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March 5, 2004

Tip-off: 1:00 p.m. CST

Arena: Hearnes Center (13,611)

TV: CBS. Tim Brando, play-by-play: Bob Wenzel, analyst.

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

Rankings: MU received one vote in the AP Poll and four votes in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. Kansas was ranked 21st in the latest AP Poll and 18th in the latest ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll

Series: KU leads, 158-91 Last Meeting - KU, 65-56 on Feb. 2, 2004 in Lawrence, Kan.

Coaches:

Missouri: Quin Snyder (Duke '89) 99-60 at MU and overall (5th season).

Kansas: Bill Self (Oklahoma State '85) 19-7 at KU (1st season) and 226-112 overall (11th season)

Mizzou Faces KU in Final Battle at the Hearnes Center

The University of Missouri basketball squad (15-11, 9-6 Big 12) will be playing for its seventh win in eight games on Sunday when they welcome Kansas (19-7, 11-4 Big 12) to Columbia for the final basketball contest ever played in the Hearnes Center. The Tigers have won six straight games at home, including the latest win at the Hearnes, a double-overtime victory over Big 12 leaders Oklahoma State on Feb. 24. Mizzou is 405-71 all-time during the 32 years it has called the Hearnes Center home and has gone a combined 60-13 during head coach Quin Snyder's five years as head coach at Mizzou.

Sunday's contest will also be the final home contest for seniors Rickey Paulding, Arthur Johnson, Travon Bryant and Josh Kroenke. The four seniors have played in more NCAA Tournament games (8) than any other class in school history and all four have had brilliant careers at Mizzou.

With a win on Sunday, the Tigers can grab the No. 4 seed in next week's Big 12 tournament, clinching a first round bye in the tournament while drastically improve their standing for an at large birth into the NCAA Tournament. The contest will be broadcast on CBS with Tim Brando providing the play-by-play and Bob Wenzel offering the analysis. The game can also be heard on the Tiger Radio Network with broadcast gurus Mike Kelly and Gary Link calling all of the action.

Quick Hits

* The Tigers have now won six of their last seven games and seven of their last ten.

* Mizzou is 4-2 against Big 12 South schools and 5-4 against Big 12 North schools

* The Tigers will play their final home contest of the year on Sunday. The contest will also be Mizzou's final game at the Hearnes Center. They are 405-71 at the Hearnes during its 32-year run as home the Tigers.

* Sophomore Kevin Young was named to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team on Wednesday.

* Kansas leads the all-time series with the Tigers, 158-91.

* The Tigers check in at No. 37 on the RPI charts and have played the 9th toughest schedule in the country as of Friday's CollegeRPI.com report.

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

* Five Tigers have averaged 9.3 points per game or better over the course of the last seven games, six of which have been wins.

* Mizzou is 10-3 at home and 5-6 on the road (which eclipses their road mark of 3-7 last season) this season, and has gone 23-4 over the past two years in the Hearnes Center.

* Senior Arthur Johnson has gone a combined 65-of-124 (.524) from the field over the course of the last nine games.

* AJ currently ranks 8th on the Mizzou all-time scoring list with 1,656 points. He is the only player in school history to record at least 1,600 career points, 1000 career rebounds and 200 career blocks.

You Couldn't Write a Better Script

As if the Missouri Kansas game needs more drama and fire added to it, this game abounds with great storylines that will play out as the afternoon unfurls.

*As mentioned before, the Tigers will be playing the final basketball game at the Hearnes Center on Sunday. Former Missouri Governor Warren Hearnes and former Tiger coach Norm Stewart will join several special guests to close out the end of a great era of calling the Hearnes Center home.

* It will also be the final home contest for Tiger senior's Rickey Paulding, Travon Bryant, Arthur Johnson and Josh Kroenke. During their four years at Mizzou (from 2000-01 to 2003-04), Mizzou has gone a combined 50-8 (.862) at home.

* Head coach Quin Snyder is looking for win number 100 for his career. He can become only the fourth coach in school history to reach the 100-win plateau.

