Feb. 22, 2004

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Tip-off: 7:00 p.m. CST

Arena: Hearnes Center (13,611)

TV: ESPN+. Dave Armstrong, play-by-play: Jon Sundvold, anaylyst

Radio: Tiger Radio Network. Mike Kelly, play-by-play: Gary Link, analyst

Rankings: Missouri was not ranked or receiving votes in either poll. Oklahoma State was ranked 7th in both the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll and the AP Poll.

Series: MU leads, 69-37 Last Meeting - MU, 60-58 in Dallas, Texas on Mar. 14, 2003

Coaches:

Missouri: Quin Snyder (Duke '89) 97-59 at MU and overall (5th season).

OSU: Eddie Sutton (Okla. St. '58) 315-126 at OSU (14th season) and 745-290 overall (34th season).

Mizzou Welcomes Big 12 Leaders OSU to Hearnes on Tuesday

The University of Missouri will have to beat the best team in the Big 12 on Tuesday in order to extend its current four game winning streak to five. The Tigers (13-10, 7-5 Big 12) welcome No. 7 Oklahoma State (21-2, 11-1 Big 12) to the Hearnes Center for a Big 12 Conference matchup. The Cowboys are the top team in the conference heading into this weeks play followed by Texas at 10-2 and Kansas at 9-3 in the league.

Mizzou, riding a four game winning streak, has charged back into the upper echelon of the Big 12 at 7-5 and is tied with Texas Tech and Colorado in the No. 4 spot in the league. A major factor in the Tigers' inspiring play of late has been the play of junior Jason Conley. The 6-5 native of Silver Spring, Md., is averaging 16.8 points per game during the winning streak and has knocked down a scorching 54.2 percent of his three point attempts (13-of-24 from three).

He has also got a ton of help from seniors Arthur Johnson, Travon Bryant and Rickey Paulding. Johnson and Bryant have combined to shoot 45-of-77 from the field during the last four games while also both averaging 5.3 boards per contest during that stretch. Paulding continues to lead the squad in scoring averaging 15.2 points per game overall and was 9-of-11 from the free throw line in the Tigers win over Baylor on Saturday.

Tuesday's contest will be broadcast on ESPN+ (KMIZ in Columbia) with tip set for 7:04 p.m. CST and can also be heard on the Tiger Radio Network, which reaches 60 stations around the state of Missouri.

Quick Hits

* The Tigers are looking to win five straight games for the first time since beginning the 2002-03 season at 5-0.

* Mizzou is 3-1 against Big 12 South schools and 4-4 against Big 12 North schools so far this season.

* Two of the Tigers four remaining regular season contests are at home. Three of those four games are against teams ranked in the Top 25.

* Mizzou leads the all-time series with Oklahoma State, 69-37 and has won two of the last three in the series.

* Oklahoma State, who currently leads the Big 12 at 21-2 and 11-1 in the conference, will be the Tigers seventh ranked opponent of the year. The Tigers are 1-5 against those teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 at the time the contest was played.

* The Tigers check in at No. 46 on the RPI charts and have played the 12th toughest schedule in the country as of Sunday's CollegeRPI.com report.

* The Tigers have won their last five home contests by an average of 17.6 points per game.

* The Tigers are in a tie for fourth place in the Big 12 with Texas Tech and Colorado.

* The Tigers are 9-3 at home this season and 22-4 over the past two years in the Hearnes Center.

* Senior Travon Bryant has gone 26-of-41 (.634) from the field in the Tigers last six games while fellow senior Arthur Johnson has gone a combined 39-of-73 (.534) from the field over the course of the last six games.

* AJ currently ranks 9th on the Mizzou all-time scoring list with 1,589 points. He is second on the Mizzou rebounding charts with 1,026 career boards and ranks fourth on the Big 12 career list.

* Arthur needs just 28 boards to eclipse the Mizzou mark and also to move into second on the Big 12 career boards list. He is the only player in school history to record at least 1,500 career points, 1000 career rebounds and 200 career blocks.

