Dec. 29, 2003
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Tip-off: 7 p.m. CST
Arena: The Hearnes Center (13,611)
TV: Mizzou Sports Network. Chris Gervino, play-by-play; Jon Sundvold, analyst.
Radio: Tiger Radio Network. Tom Ackermann, play-by-play: Gary Link, analyst
Rankings: Mizzou was ranked 23rd in the latest AP Poll and 22nd in the latest ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. Belmont is not ranked.
Series: First meeting
Coaches:
Missouri: Quin Snyder (Duke '89) 88-52 at MU and overall (5th season).
Belmont: Rick Bird (Tennessee '76) 351-196 at BU (18th season) and 443-251 overall (23rd season)
Finally ... Back to the Friendly Confines of Hearnes
After playing three of its last four games away from the Hearnes Center, the University of Missouri men's basketball squad (4-3 overall, 0-0 in the Big 12) returns to the friendly confines for a Tuesday evening matchup with the Belmont Bruins (5-3 overall, 0-0 Atlantic Sun).
The Tigers have dropped three of their last four contests coming into the Tuesday's contest. All three losses have been buzzer beaters including an overtime loss vs. Gonzaga in the Battle in Seattle, a one point loss to Illinois in the Busch Braggin' Rights game in St. Louis and a two-point set back at the hands of Memphis on Sunday. The Tigers are only 13 points from being 7-0, and they are heading into this stretch where they play six of their next eight games at home.
The contest, which is set to tip at 7:00 p.m. CST, will be aired on the Mizzou Sports Network on television with Chris Gervino handling the play-by-play duties while former Tiger great Jon Sundvold provides the analysis. Tiger fans can also catch the game on the Tiger Radio Network with KMOX's Tom Ackermann with the play-by-play and former Tiger great Gary Link gives his expert analysis.
Quick Hits
* Mizzou is 2-0 at home this year, 2-1 on the road and 0-2 in neutral court battles.
*Mizzou is 2-2 in their final games of calendar years under Coach Quin Snyder.
* Mizzou is 3-0 this season on the Mizzou Sports Network.
* After playing five of their first seven games away from home, the Tigers will play six of their next eight contests in the Hearnes Center.
* Coach Snyder is looking for win number 89 at Mizzou on Tuesday.
* The Tigers are 46-23 under Coach Snyder against non-conference opponents.
* Tiger seniors Arthur Johnson, Rickey Paulding and Travon Bryant have combined for 106 of the Tigers' 129 points over the past two games (82% of their scoring).
* With his first of 10 rebounds against Illinois, senior Arthur Johnson became only the fourth player in Mizzou school history to record at least 1,300 career points and 900 career boards. The other three are Steve Stipanovich (80-83), Doug Smith (88-91) and Derrick Chievous (85-88). He now has 1,375 points (14th on the Mizzou Career Scoring list) and 921 rebounds (5th on the Tiger Career Rebounding list).
* Seniors Arthur Johnson and Travon Bryant are both looking for their third consecutive double-doubles.
* Mizzou's schedule to this point has been no cake walk as five of its last seven opponents have above .500 records and a combined mark of 40-28 heading into the week.
A Look at the Bruins
The Bruins (5-3 overall, 0-0 in the Atlantic Sun Conference) enter Tuesday's contest not having played a game since Dec. 20, an 87-48 win over in-state rival Fisk. Prior to that win, they had dropped two in a row at Memphis (89-83) and at Mercer (72-70). Big man Adam Mark has been crucial in the Belmont charge, leading the team in scoring (19.8 ppg) and rebounding (7.5 rpg).
While Mark makes his presence known in the paint, probably the Bruins most affective weapon is the three-point shot. Two Bruins (Steve Drabyn, 19-of-56 and Josh Goodwin, 23-of-53) have taken a total of 109 threes in eight games. In comparison, Mizzou has taken only 115 threes in seven games, just a little perspective there. And Belmont connects on those attempts, shooting 36.8 percent (81-of-220) from behind the arc on the season. Head coach Rick Byrd is in his 18th season at Belmont.