* This will be the 250th meeting between Mizzou and Kansas.

* The Tigers are playing to secure a bye in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament. A win would secure them the No. 4 seed in next weeks tournament and guarantee them their first opening round bye in the tournament since head coach Quin Snyder took over in 1999-2000.

Aside from that laundry list, it will be just another game at the Hearnes Center.

Board Out of His Mind

Tiger senior Arthur Johnson has grabbed more boards than a carpenter during his four year career at Mizzou. The powerful native of Detroit, Mich., became Mizzou's all-time leading rebounder on Wednesday with his last of eight boards on the night, to go along with 24 points. Johnson, who is already Mizzou's all-time leading shot blocker with 243 career blocks, now has 1,054 career rebounds, surpassing former Tiger great Doug Smith's mark of 1,053. He is averaging 7.5 boards per contest this season and is on pace to lead Mizzou in total rebounds for the fourth straight year.

With his eight rebound effort, he also moved into second on the Big 12 all-time charts. He is fighting tooth and nail with Texas' James Thomas, who has 1,050 career boards as of Wednesday night, in hopes that he can reach former Kansas Jayhawk Nick Collison, who pulled down 1,143 career boards. Here is a look at the Big 12 all-time rebound leaders:

1. Nick Collison, KU (1999-03) 1,143

2. Arthur Johnson, MU (2000-present) 1,054

3. Stephane Pelle, CU (1999-03) 1,053

4. James Thomas, UT (2000-present) 1,050

5. Chris Mihm, UT (1998-00) 945

A Look at the Jayhawks

The Kansas Jayhawks enter Sunday's contest having locked up the No. 3 seed in the Big 12 Tournament. They will play in the 8:20 p.m., game on Friday of the Big 12 Tournament against the winner of the No. 6 vs. No. 11 Texas A&M game. KU wrapped up the home portion of its schedule on Wednesday with a win over Nebraska, 78-67 at Allen Fieldhouse, where they went 13-1 this year. However, the road has not been exceptionally kind to the Jayhawks. They enter Sunday's contest with a 4-5 mark on the road and have lost their last four contests away from Lawrence. Junior Wayne Simien is the straw that stirs the Jayhawks' drink, exploding for 17.4 points and 9.1 rebounds per contest this season. Simien has led the Jayhawks in scoring in eight of the last 12 contests and has scored in double-digits in the last 13 games.

Guards Keith Langford and J.R. Giddens have also filled the stat sheet up this season, averaging 16.0 and 10.6 points per contest respectively. Aaron Miles and Michael Lee, who both happen to be Thomas Gardner's cousins, have also been solid. Miles averages a Big 12 best 7.3 assists per game.

Bill Self is in his first year as head coach of the Jayhawks and brings a 226-112 career mark into Sunday's contest.

The Last Seven Have Nearly Been Heaven

When the Tigers' dropped to 9-10 overall and 4-5 in the Big 12 after losing at Nebraska, they were in desperate need of a spark. A return home to the Hearnes Center to face Colorado on Feb. 10 ignited a six game winning streak that came to an end on Wednesday at Texas Tech. Despite the end of the streak, the improvements have been evident in several categories over the past seven games. For instance:

 First 19 games Last 7

Record 9-10 6-1

FG% .434 (474-1093) .477 (201-421)

3-pt FG % .321 (117-365) .415 (61-147)

FT% .702 (301-429) .777 (108-139)

Reb. Margin +5.8 +7.3

Steals/Game 5.5 7.1

Arthur Johnson PPG 13.5 18.7

Arthur Johnson RPG 7.3 8.1

Jason Conley PPG 3.4 15.0

Jason Conley 3-pt FG % .185 (5-27) .513 (20-39)

Rickey Paulding 3-pt FG% .305 (32-105) .459 (17-37)

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

+ The Tigers outrebounded the Red Raiders, 38-33 and out-shot TTU, 47.4-43.2. However, the Tigers did turn the ball over 16 times, which led to 27 Red Raider points.