* Seven different Tigers have led the team in scoring through 23 games this season and five different Tigers have led in rebounding.

* Coach Snyder is looking for win number 98 at Mizzou on Saturday.

* Snyder is 2-3 vs. Eddie Sutton in his five years at Mizzou.

A Look at the Cowboys

OSU enters Tuesday night's contest in the driver's seat of the Big 12 Conference standings. They are 21-2 overall and 11-1 in Big 12 play with four games left on their schedule. Winners of 11 straight, the Cowboys feature a balanced attack on the offensive end with five players averaging 8.4 points or more per game and four players averaging in double figures.

The veteran ball club is led by senior Tony Allen, who averages 15.7 points per contest and is shooting 49.4 percent from the field (130-of-263). Baylor transfer John Lucas has also provided a spark knocking down a team-high 48 threes and shooting 43.2 percent from behind the arc. Ivan McFarlin paces OSU on the boards averaging 6.5 rebounds per game and has blocked a team-high 36 shots. Junior Joey Graham is also an explosive ball player as he proved on Saturday when he led the Cowboys with 35 points in their overtime win over Nebraska. Head Coach Eddie Sutton is in his 14th season at OSU and enters the contest with a 745-290 career record over a 34 year career in coaching.

High Five?

Mizzou is looking to win five straight games for the first time since beginning of last season. During their current four-game winning streak, the Tigers have put up some pretty dominant numbers. For instance

+ The Tigers have outrebounded their opponents by an average of 9.5 rebounds per game and have outscored their opponents by an average of 15.5 points per game.

+ Fast starts have been key for Mizzou as the Tigers have outscored their last three

opponents, 167-122 in the first half.

+ Mizzou has shot 48.3 percent from the field including 42.5 percent from three.

+ Five Tigers have averaged double figures over the past four games including Arthur Johnson (16.0 ppg.), Jason Conley (16.8 ppg.), Rickey Paulding (14.0 ppg.), Jimmy McKinney (10.5) and Travon Bryant (11.3 ppg.)

+ The Tigers have forced 73 turnovers and nabbed 42 steals.

Facts, Figures and Other Points of Interest Following the Baylor Game

- Mizzou is now 13-10 and 7-5 in the Big 12. The Tigers are 9-3 at home, 4-5 on the road and 0-2 in neutral court games. Mizzou is 22-4 at the Hearnes Center over the past two years.

- The Tigers have now won four straight games. This is Tigers' longest winning streak since last January when they defeated Valparaiso, Iowa, Centenary and Baylor from Dec. 30-Jan. 11.

- The Tigers have now won four road games, eclipsing their total of three from last season.

- Mizzou outrebounded the Bears, 34-22. The Tigers have outrebounded their opponents by an average of 9.5 rebounds per contest during their current four-game winning streak.

- The Tigers shot 49.0 percent from the field (25-of-51), marking the fifth straight contest they have shot better than 45.0 percent from the field.

- Mizzou is 2-0 against teams from the Big 12 South this season on the road and 3-1 against those teams overall.

Individual Notes

- Junior Jason Conley was brilliant for Mizzou, scoring a game and career-high 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting (6-of-8 from inside the arc) from the field including 4-of-6 from three. He also grabbed four steals in 31 minutes off the bench.

- During the Tigers' current four-game winning streak, Conley has led the squad averaging 16.8 points per contest while knocking down 59.1 percent of his shots in just 23.3 minutes off of the bench. He has also hit 13-of-24 three point shots (54.2 percent) and has averaged 5.8 rebounds per contest.

- Rickey Paulding also had a quality game with 15 points and four assists. He was money from the free throw line hitting 9-of-11 free throws including 6-of-8 attempts in the second half.

- Tiger big men Travon Bryant (11 pts., 6 boards) and Arthur Johnson (9 pts., 6 boards) teamed for 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field.

