NCAA BID IN STORE FOR MU?
While everyone and their brother has their opinion of who is in and who is out of the upcoming NCAA Tournament, one historical fact bodes well for MU. In the short history of the Big 12 Conferece, no league team has ever not received an NCAA bid when they've won at least 19 regular-season games and had no worse than a .500 league record. The closest time came during the 1998-99 season, when Nebraska went 18-11 during the regular season and finished 10-6 in the league (tied for 5th). The Huskers' RPI that year was a solid 47, but Nebraska was relegated to the NIT even after winning 1 game at the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City.

MU-KANSAS SERIES HISTORY
Dating back to the days of the Civil War, the rivalry between the states of Missouri and Kansas has stirred the emotions of man, woman and dog, for that matter. Kansas leads the overall series by a 154-90 margin, and the 244 previous meetings constitutes the nation's 8th-oldest rivalry. Oregon vs. Oregon State have played the most, at 316. Missouri hopes to keep an impressive streak alive Sunday. For each of the past 6 seasons (dating back to the last year of the old Big Eight), Mizzou has dealt Kansas its first conference loss of the season (1996-2001).

Additionally, Kansas is going for a perfect 16-0 Big 12 record on Sunday, and MU fans would love nothing more than for their beloved Tigers to spoil that achievement. Missouri has stood in the way twice recently of Kansas going undefeated in conference play. Misouri dealt KU its only Big 12 loss in each of the 1st 2 years of the league's existence, as the Jayhawks went 15-1 in both the 1997 and 1998 league seasons, with their only losses coming in Columbia.

Missouri was the last Big Eight team to go undefeated in conference play, as the 1993-94 squad went a perfect 14-0, and eventually reached the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament.

GOING TOE-TO-TOE WITH the JAYHAWKS
Missouri has proven to be the proverbial thorn in the side of ranked Kansas teams in recent history, as the Tigers have knocked off ranked KU teams 6 straight years, and 11 times overall since 1989. Nine of those MU wins, including 1 each in 5 of the last 6 years, came against top-10 Jayhawk teams.

one last rivalry tidbit
Okay, at the risk of obsessing, we'd like to tout one more impressive fact concerning MU's competitiveness with Kansas of late. Since the inception of the Big 12 Conference, in regular-season conference play, Missouri is 5-6 (.455) against Kansas. The rest of the Big 12 is 11-73 (.131) in that same stretch.

SENIOR SENDOFF
Sunday represents the final home game for senior guard Clarence Gilbert. Gilbert will be honored in a small ceremony prior to the game, at roughly the 14-minute mark on the pre-game timing clock. Gilbert came to Missouri from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and has entrenched himself among the school's greats. He enters Sunday's game ranked 8th on the alltime MU scoring chart, with 1,547 career points. He is the Big 12 Conference's leading active career scorer, and ranks 7th on the league's alltime scoring list.

Additionally, if MU receives an NCAA bid, Gilbert would go down in history as one of a proud few who have helped guide the Tigers to 4 consecutive NCAA Tournaments.

Only 3 previous senior classes can say that they played in the Big Dance all 4 years. They include the senior classes of 1990, 1989 and 1983 (which included CBS's own Jon Sundvold). MU also went to 4 straight NCAAs from 1992-93-94-95, but there were no 4th-year seniors on the 1995 squad. Gilbert would become the 9th Tiger to play in the NCAA each of his 4 years, and here's a look at the others.

MORE ON GILBERT
To help illustrate just what a solid overall player Clarence Gilbert has been in his career, consider the fact that he is on pace to end his Tiger career in the top-10 in scoring, 3-point field goals, assists and steals. He would join former All-American Melvin Booker as the only Tiger to rank in the top-10 of each of those categories.

WHO'S HOT...

GILBERT GETS A DOZEN
Senior guard Clarence Gilbert further enhanced his reputation as one of the nation's most dangerous scorers on Feb. 23 at Colorado, as he scored 40 points in leading Mizzou to its critical 96-83 win in Boulder. Gilbert was unconscious from long range, as he nailed a Big 12 and MU record 12 3-pt. field goals (12-of-17). Here's a look at the records he broke:

MORE THREE-PT. RECORDS
Missouri hit a school-record and Big 12 record 20 3-pt. field goals (in a school-record 37 attempts) at Colorado.

That eclipsed the previous league mark of 18, set by Texas (1-12-97 vs. Kansas State), and the previous MU record of 17 set by this year's squad (12-6-01 vs. Southern). MU's 20 makes is the 16th-most in NCAA history. The alltime record is 28 by Troy State (12-10-94 vs. George Mason).