The Make-It or Break-It Point of the Game
+ Mizzou ranks 11th in the Big 12 in 3-pt. FG percentage defense, which is Belmont's strength (42% of its scoring comes from three's, 243 of its 577 points this season)
+ Mizzou is 2nd in the Big 12 in rebounding margin, out-rebounding opponents by an average of 13.1 boards per contest. The Tigers average 43.1 rebounds per game, while the Bruins are virtually dead-even with their opponents, averaging 33.4 boards per game.
Facts, Figures and Other Points of Interest Following the Memphis Contest
+ The Tigers fall to 4-3 on the year
+ Mizzou has now dropped three of its last four contests
+ The Tigers dominated Memphis on the boards, 49-35, marking the seventh time they have outrebounded their opponent this season.
+ Mizzou's dominance on the offensive glass kept them in the ball game in the first half. They pulled down an amazing 17 offensive boards in the opening stanza against Memphis.
+ Despite being down by 15 in the first half, the Tigers managed yet another wild comeback only to see sophomore Jimmy McKinney's running three point attempt get back board, then iron and rim out, dropping their second heartbreaker in a row by two, 61-59.
+ Senior's Arthur Johnson (14 points, 12 rebounds), Travon Bryant (13 points, 10 rebounds) and Rickey Paulding (13 points, nine rebounds) combined to score 40 of Mizzou's 59 points and pull down 31 of their 49 rebounds in the game.
+ Bryant and Johnson both recorded their third double-double of the season on Saturday. Johnson now needs only nine more double-doubles to become the category leader in Big 12 lore.
+ The Tigers are now 2-0 when ahead at halftime of game and 2-3 when trailing at the half in 2003-04.
+ With his 14-point effort, senior Arthur Johnson moved into 14th on the Mizzou All-time scoring list with 1,375 points. His also alone in 5th place on the MU All-time rebounds charts with 921 career boards. Rickey Paulding is now in 19th place on the MU-All-time scoring charts with 1,320 career points.
+ Rickey Paulding did not connect on a two point bucket for the first time this season versus the Tigers. He was 3-of-4 from three and 4-of-6 from the free throw line, but 0-8 from inside the arc.
Close Only Counts in Horse Shoes, Hand Grenades and Slow Dancing
So far, the early going of the 2003-04 season for the Tigers has not been for the Tiger fan who is weak of heart. Tiger contests have been decided by 5, 9, 5, 7 (in overtime), 8, 1 and 2 points so far this season and Mizzou has battled back from margins of 14, 22 and 15 points. That is an average winning or losing margin of only 5.3 points per contest heading into a game with a Belmont squad that played Memphis (who handed the Tigers their latest loss) to a six point contest and dropped a tough game at Mercer in mid-December. Stay tuned.
In Order to Be the Best ...
... you have to beat the best. The Tigers are definitely putting that adage to the test this year with one of the toughest schedules in the country. As of Monday's Associated Press Poll, 12 (Oklahoma, Kansas, Gonzaga, Syracuse, Texas, Illinois, Texas Tech, Memphis, Oklahoma State, Colorado, Iowa and Iowa State) of the Tigers 2003-04 opponents are ranked in the top 25 or receiving votes.
You don't have to look to far down the Tigers schedule to see the toughest stretch (if the entire thing isn't tough enough) begins with the new year when the Tigers face (RV) Iowa at home on Jan. 3, go to Iowa State where they are 0-4 under coach Quin Snyder, welcome defending national champion #17 Syracuse to Hearnes, travel to #7 Oklahoma and face #19 Texas ... all in a 20-day span.
A Superior Effort from the Seniors
While the Tigers have come up just short of two heroic comebacks (from down 21 in the first half to losing by one and down 15 to Memphis only to lose by two) against Illinois and Memphis, the two contests have not gone without some very heroic efforts from a senior class that is in its last go around. Senior Travon Bryant had a brilliant game against Illinois, scoring a career-best 19 points including the three that tied the contest at 67 with 1:29 left while also pulling down 12 boards. Senior Rickey Paulding also put up some big numbers, scoring 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Arthur Johnson put up AJ-esque numbers with 18 points and 10 rebounds, collecting his second double-double of the season and the 38th of his career.