- A.J has knocked down 28 of his last 51 shots (54.9 percent) while Travon has hit 17 of his last 26 shots (a scorching 65.4 percent). Both of those stats samplings were taken over the course of the Tigers last four games.

- Johnson moved into 9th place on the Mizzou scoring charts on Saturday and now has 1,589 points. He passed his former teammate and current Los Angeles Laker Kareem Rush on the chart, who had 1,584 points during his three year career at Mizzou.

- Following Johnson's six rebound performance against BU, he needs just 28 more boards to become the Tigers' all-time leading rebounder.

- Johnson and Bryant both continue to dominate the career blocks list. Arthur now holds an 86-block lead over the 2nd place shot blocker in MU history with 235 blocks while Travon is in fifth place on the charts with 107 career swats.

- Paulding is still in 11th on the list with 1,570 career points following his 15-point outing against Baylor. He is now chasing Rush in 10th place with 1,584 points.

Lovin' Life at the Line

After finishing eighth in the Big 12 in free throw shooting last year and shooting 66.2 percent from the line, the Tigers have made a concerted effort to become more efficient at the charity stripe. That effort has paid off in a major way as the Tigers are shooting a much improved 71.8 percent as a team, which ranks third in the Big 12.

Senior Rickey Paulding provided the latest example of the Tigers' improved accuracy from the free throw line against Baylor, hitting 9-of-11 free throw attempts on the day. He is shooting 76.6 percent from the line on the year. Freshman Thomas Gardner has also been money from the free throw line, hitting at a 96 percent clip (23-of-24). Since going 1-of-2 in the Tigers season opener against Oakland, Gardner has knocked down 23 straight. In fact, five Tigers are shooting better than 75.0 percent from the free throw line this season.

Who's Line is it Anyway?

5-of-7 from the field, 17 points, nine rebounds and a career-best six assists. Not a bad nights work. That stat line belonged to Tiger senior forward Travon Bryant in the Tigers' much needed win over Colorado on Feb. 10 in Columbia that has sparked a four winning streak. It also encapsulated what has been Bryant's most consistent season as a Tiger so far.

He is scoring 10.9 points per game (up from 9.8 points per game last year) and pulling down 6.5 rebounds per contest (up from 5.8 last season). Travon is shooting a team-best 57.5 percent from the field and 44.2 percent from three so far this season. In fact, after he missed his final shot of the game against Kansas on Feb. 2, Bryant went 9-of-11 from the field over the course of the Tigers' next two games with Nebraska and Colorado including making nine shots in a row.

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 15.2 points per contest while breaking the 20-point barrier in five of the Tigers' 23 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 is in 11th on the all-time Mizzou scoring charts with 1,570 points following his 15-point effort against Baylor. He will now be chasing No. 10 Kareem Rush, who scored 1,584 career points.

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 176 career treys.

In Order to Be the Best ...

... you have to beat the best. The Tigers have definitely put that adage to the test this year with one of the toughest schedules in the country. As of last Monday's (Feb. 15) Associated Press Poll, nine (Oklahoma, Kansas, Gonzaga, Syracuse, Texas, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State, Memphis and Illinois) of the Tigers 2003-04 opponents are ranked in the top 25 or receiving votes.

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. Nine of the Tigers' 23 games have been decided by five points or less and three of them have went to overtime. The Tigers are 5-4 in games decided by five points or less this season.

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.

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 235 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.

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. 235 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 first part of March. Johnson is averaging 7.3 boards per contest. He needs just 28 more boards to pass former Tiger great Doug Smith on the chart.

He also currently ranks 9th on the all-time scoring charts with 1,589 points after his 9-point effort at Baylor. He will now be chasing No. 8 Jon Sundvold (80-83, 1,597 career 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 Iowa State, he recorded his 42nd career double-double, putting him in 4th 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. 42 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).

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 404-70 there as of its win over Iowa State. 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.