THE QUIN SNYDER FILE
The 15th head coach in Missouri basketball history, Quin Snyder is 58-35 in his third season as a head coach, and is already MU's 4th-winningest coach ever. He earned his 50th career win on Jan. 12th at Kansas State.

After getting out to a 9-0 start to the season, Mizzou was perched #2 in the Associated Press top-25 poll. That marked the highest an MU team has been ranked since the 1989-90 season. Additionally, when MU won the Guardians Classic in November with its miraculous comeback vs. Iowa, it gave the school its first in-season tournament championship since 1989.

Snyder guided Missouri to a 20-13 record in 2000-01, including the schools' first NCAA Tournament win since 1995, when MU defeated Georgia in the opening round. He was named the national rookie coach-of-the-year by Basketball Times after leading the Tigers to an 18-13 record and an NCAA appearance in the 1999-2000 campaign.

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).

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.

SNYDER GETS MENTION
In a recent list compiled by senior Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl, Quin Snyder was rated as one of the top 15 head coaches in the nation: 1. Mike Krzyzewski, Duke
2. Lute Olson, Arizona
3. Rick Pitino, Louisville
4. Tom Izzo, Michigan State
5. Tubby Smith, Kentucky
6. Roy Williams, Kansas
7. Jim Calhoun, UConn
8. Rick Majerus, Utah
9. Billy Donovan, Florida
10. Quin Snyder, Missouri
11. John Chaney, Temple
12. Mike Montgomery, Stanford
13. Larry Eustachy, Iowa State
14. Bill Carmody, Northwestern
15. Gary Williams, Maryland

MU VS. RANKED TEAMS
Missouri will be facing its 9th ranked opponent on Sunday when they take on the #1 Kansas Jayhawks. Mizzou is 4-4 to this point against ranked teams this season, including wins over then-#22 Alabama and then-#9 Iowa in back-to-back nights in November. More recently, MU has won consecutive games against ranked teams, downing then-#8 Virginia and this past Monday vs. #12 Oklahoma State. Sandwiched in between, MU dropped 4 straight against ranked foes, dropping games against #15 Iowa, #9 Illinois, at #6 Oklahoma and at #2 Kansas.

HOME SWEET HOME
Missouri is 13-2 at the Hearnes Center this season, with the only losses coming to then-#15 Iowa, 83-65 on Dec. 15th (when MU shot only 33.3% from the floor, including 17.2% from 3-pt. range), and a 72-70 heartbreaker to Texas in MU's last home game (Feb. 17). The Iowa loss broke MU's 9-game winning streak to start the season, and came back when the Tigers were ranked #2 in the country. Missouri has won 27 of its last 30 games at the Hearnes Center, dating back to the 1999-2000 season, with those 27 wins coming by an average margin of 15.7 points per game. MU sits 36-8 at home under the tutelage of Quin Snyder. MU went 4-6 on the road this season, and 3-1 in neutral court games, giving them a solid 7-7 mark away from home - a fact that should look favorable to the NCAA selection committee. As one would imagine, MU's stats at home are better than on the road.

RUSH NAMED NAISMITH FINALIST
Junior Kareem Rush has lived up to his pre-season All-American billing of late, as the smooth lefty has averaged 25 points per game in Missouri's last 6 games. Accordingly, last week Rush was named one of 20 national finalists for the prestigious Naismith Award, given annually to the top player in college basketball. Here's a look at the men's finalists for the award, which will be announced in Atlanta, Ga., on April 5th.

MU-OKLAHOMA STATE GAME NOTES

GILBERT RANKS AMONG BIG 12 BEST
Senior guard Clarence Gilbert enters the Kansas game with 1,547 career points, which ranks him as the leading active scorer among Big 12 players. Gilbert also ranks 7th on the alltime Big 12 scoring chart, and passed Rayford Young of Texas Tech for 7th at Colorado with his 40-pt. outing Saturday. Gilbert is now 5 points behind Cookie Belcher, who is 6th with 1,552 career points. The alltime Big 12 leading scorer is Iowa State's Marcus Fizer, with 1,830 points. Additionally, Gilbert continues his ascent up the MU career scoring chart. He currently ranks 8th alltime on the MU scoring list. He passed former Tiger great Jevon Crudup on Feb. 20 for 8th place, and trails Jon Sundvold for 7th place (1,597).

RUSH JOINS 500 CLUB AGAIN
Kareem Rush's 29-pt. performance at Nebraska put him over the 500-point mark for the season. Rush scored 549 points last year as a sophomore, and is now just the 8th player in Missouri history to notch 500-pt. seasons in consecutive years.

