Player Profile - Kareem Rush
2/13/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 13, 2001
By Josh Murray
MU Media Relations
Mizzou sophomore Kareem Rush admits: "Yeah, I can score a little bit." When you're the leading scorer in the Big 12, averaging over 21 points per game, and you just torched the nationally third- ranked Kansas Jayhawks by scoring 27 you have the right to brag.
But the ever-modest Rush quickly added: "I need to work on my `D'. That's always been an emphasis of mine. Last year I was pretty bad, but I think this year I'm improving."
In only his second season as at MU, he has become the go-to man for the Tigers. He has responded by scoring 10-or-more points every game this season, a streak that dates back to last season and has reached 39 games. That stretch is the fourth-longest mark in school history. The school record is 50 set by Charles Henke from the last game of the 1958-59 season and every game in the 1959-60 and 1960-61 seasons.
MU coach Quin Snyder told Rush he is the player who needs to take control of the game for the Tigers. That role sits just fine with Rush.
"Coach Q puts a lot of emphasis on me being a leader," said Rush. "We're a young team and I just try to help them out on the court and try to do what's best for them."
People all around the nation are now taking notice of Rush. He is among the favorites for Big 12 Player of the Year Award and he has been named a midseason candidate for the Wooden Award, given to the nation's top player. Sports Illustrated also recently visited Columbia to talk to Rush.
"It's great notoriety," he said. "It's something you never expect. I owe it to my teammates and my coaches. They put me out there and give me opportunities to do things on the court. And it's a good thing to get noticed."
Much of the notoriety that he received before he coming to Missouri was as the younger brother former UCLA forward Jaron Rush. Jaron Rush is now playing in the ABA after leaving UCLA following his sophomore season.
"It was a little rough growing up with him being so highly touted and me always known as being Jaron's little brother," said Rush. "But it helped me because I worked really hard on my game and it made me a better player.
"I talk to him frequently, about once or twice a week," continued Rush. "He really doesn't ask me how I'm doing because I think he kind of knows. He hates to admit that I'm doing well."
To say that he is doing well would be an understatement. Though the Tigers have been a little inconsistent that doesn't worry Rush.
"We're kind of up and down right now," he said. "I attribute that to how young we are, but that's not an excuse. We fluctuate on how we play sometimes, but with a game like KU, we see what type of team we can be, but it's all about playing that way all the time.
"We can go far if we play the right way," continued Rush. "If we can keep building and getting better, we can be a pretty dangerous team. We've set some pretty high goals. We want to contend for the Big 12 title and I think that we are right back in the mix."
Rush seems to be happy at Missouri. He likes Columbia, he likes his teammates and he really likes his coach.
"Coach is a great guy," said Rush. "Not only coaching-wise, but also in being a friend, someone you can talk to when you have a problem. He's doing great things for this school and for the Missouri basketball program."
As a result of his success, Rush admits the NBA will be calling and that time maybe soon, but will he answer those calls when the time arrives.
"Every basketball player's goal is to play in the NBA," he said. "I don't know when that's going to be for me.
"Hopefully, it will be later than sooner," continued Rush. "Most people think I'm leaving early, but I'm here to say that I'm going to be here for awhile."
And that's exactly what Missouri fans wanted to hear.
