Jan. 19, 2004
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Tip-off: 8 p.m. CST
Arena: Hearnes Center (13,611)
TV: ESPN. Ron Franklin, play-by-play; Jon Sundvold, analyst.
Radio: Tiger Radio Network. Mike Kelly, play-by-play: Gary Link, analyst
Rankings: Missouri was not ranked or receiving votes in either poll. Texas was ranked 16th in the ESPN/USA Coaches Poll and 16th in the Associated Press Poll.
Series: MU leads, 8-7 Last Meeting: UT, 75-55 in Austin on Jan. 25, 2003
Coaches:
Missouri: Quin Snyder (Duke '89) 91-55 at MU and overall (5th season).
Texas: Rick Barnes (Lenoir-Rhyne '77) 127-52 at UT (6th year), 329-186 overall (17th year)
Tigers Tackle Texas on Tuesday
The University of Missouri Basketball squad (7-6, 2-1 in the Big 12) welcomes No. 14/16 Texas (11-2, 2-0 in the Big 12) to Columbia on Tuesday. The Tigers are coming off of a huge win on Saturday, a 79-75 overtime victory over then No. 11 Oklahoma in Norman. Senior Rickey Paulding continued to have the hot hand for Mizzou, scoring 23 points on 6-of-9 shooting (4-of-4 from three and 7-of-8 from the free throw line) as the Tigers got their first win over OU in Norman since 1994. The win was also the Tigers first win over a Big 12 South school on the road since Feb. 17, 2001, a 97-90 triumph at Texas A&M.
This will be the 16th meeting between UT and MU with Mizzou holding a ever-so-slight 8-7 lead in the series. However, the Longhorns have had the Tigers' number in the last five matchups, including two wins over Mizzou in Columbia by a total of five points.
The game will be broadcast throughout the state of Missouri on the Tiger radio network with "The Voice of the Tigers" Mike Kelly providing play-by-play and former Tiger great Gary Link offering his colorful analysis. In case you are looking to watch the contest, it will be aired on the world wide leader of sports, ESPN, with tip set for 8 p.m., CST. Ron Franklin and another former Tiger great, Jon Sundvold, will be along with the call of the action. Mizzou is
1-0 this season with Mr. Franklin handling the play-by-play duties and 1-2 on ESPN.
Quick Hits
* Mizzou is has won three of its last five games.
* The Tigers are 4-2 at home, 3-2 on the road and 0-2 in neutral court contests.
* The Tigers carry a 25-14 mark during the month of January under Head Coach Quin Snyder. They are also 19-2 in the month of January at home under Snyder.
* UT is the third of three consecutive Tiger opponents over an eight day stretch to have reached the Final Four in either 2002 (#11 Oklahoma, W-79-75) or 2003 (#14 Texas on Tuesday and #17 Syracuse, L-82-68.)
* The Tigers lead the all-time series with UT, 8-7, but the Longhorns have won five straight over Mizzou.
* Senior Rickey Paulding has averaged 21.3 ppg. over the Tigers' last three games.
* Senior Arthur Johnson ranks second in the Big 12 in double-doubles. With his 16-point, 11-rebound effort against OU, he now has recorded five double-doubles on the year and 41 for his career.
* Seven different Tigers have led the team in scoring through 13 games this season and four different Tigers have led in rebounding.
* Coach Snyder is looking for win number 92 at Mizzou on Saturday. He has recorded more wins in his first 146 games at Mizzou than any previous Tiger coach had recorded in as many games in their careers.
* Freshman Linas Kleiza is third in the Big 12 in rebounding, averaging 9.1 boards per contest. If he can keep that pace going through the rest of the season, he will eclipse Arthur Johnson's Big 12 freshmen rebounding mark of 7.8 boards per game which he set in 2000-01.
* The Tigers are 40-29 under Coach Snyder against Big 12 opponents.