MU'S 3-PRONGED ATTACK
Arthur Johnson, Kareem Rush and Clarence Gilbert combine to form one of the best inside-outside offensive attacks around. MU's top 3 scorers combine to average 48.0 points per game. Rush leads the way at 19.7 per game, with Gilbert next at 16.3, followed by Johnson at 12.0. Rush and Gilbert are ranked 1-2 in the Big 12 in 3-pt. field goals made per game. Johnson is climbing the charts in scoring, and ranks 5th in field goal percentage, 5th in offensive rebounding and 6th in total rebounding. He also ranks 2nd in blocked shots. When clicking like they can, the trio forms one of the country's most dangerous inside-outside combos. When Johnson is left one-on-one inside, he is an effective scorer. When teams double him, that often frees up Rush and Gilbert, who can be one of the most potent perimeter combo in the country.

IT'S A BLOCK PARTY
Missouri is just 2 blocked shots away from setting a single-season team record for rejections. The Tigers enter Sunday's game with 130 blocks, which is just 2 shy of the record of 132 set by last year's squad. As a team, MU ranks 3rd in the Big 12 in blocks, with its per-game average of 4.48. Individually, sophomore Arthur Johnson ranks 2nd in the league in blocks, with an average of 2.14 per game. A.J. is 3 blocks shy of his own single-season record of 65, set last year as a freshman. A.J.'s 127 career blocks already ranks him 3rd on the MU career blocks list, behind only former All-Americans Steve Stipanovich (1st - 149) and Doug Smith (2nd - 129).

rush hour CONTINUES AT MIZZOU
Junior forward Kareem Rush was named MU's first-ever pre-season first team All-American by the Associated Press. Since spraining his left ankle in pre-game warmpus 2 games ago at Colorado, Rush has been held to 10.5 pts. in MU's last 2 games. The shots weren't falling Monday vs. OSU, as he finished with 10 pts. on 3-of-15 shooting. But the Kansas City native still made an impact on the Tigers' key win, as he hit a pair of free throws with 7 seconds left to give the Tigers an insurmountable 5-point lead.

Rush also hit 2 huge 3-pointers in a 3-minute stretch in the 2nd half vs. the Cowboys as MU made its comeback bid. His 1st one came with 12:33 left and cut OSU's lead to 43-42. His 2nd trey came with 9:47 left and gave MU the lead for good, at 49-47. Rush had his 2nd double-double of the season 3 games ago, as he scored 22 pts. and added 10 rebounds at Texas Tech. He did so despite missing his 1st 8 shots of the game in a 4-pt. 1st half. He heated up in the 2nd half, and hit 8-of-13 in the final 20 minutes. Rush scored 16 pts. Feb. 17 vs. Texas, but made just 4-of-19 FGs, including 1-of-7 from 3-pt. range. He particularly had little luck in the 2nd half, as he made just 1-of-10 from the floor, and uncharacteristically misfired on 4 shots in the final 2 minutes that could have given MU the lead.

In a recent 4-game stretch, Rush had lived up to his pre-season billing, as he averaged 28.0 points from Feb. 3-13. He made 55.3% of his 3-pointers in those 4 games (21-of-38). Rush had a season-best 30-pt. performance Feb. 13 in leading MU to a big win at Nebraska. He scored 10 of MU's 1st 15 pts. in the game, and ended with 6-of-10 from 3-pt. range on the night. Prior to that, Rush had a 29-pt. outing at Baylor Feb. 9, when he tied a career-high by hitting 7 3-pt. FGs. Rush added 7 rebounds and 3 assists on the night, and led MU's late comeback from a 10-pt. 2nd-half deficit.

Feb. 6 saw Rush turn in a 27-point outing vs. Iowa State, in which he scored 23 points in a dominant 2nd-half performance.

He hit 9-of-16 shots after intermission, and scored 4 of MU's last 6 points as they erased a 71-70 deficit in the final 1:51 to post an important 76-73 win. On Feb. 3, Rush led MU to a captivating win vs. Virginia with a game-high 26 points. He hit 10-of-20 shots on the day, including 4-of-6 from 3-pt. range, and nailed a pair of free throws with 14 seconds left to close out the win.

Rush ranks 2nd in the Big 12 in scoring (19.7 ppg), leads the league in 3-pt. FGs made per game (3.2) and is 9th in 3-pt. percentage (41.4%).

Rush had experienced a rough stretch in MU's December 3-game losing streak, when he shot just 29.4% from the floor (including 26.7% from 3-pt. range). He was later held to a season-low 8 points in MU's Big 12 opener vs. Nebraska, marking just the 5th time in his MU career that he has been held in single digits.