+ After trailing by as many as 16 with 10:37 left in the second half, the Tigers pulled within four of the Red Raiders with an 18-6 run over the course of the next 7:30, making the score 78-74 with 3:07 left in the second half.

+ Texas Tech improves to 14-1 at home this season.

+ The Tigers shot a blazing 54.8 percent from the field in the first half and took a 44-41 lead into the locker room at halftime. Mizzou is now 11-3 this season when leading at halftime.

+ Mizzou head coach Quin Snyder is now 99-60 during his five years at the helm. The Tigers have won nine Big 12 games or more in each of his five years as head coach at Mizzou.

+ If the Tigers can get a win on Sunday, Snyder will become only the fourth coach in Mizzou history to record 100 career wins.

+ The Tigers remain in a tie for fourth place in the Big 12 with Colorado. Both squads have a 9-6 mark in the Big 12 and lead Texas Tech by one game (they are 8-7 in the Big 12).

 Remaining Schedule

 Missouri - Kansas

 Colorado - Nebraska

 Texas Tech - Iowa State

+ Senior Arthur Johnson was unbelievable once again for Mizzou, scoring a team-high 24 points while pulling down eight boards. With his eighth rebound of the night, Johnson became Mizzou's all-time leading rebounder with 1,054 career blocks. He passes former Tiger great Doug Smith for the honor (1,053 rebounds). Johnson also continued to pad his career blocks record, swatting two shots, giving him 243 blocks for his career.

+ AJ was 9-of-17 from the field, 6-of-10 from the free throw line and had two blocks.

+ Johnson ranks 8th on the Mizzou scoring charts with 1,656 career points. He currently trails Clarence Gilbert (99-02, 1,685) for seventh place on the chart.

+ Senior Rickey Paulding scored nine of his 13 points in the first half while also pulling down six boards. Paulding ranks 9th on the Mizzou scoring charts with 1,631 points. He is trailing Johnson in eight with 1,656 career points.

+ Sophomore Jimmy McKinney scored nine of his 14 points in the second half and was a perfect 5-of-5 from the free throw line on the night.

Paulding Earns Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week Honors

Columbia, Mo. - University of Missouri senior guard Rickey Paulding averaged 24.0 points per contest in two Tiger wins last week and was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week for his efforts on Monday. The honor is voted on by a media panel from around the Big 12 Conference.

Paulding had an amazing week last week while leading Mizzou to wins over No. 6 Oklahoma State and at Kansas State. The Detroit, Mich., native averaged 24 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per contest. In the 93-92 double overtime win against Oklahoma State, Paulding scored a game-high 31 points. He knocked down 9-of-17 shots from the field, 5-of-6 three point attempts and hit 8-of-10 free throws against the Cowboys. He also pulled down six rebounds and played 45 of a possible 50 minutes in the contest.

Paulding was also phenomenal in the second half of the Tigers' win over Kansas State. After going 0-2 from the field and scoring no points in the first half, Paulding scored 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting including 4-of-6 shooting from three in the final period. He also pulled down three rebounds and handed out a game-high eight assists on the day.

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 15.8 points per contest while breaking the 20-point barrier in seven of the Tigers' 26 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 9th on the all-time Mizzou scoring charts with 1,631 points following his 13-point effort at Kansas State. He will now be chasing No. 8 Arthur Johnson, who has scored 1,656 points.

Rick is now alone in fifth on the Mizzou all-time three point field goals made list with 186 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 (Mar. 1) 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 CBS, 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. Ten of the Tigers' 26 games have been decided by five points or less and four of them have went to overtime. The Tigers are 6-4 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 243 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

 243 Arthur Johnson, MU, 2000-present

4. 242 Eric Chenowith, KU, 1997-01

5. 202 Venson Hamilton, NU, 1997-99

He also currently ranks 8th on the all-time scoring charts with 1,656 points after his 24-point effort at Texas Tech. He is now be chasing No. 7 Clarence Gilbert (99-02, 1,685 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 29-point, 13-rebound effort against Oklahoma State, he recorded his 43rd 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. 43 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 405-71 there as of its win over Oklahoma 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.