The talented threesome continued to carry the Tigers against Memphis. Tra and Rick each went for 13 points (Bryant also had 10 rebounds) while Arthur paced Mizzou with 14 points and 12 boards, good for his third double-double of the season and the 39th of his career. He now needs just nine more double-doubles to become the Big 12's all-time leader in that catergory. All told, over the Tigers past two games, Bryant, Johnson and Paulding have combined for 106 of Mizzou's 129 points.
Thanks for the Memories ... Here's to Many More
The Tigers are playing their final year in the Hearnes Center and will be moving into a state-of-the art arena starting in October of 2004. Mizzou has called Hearnes home for 31 years now and has registered a mark of 397-68 there as of its 106-98 win over UNC-Greensboro. The 15,000 seat, $75 million new building will feature unbelievable player development facilities (weight room, practice gym, players lounge, film room) and will be the finest on-campus basketball facility in the country.
Tra is Taking Over
Through the Tigers seven contests so far this season, no Tiger has shown as much improvement and explosiveness on both the offensive and defensive ends as senior Travon Bryant. The 6-9 power forward from Long Beach, Calif., has raised his scoring average from 8.9 ppg last season to 14.4 ppg through six games in 2003. His rebounding numbers are also up from 5.8 boards per contest in 02-03 to 7.9 per game this season. He has recorded career-highs in points (19 vs. Illinois), rebounds (12 vs. Illinois) and threes (3-of-4 vs. Illinois) this season and has already recorded three double-doubles year. He is shooting 67% from the field (36-of-53) and a Big 12 best 69% from three (9-of-13).
Travon has worked unbelievably hard to improve on the defensive end as well. He currently ranks seventh on the Mizzou all-time blocks charts with 87 career blocks, 13 of which have come in the Tigers' first six contests this year.
Chairmen on the Boards
Mizzou's big men continue to impress early in the year. Freshman Linas Kleiza continues to dominate the 20.9 minutes he is in the ball game averaging a 9.1 rebounds (which ranks second in the league) and 10.1 points per game. Senior preseason Big 12 Player of the Year Arthur Johnson has also been solid averaging 15.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per contest while fellow senior Travon Bryant is shooing 66.1 percent from the field and averaging 14.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per contest.
Proof positive of the dominance the Tigers have displayed in the paint and on the boards lies in the fact that they have outrebounded opponents by an average of 13.1 boards per contest as of their loss against Memphis on Dec. 27.
The Lithuanian Domination Tour
Coming to a Big 12 town near you in the not-so distant future will be the Lithuanian Domination tour starring National Freshman of the Year candidate Linas Kleiza. While it is a might early to be throwing around award nominations, Kleiza has certainly been impressive in his young seven-game career for Mizzou. He is averaging 10.1 points (fifth on the squad) and amazing 9.1 rebounds, which is second in the Big 12. The power forward from Kaunas, Lithuania has recorded double-doubles in three of his first seven games as a Tiger. Lenny was unbelievable against UNCG, scoring a career-best 17 points while pulling down nine boards. He also had against Gonzaga, when he scored 16 points and pulled down 13 rebounds in 26 minutes before fouling out late in the contest.
While all of the those numbers and statistics are certainly impressive, the thing that has resonated the most with Linas has been the fact that he is putting up these numbers coming off the bench in only 20.9 minutes per game. Kleiza has also provided a huge emotional lift for the Tigers as he plays with a huge amount of fire and intensity.
Pontificating about Paulding
Senior Preseason All-American Rickey Paulding registered his best outing of the season, a 23-point outing against Gonzaga on Dec. 13. The high-flying swingman scored 18 of the 23 in the second half and overtime including a long three with a hand in his face with 11 seconds left to send the contest to the extra period.
Paulding is third on the squad in scoring, averaging 14.3 points per contest while breaking the 20-point barrier in two of the Tigers' seven contests. He earned All-Big 12 second-team honors last season and was named to the Big 12 All-Tournament team. He was named to both the Wooden and Naismith Awards this season and also earned a preseason All-American nod from the Associated Press. He ranks 19th on the all-time Mizzou scoring charts with 1,320 points following his 13-point effort at Memphis.