Rush had one of his best all-around performances in a Tiger uniform Nov. 24th when he led MU to a solid victory over Xavier in Indianapolis, with 24 points, 12 rebounds and 3 assists in 39 minutes. He also played excellent defense, holding one of Xavier's top scorers, Romain Sato, to a 4-of-13 shooting night.

Rush was named the Big 12 Player of the Week on Nov. 27th. The league award marked the fifth time the that Rush claimed a Big 12 weekly honor. A pre-season first team All-American, Rush was named Big 12 Player of the Week twice last season, and earned the league Freshman of the Week honor twice during his freshman season of 1999-2000.

Rush has now scored in double figures in 72-of-77 games in his Tiger career. He enters Sunday's game ranked 11th on the MU career scoring chart, with 1,433 career points, and needs just 6 more to take over former MU great Ricky Frazier for 10th.

GILBERT DIALS LONG DISTANCE
With 307 career 3-pt. field goals, senior Clarence Gilbert is MU's alltime leader in the category. He also ranks 2nd alltime in the Big 12, behind Jeff Boschee of Kansas, who has 313 after the weekend.

CLEARANCE, CLARENCE
Following Missouri's tough 71-67 loss at Iowa State Jan. 9th, MU Head Coach Quin Snyder was adamant about getting more leadership from his team. He turned to senior guard Clarence Gilbert as the one who would be in charge, and put the career shooting guard at the point guard spot. Gilbert has started the last 14 games at the point guard position, and has responded quite nicely. The converted point guard is averaging 4.9 assists per game in his last 7 outings.

Gilbert made his 1st career start at point guard Jan. 12th at K-State, and while he wasn't officially credited with an assist, he committed just 1 turnover in 33 minutes of play, and the Tigers displayed good ball movement and executed their halfcourt offense effectively. Oh by the way, he scored 19 points against the Wildcats, on the strength of 4-of-8 from 3-pt. range. He added 5 rebounds and led his team's improved defensive efforts.

After the game, Snyder talked about Gilbert taking over as a leader for this underclass-laden team. "Clarence's heart has to beat in everybody," Snyder said. "Putting him at the point was more about, 'It's your team.'"

Gilbert continues to ascend the MU career scoring chart, as he now ranks 8th alltime in MU history, with 1,547 points.

Gilbert was named Big 12 Conference player of the week Dec. 10th for his play in leading MU to wins over Saint Louis and Southern.

Gilbert led MU in scoring each game, averaging 23.5 points for the week. He first had 18 points at SLU, and led the way down the stretch, as he scored 8 of MU's final 13 points in the win. Included in that were 6 consecutive points late in the game, as well as a pair of clutch foul shots with under a minute left.

He followed with a sizzling shooting performance against Southern, when he erupted for 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting (including 7-of-10 from 3-pt. range).

Gilbert was the hero vs. #9 Iowa in the NABC Guardians Classic championship game, as he had a 27-point outing. He hit the game-winning free throw after being fouled with just :00.8 seconds left in the game. He was named the tournament MVP for his performances in Kansas City, where he averaged 22.5 points against two ranked teams.

Gilbert's game-winning free throw against Iowa got the headlines, but it was his leadership down the stretch that was really evident, as he helped will his team to the title.

He helped lead MU's improbable comeback win vs. Iowa with a steal, and two baskets in a 45-second stretch. He grabbed a crucial defensive rebound with time running down, and raced down court to draw the foul just before the buzzer that set up his winning free throw.

Against #22 Alabama the night before, he led MU with 18 points, and grabbed a season-high 9 rebounds, including four huge defensive boards in the final two minutes as MU fought off a Crimson Tide charge after Kareem Rush was knocked out of the game.

MU'S RPI: RICKEY PAULDING INDEX
Earlier in the year, sophomore Rickey Paulding had established himself as one of the nation's top 6th-men. But his solid play warranted more playing time, and he's become one of the Big 12's emerging stars since moving into the starting lineup in early January.

Paulding is coming off a stellar performance Monday vs. OSU, when he had a game-high 21 points. He scored 15 of his points in the 2nd half as he led MU's rally from a 9-pt. halftime deficit. He scored 9 straight points for MU in a 3-minute stretch in the 2nd half, and capped his night off with a huge offensive rebound and putback with just 16 seconds left that gave MU a 4-pt. lead.

Paulding was struggling somewhat in his last 2 games, as he went a combined 4-of-19 from the floor (21.1%) in games at Texas Tech and at Colorado. The sophomore likely still carried with him his run of bad luck 3 games ago against Texas (see below).