* With his first bucket against Texas A&M, Arthur Johnson became only the fourth Tiger to record at least 1,400 career points and 900 rebounds. The other three are Steve Stipanovich (80-83), Doug Smith (88-91) and Derrick Chievous (85-88).
* Mizzou is outrebounding their opponents by an average of +8.6 rebounds per contest. While it is still early in the season, the largest rebounding margin for a Mizzou squad through an entire season was in 1988-89, when that squad outrebounded its opponents by an average of 7.9 boards per game.
* In the Tigers seven wins, Arthur Johnson is shooting 60.3 percent from the field (44-of-73) and is averaging 15.1 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. In Mizzou's six losses, he is shooting 43 percent (24-of-56) and is averaging 11.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per contest. Bottom line, feed the Big Fella and good things happen for the Tigers.
* Besides rebounding and getting the ball into the post, another key for Mizzou has been taking "good" shots. In the Tigers seven wins, they have taken an average of 15.0 three pointers per contest. In their six losses, they have launched an average of 22.5 treys per contest.
* Texas Senior Brandon Mouton and Mizzou seniors Arthur Johnson and Rickey Paulding were teammates on this past summer's USA Pan Am Games Team. Mizzou Head Coach Quin Snyder was an assistant coach on the squad as well.
Kleiza Named Phillips 66 Big 12 Rookie of the Week
Columbia, Mo. - Freshman forward Linas Kleiza has earned Big 12 Rookie of the Week honors for second time, Big 12 Conference officials announced on Monday. Kleiza also earned the honor for the week of Dec. 8 earlier this season. He has been a key component in the Tigers' efforts.
The 6-8, 245-pound big man averaged 11.0 points and 10.5 rebounds in the Tigers loss to No. 16 Syracuse and win over No. 11 Oklahoma in Norman. In the 79-75 overtime win at Oklahoma, Kleiza had 13 points and nine rebounds.
Earlier in the week, the Kaunas, Lithuania, forward scored nine points and pulled down 12 boards in the Tigers' 82-68 loss to Syracuse. Kleiza has recorded nine rebounds or more in 10 of the Tigers' 13 games so far this season and has reached double figures in boards four times. He has three double-doubles on the year and is third in the Big 12 in rebounding averaging 9.1 rpg, while also chipping in with 11.2 ppg off of the bench. If Kleiza can keep the 9.1 rebounds per game going, he will eclipse Arthur Johnson's Big 12 freshmen record of 7.8 boards per contest.
A Look at the Longhorns
The Longhorns enter Tuesday's contest with an 11-2 mark and a 2-0 record in the league. They are coming off of a nailbiter on Saturday as they held off a fiesty Nebraska squad, 63-61 in Austin. Freshman phenom P.J. Tucker leads the Longhorns' stampede averaging 14.4 points per game, tops for all freshmen in the Big 12. He also pulls down 7.5 boards per contest and is hitting shots a 62.8 percent clip.
The Longhorns are very balanced as six players average better than 8.9 points per contest and five average better than 4.0 rebounds per game. UT leads the Big 12 and the nation and more than likely, the world, in scoring, averaging nearly 88 points per contest. They lead the next team in the Big 12 rankings by almost nine points per game (Oklahoma State, 79.0 ppg.)
Rick Barnes is in his sixth year as head coach at UT and checks in with a 127-52 mark at UT and a 329-186 record overall in 17 seasons. The Longhorns reached the NCAA Final Four last year and have qualified for the tournament in each of the past 13 years.
Facts, Figures and Other Points of Interest Following the Oklahoma Game
I know there are a lot of them here, but hey, it was a big win OK?
? Mizzou has won two of its last three and two of its last three contests against Oklahoma. Prior to their 67-52 win over Oklahoma on Feb. 26, 2003, Mizzou had dropped nine straight to the Sooners dating back to 1997.
? The Tigers defeated OU at home for the first time since Feb. 5, 1994, a 104-94 shootout in Norman.
