebound (26-21) the visiting Cavaliers, but again it was the foul line where the game was decided. UVA made 14-of-18 free throws, to only 2-of-3 for MU. Missouri all-American Derrick Chievous had 16 points, while UVA's Olden Polynice had 14.
The series wrapped up the next year with UVA claiming a 66-50 win in Charlottesville. The Tigers shot just 32.8% from the floor (20-of-61) and were outrebounded, 37-26. MU's Derrick Chievous was held to just nine points.
Surprisingly, Missouri is the only member of the Big 12 Conference to have ever played a game before in UVA's University Hall.
KANSAS STATE NOTES
CARDIAC KIDS
Prior to Tuesday's 21-point loss, Missouri had seemed predisposed to tugging at the heart muscle, as 7 of their previous 9 games were decided by five points or fewer. MU has fared well in the close ones, as they're 6-2 in games decided by 10 points or fewer.
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.
Last Saturday'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.
TIGERS LOOKING FOR THE STROKE
"Now everybody, have you heard? If you're in the game, then the stroke's the word." -- Rocker Billy Squier
Well, it's hard to say if Billy ever applied his words of wisdom to the hardwood, but his words do ring poetic to the game. And "the stroke" is exactly what the Tigers are searching for as they head to Virginia.
Missouri has shot a combined 36.9% from the floor in its last four games. In spite of that fact, the Tigers got out to a 3-0 start in league play prior to Tuesday's loss at Kansas State.
They're also looking to put the clamps down defensively, as opponents have combined to shoot a solid 46.8% from the floor in Big 12 play. Three of those four have shot over 50 percent. The lone dissenter was Colorado, which MU held to an opponent season-low 31.2% in Boulder.
IOWA STATE NOTES
Nothing much worth noting took place in last Saturday's four-overtime game vs. Iowa State, except the following:
- Clarence Gilbert tied a Big 12 record with his 43-point outing, putting him atop the league chart along with Texas' Reggie Freeman, who had 43 in 1996 vs. Fresno State. It also was the most ever scored in a Big 12 conference game, breaking the old mark of 42 by Jaquay Walls of Colorado (vs. Iowa State, 2000). It was the 4th-most scored in MU history, and was the most in a game since Anthony Peeler had 43 at Kansas in 1992.
- MU played the first four-overtime game in school history. The four extra periods also established a Big 12 record. MU's previous longest game was a memorable 108-107 triple-overtime win against Illinois on Dec. 22, 1993. That win set the stage for MU's 14-0 run through the Big Eight that year.
MORE IOWA STATE NOTES
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.
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS
Missouri has been taking better care of the ball of late. The Tigers have averaged only 13.0 turnovers in their last 4 games, compared to an average of 15.9 in the first 12 outings.
Perphaps the most eye-popping stat to come from Saturday's marathon vs. Iowa State was the fact that Missouri commited only 12 turnovers in a 60 minutes of play. Conversely, the Tigers forced 23 miscues by the Cyclones -- a team which had averaged just 14.8 coming in to the game.
GILBERT MORE THAN A SCORER
Clarence Gilbert draws a lot of attention for his braggadocio on the court and his high-profile shooting efforts. To label him as a one-dimensional player is really unfair, however.
Yes, Gilbert does take his fair share of shots, but consider the fact that he leads the team in assists (63), and ranks 11th in the Big 12 in that category. His assists-per-game average of 3.9 this season currently ranks as the 10th-best single-season average in MU history.
Not bad, considering the fact that he's not even MU's point guard.
Perhaps the most amazing line from last Saturday's game vs. Iowa State is the fact that he turned in 9 assists with no turnovers in a record 56 minutes of play. That means of MU's 38 baskets, he had a hand in 21 of them (12 makes, 9 assists).
Additionally, Gilbert is a superb rebounder for his size, is MU's best defender and is arguably the Tigers' emotional leader.
HOME-ROAD COMPARISON
As expected, MU has performed better statistically at home in amassing a perfect 8-0 home record thus far.
The most glaring numbers that jump out relate to shooting and free throws. MU is shooting 46.8% from the floor at home, compared to just 36.1% 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 32.5 free throw attempts per game away from Hearnes (led by a massive 50 attempts by Iowa on Dec. 16), but are being held to 17.6 attempts on average at Hearnes.
Also, the Tigers have controlled the glass at home, posting a rebounding margin of +6.2 at Hearnes, as opposed to a deficit of -2.5 away from home.
That being said, the Tigers have held their own on the road this year, as they're 2-2 in enemy territory, including the landmark win at Indiana on Dec. 18th.