Paulding was held scoreless at Texas Tech for the 1st time this season, and just the 4th time in his career. He went 0-of-6 from the floor, including 0-of-3 from 3-pt. range.

Prior to the Tech game, the likeable Detroit, Mich. native had established himself as a solid offensive cog in MU's attack. He averaged 13.7 points per game (3rd-most on the team) in Missouri's previous 7 contests (Jan. 26.-Feb. 17), and shot 57.1% from the floor, including 50.0% from 3-pt. range, in his previous 3 games (Feb. 9-17).

Paulding had a 16-pt. game Feb. 17 vs. Texas. He led MU's comeback in the 2nd half, as he scored 14 of his points after halftime. He suffered through a tough last few seconds, though, as he uncharacteristically missed a pair of free throws with 10 seconds left, and later was called for stepping out of bounds (although replays were inconclusive) with 6 seconds left, and MU trailing by 1 point.

Paulding had a solid 14-pt. outing Feb. 6 against Virginia, and played a key role in MU's 2nd half surge that essentially won the game. He scored 7 straight points for MU from the 5:25 mark to the 3:06 mark to help stake the Tigers to a 74-66 lead.

Previously, Paulding had a sterling 19-pt. outing Jan. 28 at #2 Kansas, when he hit 7-of-14 field goals on the night, including a career-best 3-of-8 from 3-pt. range.

Paulding earned his 1st start of the year Jan. 5 vs. Nebraska, and he responded with a 9-pt., 6-reb. effort vs. the Huskers. He had missed MU's Jan. 2 game vs. Coppin State to attend the funeral of his grandmother.

Paulding is currently 4th on the Tiger squad with an average of 11.0 points per game, up from his freshman scoring mark of 7.0 points per game.

And while he's still MU's human highlight reel (re: countless amazing alley-oop jams throughout the year), his improvement in shooting has been arguably the most impressive part of his game this year.

Paulding leads MU and currently ranks 7th in the Big 12 in 3-pt. shooting (42.9%). His 3-pt. rate is twice his production of 21.4% a year ago.

He turned in a career-high 22-pt. outing on Dec. 15th vs. #15 Iowa, in which he sank 8-of-12 shots on the night. He was one of MU's few bright spots on the night, and scored 10 points in a stretch in the first half that helped pull MU to within 5 points of Iowa, the closest MU would get all night.

johnson & johnson:

an mu double-double
Sophomore center Arthur Johnson is laying claim to being one of the best young big men in not only the powerful Big 12 Conference, but the nation, as well.

He's heated up of late, as Johnson is shooting 58.8% from the floor (47-of-80) in his last 8 games, and is averaging 12.9 points , 8.1 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game in that stretch.

A.J. is coming off an outstanding 18-pt., 14-reb. performance Monday vs. Oklahoma State. With teammates Kareem Rush and Clarence Gilbert unable to find the mark, Johnson was opportunistic on the offensive glass, as he swiped 7 offensive rebounds in route to 10 of MU's 28 2nd-chance points. His tip-dunk with 11:05 left in the game gave MU a 44-43 lead - it's 1st in the game since the 16:07 mark of the 1st half.

A look at the statistics show that the Detroit, Mich. native ranks among Big 12 leaders in 5 different categories.

Heading into the weekend, Johnson ranks 2nd in the Big 12 in blocked shots (2.14 p/g) and ranked among leaders in double-doubles (4th - 10), total rebounding (6th - 8.1 p/g), offensive rebounding (5th - 3.41 p/g) and field goal percentage (5th - 55.9%).

Johnson turned in his 2nd consecutive double-double Feb. 9 at Baylor, as he notched 12 pts. and 11 rebs. He had 9 of his pts. in the 2nd half, including a bucket inside with just 23 seconds left to give MU its last lead of the game, at 80-79.

Feb. 6 vs. Iowa State, Johnson notched 13 points and added 10 rebounds. He also blocked 6 shots on the night, and gave MU a big lift when he got free underneath for a layin to give the Tigers 67-66 lead with 3:17 left in the game, after MU hadn't led since the 10-minute mark of the 1st half.

Johnson was equally solid Feb. 6 vs. #8 Virginia, when he recorded 16 pts., 8 rebounds and 4 blocks in a season-high 37 minutes.

His performance Jan. 12th at Kansas State was nothing short of dominant, as he scored a career-high 23 points and added 15 rebounds. He hit 10-of-19 shots on the day, was a perfect 3-of-3 from the foul line, and added 2 blocks to his Big 12-leading total for the year.