? The win over OU was the Tigers' first road win over a ranked team under head coach Quin Snyder and the first such win since Feb. 27, 1999, a 54-47 win over No. 22 Texas in Austin.
? The win also marks the first time a Tiger squad has defeated a Big 12 South school in a true road game since Feb. 17, 2001, a 97-90 win over Texas A&M.
? Five Tigers reached double figures in scoring. That was the third time that has happened in 03-04.
? The overtime win was the Tigers' first OT win since Jan. 13, 2001, a quadruple overtime, 112-109 win over Iowa State in Columbia.
? This marks the second time Mizzou has overcome a double digit deficit in the second half (12 points with 16:05 left) to get a win. The Tigers were down by 14 against Indiana on Dec. 6 in Bloomington and were able to get a 63-58 win over the Hoosiers.
Individual Notes
? Senior Rickey Paulding's 23-point outing was a game high. He has averaged 21.3 points per contest over the Tigers last three games. He moved into 13th on the Mizzou all-time scoring charts with 1,427 career points.
? Senior Arthur Johnson's 16 point effort gives him 1,442 career points. He currently ranks 12th on the Mizzou's all-time scoring list and needs just seven points to pass Rickey Frazier for 11th with 1,448 career points. He also had 11 boards on the night, giving him 964career boards and tying him for fourth on the Mizzou all-time rebounding charts.
? AJ recorded his fifth double-double of the year with his 16-point, 11-rebound effort. He now has 41 career double-doubles and has averaged 14.3 points and 11 rebounds over the last three games.
? The Tigers hit and took a season high 28-of-40 free throws against OU. Jimmy McKinney hit 9-of-10 from the stripe and Rickey Paulding hit 7-of-8 from the stripe.
? All 12 of senior Travon Bryant's points in the contest came in the second half. He went 5-of-7 from the field and pulled down three boards in the game.
? Nine of sophomore Jimmy McKinney's 11 points came by way of the free throw.
? Freshman Linas Kleiza had 13 points and nine boards in the contest. He has recorded nine rebounds or more in 10 of the Tigers' 13 games so far this season and has reached double figures in boards four times.
Reading Up on the Rick
Senior Preseason All-American Rickey Paulding continues to be one of the fiercest competitors in the Big 12 Conference.
Paulding leads the squad in scoring, averaging 15.3 points per contest while breaking the 20-point barrier in four of the Tigers' 12 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 watch lists this season and also earned a preseason All-American nod from the Associated Press. He ranks 13th on the all-time Mizzou scoring charts with 1,427 points following his 23-point effort against Oklahoma. He will now be chasing No. 12 Arthur Johnson on the list, who currently has 1,442 career points and is moving up the chart like the Jefferson's.
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 alone in sixth on the Mizzou all-time three point field goals made list with 163 career treys.
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, 9 (Oklahoma, Kansas, Gonzaga, Syracuse, Texas, Illinois, Texas Tech, Memphis, Oklahoma 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) began with the new year when the Tigers faced (RV) Iowa on Jan. 3 (W, 76-56), lost a tough one at (RV) Iowa State (L, 70-65) where they are 0-5 under coach Quin Snyder, lost to defending national champion #17 Syracuse (L, 82-68), travel to #13 Oklahoma (79-75 in OT) and face #16 Texas ... all in a 20-day span.
Like the TNT Network, We Know Drama
Sorry ESPN, but that one was just to good to let slip by. The Tigers have made some breathtaking comebacks and have experienced some heartbreaking losses so far this season. Eight of the Tigers' 13 games have been decided by five points or less with the Tigers carrying a 4-4 mark in those contests. The average margin of victory or loss for Mizzou has been 6.92 points per contest after its four point, overtime win over Oklahoma.