RUSH, GILBERT DYNAMIC DUO
Sophomore Kareem Rush and junior Clarence Gilbert have combined to give Missouri one of the most prolific scoring tandems in the country. The duo is the top scoring combo in the Big 12 Conference, as they enter Saturday's game at Virginia averaging a combined 39.5 points per game.
Rush leads all Big 12 scorers with his season average of 21.7, while Gilbert ranks 3rd, at 17.8. They had ranked 1-2 in the league (22.3 and 18.5) prior to Tuesday's game at Kansas State, but they were held to a season-low 19 points combined (Rush 12, Gilbert 7).
The duo scored a whopping 75 points between them in the epic four-overtime win over 18th-ranked Iowa State last Saturday, with Gilbert going for a Big 12 record 43 points, while Rush chipped in a "quiet" 32.
MU NO. 25 IN POWER RANKINGS
Missouri enters Saturday's game ranked 25th in the latest RPI power poll (www.collegerpi.com). The Tigers have played the 29th-toughest schedule in the land to this point.
MU had been 16th prior to Tuesday's loss at Kansas State, representing their highest showing this season in the rankings.
Virginia enters the game ranked 36th in the power rankings, with a strength of schedule rating of 93rd.
Prior to Tuesday's loss at KSU (currently ranked 90th), all of MU's losses had come to teams ranked 14th or higher in the RPI system -- #5 Illinois , #8 Iowa and #14 Syracuse.
IT'S A BLOCK PARTY
Missouri has blocked 77 shots in 16 games on the season, and has already surpassed last year's total of 61 for the entire season (31 games).
Freshman center Arthur Johnson is leading the charge, with 37 blocks. That's an average of 2.3 per game, and puts him on pace to break the MU single-season record of 56 set by former all-American Steve Stipanovich in 1982-83. He already ranks 9th on the MU single-season top-10 blocks chart, and needs just 4 more to tie Jevon Crudup for 7th.
Missouri ranks 3rd in the Big 12 with an average of 4.81 blocks per game. Last season, the Tigers were dead last in the league, at 2.0 per game.
TAKING A SECOND CHANCE
Missouri has been an impressive second-half team early in the 2000-01 season. That's been important, given the fact that the Tigers have trailed at halftime in half of their 16 games thus far.
In addition to coaching adjustments made in the lockerroom by Quin Snyder and his staff, Mizzou has simply played better after halftime. The Tigers are scoring more, shooting better, and handling the ball better.
MU has outscored opponents by 116 points in the second half (and are dead even, at 536-536 in the first half), as the Tigers are averaging 42.4 points after intermission, to opponents' 35.2. MU is averaging 33.5 points in the first half of play, and is shooting just 39.3 percent from the floor as a team.
Missouri is looking to reverse a recent trend that has seen the Tigers not make a free throw attempt in the first half of their last two games. The Tigers earned a whopping total of 2 foul shots in the first halves of the last two games, and missed both.
MU's recent 68-66 win over Nebraska was a perfect example of this trend. MU was ice cold in the first half, shooting just 27.3% from the floor (including 9.1% from 3-pt. range), and scored just 26 points. The Tigers regrouped to connect on 16-of-30 FGs in the 2nd half (including 4-8 3-pt. FGs), good for a 53.3% clip, and outscored the Huskers, 42-32 for the comeback win.
Nebraska held a huge 23-12 rebounding edge in the first half, but the Tigers held their own in the second half on the boards, grabbing 14 while holding NU to 12.
Another prime example of this second-half superiority came during the Great Alaska Shootout, when the Tigers turned strong second-half performances into wins over Rhode Island and Valparaiso.
Against URI, Missouri shot just 29.0% from the floor in the first half, and trailed 31-19 at half. Undaunted, the Tigers regrouped and shot a solid 53.1% in the second half, and outscored the Rams 51-29 to post the 70-60 win.
Similarly, against Valpo, the Tigers fell behind early by 10 points, and trailed by two points at half, but blitzed the Crusaders 44-26 in the second half. Mizzou held Valpo to a miserable 19.4% shooting effort in the second half (6-of-31 FGs), and turned a 26-12 rebounding deficit in the first half to a 24-14 edge on the glass after intermission.
IT'S ALWAYS RUSH HOUR AT MIZZOU
It's only halfway through the season, but MU sophomore forward Kareem Rush has established himself as an all-America candidate, as well as a leading candidate for Big 12 Player-of-the-Year honors.
The Sporting News recently released its all-American team to this point in the season, 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 (21.7 ppg), Rush is making 30-point performances seem routine. He's already turned in four 30-pt. games this year, including two of his last four outings.