On Jan. 15th, ESPN College Basketball Analyst Digger Phelps named Johnson as the most improved player in the nation in an online chat on ESPN.com.

Johnson had a huge outing Dec. 29 at DePaul. A.J. tallied 20 points vs. the Blue Demons (on 10-of-17 FGs), and added a season-high 18 rebounds (just one shy of his career best). His efforts kept the Tigers in the game, especially in the first half when his teammates were not playing well offensively. He scored 10 straight points for MU at one stretch in the first half.

His 14-point, 16-rebound outing vs. SLU was a key reason why MU won the game, as the Tigers were a season-worst 1-of-10 from three-point range. MU outscored SLU in the paint, 42-28 on the night.

BRYANT ADDS A SPARK
Mizzou's 6-foot-9 power forward Travon Bryant is unquestionably one of the most mild-mannered and polite kids around. But don't mistake his pleasant demeanor as weakness, because when he steps onto the basketball floor, Bryant has been an enforcer of late.

Since MU's disappointing loss at Iowa State on Jan. 9th, Bryant rededicated himself to bringing energy, emotion and physical play to the mix for his team, and the spark he's provided has been noticeable.

In 2 games since then, he's been involved in brief scuffles with opponents when things have gotten heated. Nothing involving cheap shots, mind you, just hard-nosed play that's been a missing ingredient in the past few years for Mizzou.

Overall, Bryant is averaging 6.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game for the season. He leads MU in shooting, with a season mark of 59.2% from the floor.

Bryant is coming off a solid 8-pt., 6-reb. effort vs. Oklahoma State. Prior to that, he had an outstanding game at Colorado, where he scored 10 pts. and added 5 pts., 3 assists and 2 steals. He also hit 2-of-2 3-pt. field goals as part of MU's record-breaking day from beyond the stripe.

He came off the bench Feb. 13 at Nebraska after starting 9 straight games, and responded with an effective 8-pt., 8-reb. outing in 14 minutes of play. He continued to show that he can be an effective perimeter threat, as he made 1-of-2 3-pt. FGs for the 2nd straight game. He is now shooting 54.5% from long range on the year (6-of-11 3FGAs).

Bryant was plagued by foul trouble Feb. 9 at Baylor, but still managed to contribute some quality numbers, with 7 pts., 6 rebs. and 3 assists in 24 minutes of play.

His numbers might not have been huge from the Feb. 6 game vs. ISU (4 pts., 4 rebs., 2 blocks), but all of those came in the 2nd half as MU made its successful comeback.

Bryant has showed a marked improvement from the foul line this year, as well. He's shooting 56.8% from the free throw line, maybe not an eye-popping number, but a drastic improvement from his rate of 28.1% last season as a freshman. He's made 10 of his last 16 free throws in MU's last 14 games.

stokes takes to NEW ROLE
After having a tough stretch on both ends of the floor in December and early January, sophomore guard Wesley Stokes was taken out of the starting lineup by Quin Snyder to take some of the pressure off. He's come off the bench in MU's last 14 games and has responded nicely to his new role.

Like any competitor, Stokes would like to start and be on the floor all the time. But the numbers show that he has accepted his new role quite admirably.

In his last 5 games, Stokes has a sterling 4.6-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, as he's dished out 23 assists while turning it over just 5 times.

Stokes had a solid game Feb. 17 vs. Texas. He had 9 pts. (the most since scoring 13 vs. Texas A&M in January), including 2 3-pt. FGs (the most since hitting 2 on Dec. 6 vs. Southern) before foul trouble limited him to 19 minutes.

Stokes had a solid game Feb. 13 at Nebraska, where he had 5 pts., but more importantly ran the team crisply, turning in 8 assists with zero turnovers in 19 minutes. Stokes had a 13-pt. outing Jan. 16th vs. A&M, on 6-of-8 FGs. The 13 points was more than Stokes had scored in his previous 3 games combined (12 pts.) and was the most since Dec. 1st when he had 13 vs. Grambling.

Stokes enjoyed good offensive numbers in MU's first 9 games, when he averaged 9.6 points and shot a solid 49.2% from the floor (31-of-63 FGs) and 32.1% from 3-pt. range (9-of-28 3FGs). In early December, Stokes enjoyed quite a week (Dec. 3-9) in MU's wins over Saint Louis and Southern.

Stokes earned national attention on Dec. 3rd when he drained a 17-footer at the buzzer to keep #2 Missouri undefeated with a win at SLU. He followed those heroics by scoring 10 points and dishing out a career-high 11 assists Dec. 6th vs. Southern.

