June 2, 2003

Colorado Springs, Colo.- Two members of the University of Missouri men's basketball team were identified as finalists for the USA Men's Pan American Games Team following three days of USA National Team Trials at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., members of the USA Basketball Men's Collegiate Committee announced on Sunday.

Senior center Arthur Johnson and senior guard Rickey Paulding were two of 17 finalists selected from a group of 51 that participated in the Trials. The two talents from Detroit, Mich., will join Mizzou head coach Quin Snyder on the team, as he is an assistant coach of the squad under Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo. The official 12-member USA Pan American Games Team will be finalized during the team's training, which will begin on July 21 in Orlando, Fla.

Paulding, who was an All-Big 12 Second Team selection last season, led the Tigers in scoring averaging 17.4 points per contest. He was not able to participate in the trials due to a stress fracture in his left wrist, but was selected to the 17-man roster. Johnson, who earned third-team All-American honors from Basketball American, was a beast in the middle for Mizzou as he averaged 16.1 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. He recorded a Big 12 leading 19 double-doubles and became Mizzou's all-time blocked shots leader with 198 career blocks.

Johnson and Paulding are two of four representatives on the roster from Big 12 Conference schools. Brandon Mouton (guard - Texas) and Lawrence Roberts (forward - Baylor) will also make the trip to Orlando in July to determine who will represent the United Stats in the Pan Am Games, which will be played Aug. 2-6 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

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