Rush is coming off a tough game at Kansas State, when he was limited to 21 minutes of play due to foul trouble, and could manage only 12 points in MU's loss. He drew a charging foul with 15:19 left in the first half for his second foul, and was forced to sit the remainder of the half. He watched helplessly as his team went from five down (8-3) to a halftime deficit of 22 (38-16).
To underscore his importance to the squad, the Tigers are 0-3 when he plays 21 minutes or fewer, and are 12-1 when he's on the court for 24 minutes or more.
Last Saturday, Rush had a 32-point game vs. Iowa State, which tied his career high. Rush 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 a big momentum play in the fourth overtime, when he hit a turn-around jumper from 8 feet and drew the fifth foul on ISU's Kantrail Horton with 3:59 left. His conventional three-point play gave MU a 106-103 lead, a lead they never relinquished.
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.
Without a doubt MU's MVP, Rush leads the team in scoring, 3-pt. percentage and free throw percentage, and is second in blocks and steals and is third in rebounding and assists.
Rush turned in an outstanding performance at #22 Iowa, as he tallied a career-high 32 points. He also added 11 rebounds, marking the second double-double of the season.
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.
Rush averaged an MU-freshman record 14.7 points per game last year, and was named the Big 12's co-freshman-of-the-year.
He leads the Big 12 Conference in scoring currently, and ranks in the league's top-15 in seven different categories. Let's take a look (rankings as of Jan. 16th):
Rush carries a streak of 34 straight games scoring in double figures into Saturday's game with Virginia, and has scored in double figures in 35 of 38 career games.
GILBERT THE GREAT
Junior guard Clarence Gilbert has emerged as one of the Big 12's top scorers this season, and his presence gives MU the luxury of having one of the deadliest 1-2 perimeter scoring combos around.
Gilbert is looking to bounce back from a tough outing at Kansas State, where he was held to a season-low 7 points, on 3-of-11 FGs.
In case you hadn't heard, Gilbert had a pretty good game last Saturday 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 held by Joe Scott (1961 vs. Nebraska).
He tallied 23 of his points in the second half alone, including sinking 5-of-8 from the three-point line.
Gilbert is the 3rd-leading scorer in the Big 12, behind teammate Kareem Rush. He had ranked 2nd prior to Tuesday's game.
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 last week, coupled with his 11 assists to just 1 turnover, earned him Big 12 Conference Player of the Week honors. He was also named ESPN national player of the week.
Gilbert previously had a gutty performance against Nebraska. He tallied 16 points (11 in the second half), and added 4 steals and 3 assists in 36 minutes. Perhaps most important, however, was his harassing defensive effort against NU's Cookie Belcher. Gilbert held Belcher to 8 points (8.5 below his average coming in), and forced him into 7 turnovers in the game.
Gilbert previously 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.
He scored 17 points vs. Saint Louis, a game in which he struggled from the floor, connecting on just 5-of-16 FGs. But he was money when the chips were down, as Gilbert made two straight long three-pointers which helped key the Tigers to a comeback win.
His first trey, with 2:44 left, cut the SLU lead to 69-66, and his second bomb just 40 seconds later made it 70-69. He had been 0-of-6 from long range prior to his late-game heroics.
Gilbert, who broke the MU single-season three-point field goal record last season (88 treys) already ranks 4th on the MU career 3-point field goal chart (161 entering the Virginia game), and is on pace to break the career record of 190 set by former Tiger Jason Sutherland. He passed Mark Atkins for 4th on the list Wednesday, and is just 2 behind active leader Brian Grawer for 3rd place.
The 3rd-leading returning scorer in the Big 12 Conference, Gilbert earned 3rd-team all-league honors last season as a sophomore. He was tabbed as high as 2nd-team all-league by several publications this fall.
RETURN OF GRAWER POWER
Following MU's Dec. 9th win over Saint Louis, MU Head Coach Quin Snyder called senior guard Grawer one of the best leaders he's been around.
"He's the guy that holds us together," said Snyder. "I feel like I've been around some pretty good leaders. I thought Steve Wojciechowski was a great leader. I thought Trajan Langdon was a great leader. Tommy Amaker, when I played, was a great leader. Brian Grawer right now is as good a leader on a team that I've ever been a part of," he said.
Grawer scored six points in MU's comeback win against the Billikens. Certainly not flashy numbers, but consider the value of his exploits: All six points of his points came after halftime. One was a key three-pointer that cut a SLU nine-point lead to six, and 3-of-4 free throws in the game's final 24 seconds. The final two provided the winning points in the 77-73 win.
Grawer might not have captured the headlines after MU's 112-109 4-OT win over ISU last Saturday, but he played a key role in MU's historic win. He tallied 12 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 assists on the day, and did not miss a shot (he was 3-3 FGs, 2-2 3-pt. FGs & 4-4 FTs).