He became just the 8th player in MU history to record double figures in points and assists in a game.

Stokes' assist total tied for the 4th-most in a single game at Missouri.

12-GAGE RETURNS WITH A BANG
All-Big 12 wide receiver Justin Gage joined the basketball team just prior to MU's Dec. 22 game with Illinois, and he has provided pleasant dividends for the hoops squad.

MU Coach Quin Snyder wasn't sure if he would play Gage vs. the Illini, but when Tiger center Arthur Johnson got his second foul with 15:51 left in the first half, up popped Gage as MU's first sub of the contest.

Gage ended up playing 17 minutes vs. Illinois, and grabbed 7 rebounds and added 1 steal in his time.

Gage, a 6-foot-4, 208-pound forward, is playing two sports for the third straight year. He is the only Tiger, along with Kareem Rush and Clarence Gilbert, to play in each of Quin Snyder's three years at Mizzou.

He earned his 1st career start Feb. 13 at Nebraska, and played a season-high 21 minutes. He had 2 pts. and 3 rebounds.

He was a big contributor Saturday in MU's key win at Colorado, as he had 4 pts., and added 4 rebounds, and career highs in steals (4) and assists (3) in 22 minutes. Gage was key to MU's win Feb. 6 over Iowa State, as he had 5 pts. and 7 rebounds in an efficient 16-minute stint.

He turned in a solid 5-pt., 5-reb. outing Feb. 3 vs. Virginia. Four of his rebounds were on the offensive glass, and they led to both of his buckets on the day.

Gage had an outstanding game Jan. 12th in Manhattan, where he gave the Tigers a huge spark off the bench in MU's 81-66 win. Gage scored a season-high 6 pts. and added a career-best 8 rebounds in 16 minutes of play. He was a perfect 3-of-3 from the floor and added a blocked shot in addition to his usual hard screens and hustle plays.

Gage played in a total of 49 games the past two years for Snyder, and averaged 2.1 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. On the gridiron, he has led the football team in receiving each of the past two years, including 74 receptions in 2001 for 920 yards and 5 touchdowns. His receptions mark was just one catch shy of the MU single-season record.

FERGUSON FINDING HIS WAY
Freshman center Jeffrey Ferguson is showing signs of being a regular contributor for Missouri. He had arguably his best outing of the season Feb. 9 at Baylor, when he turned in 6 pts. and added 4 rebounds and 1 assist in 15 minutes.

He showed his shooting touch by making all 3 of his shots in Waco, including 2 jumpers from beyond 15 feet. His 15 minutes of playing time was the most since he played a career-high 17 on Dec. 6 vs. Southern.

He was rewarded with his 1st career start Wed. at Nebraska, and while he played a total of just 7 minutes, he did help the Tigers stake an early double-digit lead. Ferguson had 2 pts. in his time on the floor in Lincoln.

He returned to coming off the bench Saturday at Colorado, after started the previous 3 games overall. He's coming off a 2-pt. outing Saturday.

Ferguson has played 60 minutes in MU's last 6 games, after he played a total of 19 minutes in his previous 6 appearances (Jan. 12-Feb. 3).

Prior to Christmas break, Ferguson was showing signs of promise, as he averaged 3.5 pts. per game in a 6-game stretch from Nov. 29-Dec. 22, playing an average of 10.8 minutes.

But he soon met with setback, as he had trouble getting back into the country after visiting his native Toronto for the holidays. Ferguson's immigration paperwork was not up-to-date according to immigration officials, and he sat at home while MU played games on Dec. 29th at DePaul and Jan. 2 vs. Coppin State. He got his situation cleared in time to join the team on Jan. 4, but he did not play either of MU's 1st 2 Big 12 games.

Either way, Tiger fans are glad to see the 6-foot-10 swingman getting back into form. He provides good depth for MU at either the 4 or 5 spots, and can run the floor very well. He's shooting a solid 50.0% from the floor on the year, and has made 68.8% of his free throws thus far.

A daunting list of foes
A quick glance at the top-25 rankings reads virtually like Missouri's schedule. As many as 7 past or future opponents on MU's docket currently reside in both the Associated Press Poll and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll.

AND DOWN THE STRETCH THEY COME
Missouri went 5-3 through the first half of the Big 12 season. As important as it is to get out to a good start in league play, perhaps finishing on just as strong a note is of even more importance.

MU will look to make a strong push toward the post-season, and the much-coveted first-round bye in the Big 12 Tournament (given to the top 4 seeds).

In MU's previous 5 years of Big 12 play, the Tigers have been above .500 in the 2nd half of league play just once. That year (1999), MU followed a 6-2 1st half with a 5-3 2nd half, and finished 2nd in the league.

