Jan. 11, 2002
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MIZZOU LOOKS FOR REDEMPTION SATURDAY AT KANSAS STATE
Looking to redeem themselves after a lost opportunity at Iowa State on Wednesday, the Missouri Tigers (11-3 overall, 1-1 in Big 12 Conference play) travel to Manhattan, Kan., where they'll take on the Kansas State Wildcats (6-6, 0-1) Saturday at 3 p.m.
Missouri is coming off a 71-67 loss at ISU Wednesday, a game in which MU led 29-26 at halftime, but couldn't hold up down the stretch. Kareem Rush returned to his All-America form, with a game-high 29 points, but MU shot just 43.1% overall as a team.
Kansas State has had a full week to prepare for Missouri, as the Wildcats have not played since a Jan. 6 loss at Texas Tech (74-49). K-State won 4 of its first 5 games on the year before dropping 5 of its last 7.
In case you don't have the time, nor the stomach, to read through all the propaganda presented before you in these notes, we've done our best to pick through the drivel and offer you the "Cliff's Notes" version.
*Missouri will be looking for its 1st Big 12 road win of the season. Manhattan has been a tough place for MU to play in recent years, though, as 2 of the worst 6 losses for MU since the formation of the Big 12 have come in Manhattan. K-State dealt MU a 111-56 loss there on Jan. 3, 1998 (still MU's worst-ever defeat), and last year claimed an 80-59 win in Bramlage on Jan. 16, 2001.
*A Missouri win Saturday would also give MU Head Coach Quin Snyder his 50th career victory. Snyder is 49-30 overall (.620 winning percentage) in his 3rd year at Mizzou.
*Mizzou is 7-10 in Big 12 road games under Snyder, a big improvement from MU's combined 5-19 in the first 3 years of the league (1997-1999).
*Kareem Rush returned to his All-American form Wednesday at Iowa State, as he poured in a season-high 29 points on the strength of 12-of-20 (60.0%) shooting. He didn't receive enough help offensively, however, as the rest of the team was a combined 13-of-48 (27.1%).
*MU couldn't stop Iowa State in the 2nd half Wednesday, as the Cyclones shot a solid 63.0% from the floor in the final 20 minutes (17-of-27 FGs). After an 11-0 ISU run midway through the 2nd half gave the Cyclones a 10-point lead, MU tried to comeback. The Tigers whittled the lead down to 3 points five different times, but each time could not get a subsequent defensive stop, and the Cyclones held on for the win.
*Free throw attempts appear to be a telling statistic for MU's fortunes this year. In MU's 11 wins, opponents have shot an average of 13.8 free throws per game. In MU's 4 losses, opponents have gone to the line an average of 26.5 times per contest.
*Sophomore center Arthur Johnson is establishing himself as one of the top big men in the Big 12 Conference. A.J. leads the Big 12 in blocked shots (2.33), and ranks among league leaders in 4 other categories: Offensive rebounding (2nd - 4.13), field goal percentage (4th - 56.7%), total rebounding (5th - 8.5) and steals (11th - 1.60).
*MU is playing one of the nation's toughest schedules. Seven teams who are currently ranked in both the latest Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches' polls are on the Tigers' schedule. MU is 2-2 so far this year against ranked competition.