Prior to their 20-point blowout win against Iowa on Jan. 3, the Tigers lost three games in seven days by a total of seven points to wrap up 2003, a year the Tigers would be just as soon forget. They faced a 21-point deficit to Illinois in the first half, only to storm back and lose by one and were down by as many as 15 to Memphis, only to have their comeback come up just short, losing by two to the Tigers.
Balancing Act
The Tigers have been extremely balanced on the offensive end of the court so far this year. Five Tigers are averaging between 15.9 and 10.8 points per contest with senior Rickey Paulding taking top honors following the Tigers contest with Oklahoma. Seven different players have led Mizzou in scoring over the course of the first 13 games and four different Tigers have led in rebounding.
King Arthur's Court
Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year Arthur Johnson is on a mission. The objective: to leave the Hearnes Center in April as one of the best big men in school history. He has certainly had a remarkable career here at MU and continues to work his way up several career charts. The explosive big man with feather-soft touch around the basket already owns Mizzou's all-time shot blocking mark with 218 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 Leaders1. 264 Chris Mihm, UT-1998-00
2. 243 Nick Collison, KU, 1999-03
3. 242 Eric Chenowith, KU, 1997-01
4. 218 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 8.1 boards per contest following his 11-rebound effort against Oklahoma. He needs just 89 more boards to pass former Tiger great Doug Smith on the chart.
He also currently ranks 12th on the all-time scoring charts with 1,442 points after his 16-point, 11-rebound effort against OU. He will now be chasing No. 11 Ricky Frazier (71-73, 1,448 points) and No. 10 Jevon Crudup (91-94, 1,498 points).
Last season, Johnson became only the fourth Tiger since the 1949-50 season to lead the team in rebounding in three straight campaigns.
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 16-point, 11-rebound effort against Oklahoma, he recorded his 41st career double-double, putting him alone in 4th on the Big 12 All-Time Double-Double leaders list. A look at that chart follows:
Big 12 All-Time Double-Double Leaders1. 47 Chris Mihm, UT, 1998-00
2. 46 Venson Hamilton, NU, 1997-99
3. 44 Drew Gooden, KU, 1999-02
4. 41 Arthur Johnson, MU, 2001-Present
5. 40 Raef LaFrentz, KU, 1994-98
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 has played in the most NCAA Tournament games of any Tigers in school history with eight post-season tilts under their belts. Also of note, in each of Coach Quin Snyder's first four years, the Tigers have been knocked out of the NCAA Tournament by an eventual Final Four Team (2000-North Carolina, 2001-Duke, 2002-Oklahoma and 2003-Marquette).
Return of the Mac
After getting off to a flying start to the season with 21 points against Oakland in Mizzou's season opening win, sophomore Jimmy McKinney averaged only 9.2 points per contest over the next five Tiger contests shooting only 29 percent from the field. However, the firey competitor has really turned it on in the Tigers' last six contests, averaging 11.5 points per contest and is shooting 44.4 percent (20-of-45) from the field, 40.0 percent (10-of-25) from three and 90.5 percent (19-of-21) from the free throw line.
The Lithuanian Domination Tour Rolls On
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 13-game career for Mizzou. He is averaging 11.2 points (fourth 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 games as a Tiger and just missed his fourth, fifth and sixth double-doubles in the Tigers' contests with Belmont, Iowa and Syracuse when he went for a career best 18 points while pulling down nine boards in both the IU and BU games and dumped in nine points and pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds against Syracuse. He was also close against OU, scoring 13 points and pulling down nine boards in the Tigers 79-75 win over the Sooners.
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 23.3 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.
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 399-69 there as of its 82-68 loss to Syracuse. 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' 12 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 11.4 ppg., through 13 games in 2003-04. His rebounding numbers are also up from 5.8 boards per contest in 02-03 to 6.3 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) and has already recorded three double-doubles this year.
Travon has worked unbelievably hard to improve on the defensive end as well. He currently ranks sixth on the Mizzou all-time blocks charts with 95 career blocks, 21 of which have come in the Tigers' first 13 contests this year.