Paulding was awesome in his hometown going 6-for-12 from the field and 6-of-6 from the free throw line sharing team-high honors with Jimmy McKinney with 21 points on the night against Oakland in Detroit on Nov. 29.
Rick is now seventh on the Mizzou all-time three point field goals made list with 151 career treys. He needs two more threes to pass former Tiger Mark Atkins (93-94, 152 threes).
Big Fellas Putting Up Big Numbers
I don't think I am telling any of the Tigers upcoming opponents anything they don't already know, (not that they or anyone else reads these things anyway!) but the key to the Tigers' success in the early stages this season has been the play of senior big men Arthur Johnson (15.3 ppg., 8.9 rpg.), Travon Bryant (14.4, 7.9) and freshman spark plug Linas Kleiza (10.1 ppg, 9.1 rpg). While it is very early for this sort of note, Kleiza was second in the league in rebounding at press time.
AJ, Tra and Lenny (thats what his teammates call him) rank one, two and five respectively in scoring for Mizzou and make up just under two thirds of the Tigers rebounding. They scored 46 of the Tigers' 63 points in their win over Indiana and pulled down 32 of their total of 46 rebounds. Johnson, Bryant and Kleiza have all recorded three double-doubles in the year heading into the Belmont contest.
32 Minutes and 45 seconds of Trepidation; 7 Minutes 15 Seconds of Triumph
After struggling mightily through the first 33 minutes of play at Indiana, the Tigers were able to put together a tremendous comeback in the final 7:15 of play. When Indiana sophomore guard Bracey Wright nailed a three with 7:14 left in the contest, the Tigers found themselves down by 14 at 56-42.
The next seven minutes was a crazy ride as Mizzou would go on a 21-2 run from that point on, getting seven points from Linas Kleiza, all six of Jimmy McKinney's points in the contest, six points from Travon Bryant and a layup from Rickey Paulding to give Mizzou a 63-58 win. After allowing IU to shoot 53.8% in the first half, the Tigers allowed the Hoosiers to score only 19 points on 21.7% shooting in the second stanza while holding IU's leading scorer (Wright) to only three points in the second half.
A Quick Check of the Polls
While the only poll that truly matters doesn't come out until the second week in April, its never to early to track how the Tigers are doing in the rankings.
Date USA Today Coaches Associated Press PollPreseason #6 #5
Nov. 23-30 #6 #5
Dec. 1-7 #5 #4
Dec. 8-14 #4 #3
Dec. 15-21 #14 #10
Dec. 22-29 #14 #11
Dec. 30-Jan. 5 #22 #23
Lean, Mean and on the Scene
Since coming to Mizzou at over 300 lbs. his freshman year, senior Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year Arthur Johnson's weight (which was a svelte 255 at the beginning of this season) has gone down while his numbers have gone up. The explosive big man with feather-soft touch around the basket already owns Mizzou's all-time shot blocking mark with 209 career swats. With his two-block effort against Coppin State, he became only the fifth player to record 200 or more career blocks in Big 12 conference history. Here's a quick look at where he needs to go to grab that mark
Big 12 All-Time Blocked Shots Leaders
1. 264 Chris Mihm, UT-1998-00
2. 243 Nick Collison, KU, 1999-03
3. 242 Eric Chenowith, KU, 1997-01
4. 209 Arthur Johnson, MU, 2000-present
5. 202 Venson Hamilton, NU, 1997-99
If all goes according to plan, he will also become the Tigers all-time leading rebounder right around the middle of February. Johnson is averaging 8.9 boards per contest following his 12 board performance against Memphis. He needs just 132 more boards to pass former Tiger great Doug Smith on the chart.
He also currently ranks 14th on the all-time scoring charts with 1,375 points after his powerful 14-point performance against Memphis and has a good shot at moving into the top five on the chart. He will now be chasing No. 13 Larry Drew (1977-80, 1,401 points)
Last season, Johnson became only the fourth Tiger since the 1949-50 season to lead the team in rebounding in three straight campaigns and can become the first Mizzou player to lead the squad in boards for four straight years if he can be the leader of the pack once again this year. Stay tuned.