He had possibly the biggest momentum play of the game, when he hit a three-pointer in the 2nd overtime at a time when MU was trailing, 89-84. His trey came with 2:26 left, and got MU back into the game, but more importantly, he was fouled on the shot by Jamaal Tinsley. It was Tinsley's fifth foul, and forced him to sit for the remainder of the game, which was certainly a key in MU's win. Later, in the 4th overtime, Grawer got a steal and fed Clarence Gilbert for a fastbreak layin that gave the Tigers a 110-105 lead with 2:22 left. He went on to sink two free throws with 8 seconds left to provide the final score.
He had three points vs. Nebraska, but they proved to be quite valuable for the Tigers. He hit a three-pointer from the left corner with 14:59 left in the game, just moments after Nebraska had taken a 10-point lead. His shot spurred a 10-0 run that got MU back in the ballgame.
Previously at Indiana, he scored 7 points, and added 4 assists (with no turnovers) and 2 steals in 26 minutes. He also sank a pair of free throws to give MU a 66-63 lead with 14 seconds left.
Grawer scored a season-high 13 points in MU's win vs. Valpo, and added 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal. He also sank 6-of-7 free throws in the second half to salt away the win.
As a sophomore, Grawer led the Big 12 Conference, and ranked 3rd in the nation, in three-point shooting percentage, hitting at a school-record 49.6% clip.
Grawer ranks 3rd on the alltime MU career three-point field goal chart, with 163 entering the Virginia game. The alltime leader is Jason Sutherland, with 190.
Grawer also needs 2 more steals to tie former Tiger Doug Smith for 3rd on the career steals chart, and now stands 9th on the MU assists chart, with 294 dimes.
LOFTY STANDING
A quick check of the MU career records shows that Brian 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 -- 83.3%), steals (4th -- 176) and assists (9th -- 294).
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.
SIR ARTHUR, KING OF SWAT
You can call him A.J., or you can call him Arthur, or you can call him Dock. Through the early going this season, though, opponents are calling Arthur Johnson a handful.
The affable freshman came to MU as a highly-touted recruit out of Detroit, Mich., and he's not disappointed anyone in the Tiger camp.
Johnson is laying claim to Big 12 Freshman-of-the-Year candidacy, as he's averaging 10.0 points and 8.4 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.
A.J. preceded an 8-pt., 12-reb. game vs. Iowa State last Saturday with 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.
He previously had a solid 13-point game vs. Nebraska. He added 5 rebounds, 4 steals and 2 blocks in a career-high 34 minutes. He had 9 of his points in the second half (on 4-of-5 FGs), as his teammates continued to look for him down the stretch. His biggest bucket came on a sweet jump hook in the lane with 3:21 left to give MU a 63-60 lead.
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.
Johnson scored a career-high 16 points and added 10 rebounds vs. DePaul.
A.J. was possibly MU's MVP of the game, as he kept the Tigers in the game during a first half when DePaul led by as many as 10 points. With primary scorers Kareem Rush and Clarence Gilbert struggling to find the mark, Johnson collected 7 offensive rebounds in the first half, and scored 14 points. He ended the game with 9 offensive boards.
Johnson was a vital cog in MU's comeback win over Rhode Island, scoring 12 second-half points (all 12 coming during a decisive 33-6 run) to lead the charge. He ended with 14 points, and added seven rebounds.
A.J. reported this fall a bit overweight, tipping the scales at over 300 pounds. But he worked hard in pre-season conditioning, and is now down to 265.
COMEBACK KIDS
In 47 games under Head Coach Quin Snyder, Missouri has shown a propensity to comeback from precarious situations, as the Tigers have already 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.
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.
BRYANT HAS BREAKOUT
No, we're not talking about a nasty rash of any sort here, we're talking about freshman power forward Travon Bryant and his breakout game turned in last week at Colorado.
Bryant, who had been with the team for only three weeks after enrolling at MU mid-semester, 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 Tuesday at Kansas State (on 1-of-6 FGs), but grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds in 18 minutes of play.
He's made just 7-of-22 free throws so far, 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.
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.
STOKES FANS THE FLAMES
After taking awhile to make the typical freshman adjustments, point guard Wesley Stokes has emerged as a valuable reserve. He of the unmistakeable coiff was possibly MU's MVP in the big win at Indiana.
At Bloomington, 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.
Stokes added 9 points at Colorado last Wednesday, including 7-of-8 free throws in the game's final four minutes to help seal the win. He contributed with 5 pts. and 2 steals in Saturday's win against Iowa State.
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.