COMPARISON SHOPPING
Mizzou began the year with 9 straight wins, but fell on hard times during a 3-game losing streak to close out December.

TAKING CARE OF THE BALL
Missouri is taking quite good care of the ball thus far, as Quin Snyder's group is averaging just 13.7 turnovers per game. That's just slightly more than the school record of 13.3 turnovers per game set in the 1999-2000 season.

MU SIGNS THREE PROSPECTS

DURING EARLY PERIOD
Missouri signed three high school student-athletes to national letters of intent this past week. Here's a look at the information that was released on each:

Jimmy McKinney - St. Louis, Mo.
The Missouri men's basketball program added one of the nation's top prep players to its roster for next season, as Jimmy McKinney of Vashon High School in St. Louis, Mo., signed a national letter of intent to attend Mizzou. McKinney, a 6-foot-3, 180-pound guard, has been a proven leader and an unquestioned winner on Coach Floyd Irons' Vashon squads that have won consecutive Missouri Class 4A state championships. McKinney averaged 23.4 points, four assists and four rebounds per game as a junior, and led Vashon to a 28-1 record last season, and a final ranking of No. 3 in the nation by USA Today. Widely regarded as one of the nation's top 30 players entering this season, McKinney is a pre-season candidate for the prestigious McDonald's All-American Game. McKinney selected Missouri over Illinois, North Carolina, Kentucky, Cincinnati and Oklahoma, among others. His parents are Jimmy Sr., and Ema McKinney of St. Louis.

Kevin Young - Kingston, Jamaica
The University of Missouri men's basketball team has plenty to be thankful for during Thanksgiving week, as Head Coach Quin Snyder announced the signing of top prep prospect Kevin Young to a national letter of intent. Originally from Kingston, Jamaica, the 6-foot-9, 270-pound center is in his second year at Berkshire Academy in Homestead, Fla., where he plays for Coach Rolando DeLaBarrera. He is a consensus top-100 prospect by recruiting analysts, and has been ranked among the top-10 post players in the country by one service. Young played his junior season at Berkshire with current MU freshman guard Duane John. Together, they helped guide their squad to a 17-2 record and a national ranking by USA Today. He chose Missouri over Kentucky and Miami, Fla., among others.

Giedrius Rinkevicius - Kaunas, Lithuania
Missouri added the tallest player in MU history today, as they announced that 7-foot-2 center Giedrius Rinkevicius has signed a national letter of intent to attend Mizzou. Rinkevicius, a native of Kaunas, Lithuania, was a member of the Lithuanian 19-and-under junior national team this past year. He is attending Bridgton Academy this season, a prep school located in North Bridgton, Maine, where he plays for Coach Whit Lesure. At 7-foot-2, Rinkevicius will equal the tallest Tiger to ever wear the black and gold uniform, matching former player Tom Dore, a 7-foot-2 post who played for MU from 1979-80.

a comeback for the ages
The evening of Nov. 21st saw Missouri stage an incredible rally to gain an improbable 78-77 comeback win over 9th-ranked Iowa in the championship game of the NABC Guardians Classic in Kansas City, Mo.

The Tigers trailed Iowa by 11 points (73-62) with just 2:15 remaining, but a frantic series of events took place quickly, and when the dust settled, the game was tied with :00.8 seconds left on the clock, and MU's Clarence Gilbert was standing at the foul line to shoot two free throws. He missed the first after a series of three Iowa timeouts, but got the second one home and MU knocked away a desperation full-court heave to get the dramatic win. All told, Mizzou outscored Iowa 14-4 over the last 2:11, and forced three turnovers.

NON-CONFERENCE WINS MOUNTING
Mizzou's win Jan. 2 vs. Coppin State gave MU a 10-3 non-conference record, which marks the Tigers' most non-league regular-season wins since the 1995-96 team went 10-5.

TICKETS TO HOME GAMES SOLD OUT Excitement for Tiger Basketball is reaching a fevered pitch, as evidenced by recent ticket sales for home games. The MU Athletic Ticket Office announced earlier that all 8 of MU's remaining home games have officially sold out. The sold out games include:

IT'S A YOUTH MOVEMENT
The lofty expectations thrust upon Missouri this pre-season are a welcome challenge to all those in the Tiger program. Not that we're trying to temper expectations, but to be a top-10 team like many are predicting, will be indeed a tall challenge for a squad that is very young overall. Eight of MU's top 11 players in the rotation are freshmen or sophomores, and a ninth - junior college transfer Uche Okafor - is in his first year in the program.