More On AJ
And if you just can't get enough info on the big fella they call "Doc," he is also creeping up on the Big 12 career double-doubles mark. With his 14-point, 12 rebound effort against Memphis, he recorded his 39th career double-double, putting him alone in 5th place on the Big 12 All-Time Double-Double leaders list. A look at that chart follows:
Big 12 All-Time Double-Double Leaders
1. 47 Chris Mihm, UT, 1998-00
2. 46 Venson Hamilton, NU, 1997-99
3. 44 Drew Gooden, KU, 1999-02
4. 40 Raef LaFrentz, KU, 1994-98
5. 39 Arthur Johnson, MU, 2001-Present
Happy to Be at Home in the Hearnes
Mizzou began its 31st and final season at the Hearnes Center when it faced Coppin State. The Tigers have experienced great success at the Hearnes registering a 397-68 (.853) record since the 1972-73 season. Five Tiger squads have gone undefeated in the Hearnes Center and 14 teams have lost one game or fewer including last year's squad, which went 14-1 at home. From 1988-90, the Tigers went 31-0 at the Hearnes Center.
Next year, Mizzou will move into a new state-of-the art arena, which will be located just southwest of the Hearnes. The new 15,000-seat building is on schedule for completion on Oct. 1, 2004.
I Did Not Know That. Did You Know That Ed?
Pardon the tribute to Johnny Carson, but did you know that there have been 16 schools that have participated in each of the last five NCAA Tournaments? Five of the 16 are Big 12 schools - Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas. The other schools are Duke, Maryland, Indiana, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Arizona, Stanford, Kentucky, Cincinnati and Gonzaga.
In a related note, this year's senior class of Arthur Johnson, Rickey Paulding, Josh Kroenke and Travon Bryant have played in the most NCAA Tournament games of any Tigers in school history with eight post-season tilts under their belts.
Head Coach Quin Snyder
With a 2003-2004 team poised to be among the nation's elite, Quin Snyder has proven that success can come quickly with hard work and determination. On the brink of his fifth season as head coach of the Missouri Tigers, Snyder is leading a team that has been ranked as high as number three in the nation in preseason polls. Missouri's 15th head coach, Snyder has enjoyed impressive runs in the NCAA Tournament for four straight years. In fact, the 2002-2003 season was witness to a 22-win campaign that ended with an overtime loss in the NCAA Tournament to eventual Final Four contender, Marquette.
This season, Snyder's squad promises to offer even more excitement, with a powerful returning group, highlighted by the electrifying duo of Rickey Paulding and Arthur Johnson, along with a host of new recruits. Given the excitement Snyder has generated in such a short span of time at the helm, it is not surprising that many people are waiting with anticipation for this season to begin and predicting great things for the Tigers. It is easy to see why expectations are high when you consider all of the following ...
* Missouri returned four starters from last year's team, and in all, returns over 80 percent of its scoring, 98 percent of its blocked shots, and over 90 percent of its rebounding from last season.
* All of last season's impressive junior class, featuring Arthur Johnson, Rickey Paulding, Travon Bryant and Josh Kroenke will be returning for their senior campaign and will join a number of exciting newcomers.
* A fifth straight top-25 recruiting class has been added to the roster this fall.
* Mizzou continues to be a fixture on national and regional television broadcasts. With every game but one on television, Snyder's Tigers continue to create unprecedented exposure for the program.
* The program will be the direct benefactor of a new, state-of-the-art $75 million arena which athletic officials plan to have open in time for the 2004-05 season.
* Snyder signed a contract extension, which will keep him a fixture on the Tiger sidelines through at least the 2005-06 season.
* And while Mizzou's on-court achievements constantly grab the headlines, what takes place in the classroom remains at the top of Snyder's priority list. An academic All-American himself during his playing days at Duke, Snyder is quite proud of the fact that in his four years at MU, seven scholarship players have exhausted their eligibility and all seven have graduated. In addition, this past season saw the men's basketball team achieve the highest GPA in 15 years.