Jan. 25, 2005
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Tip-off: 8:00 p.m. CST
Arena: Coors Event Center
TV: ESPN+ (KMIZ in Columbia) (Fred White, play-by-play; Paul Splittorff, analyst)
Radio: Tiger Radio Network (Mike Kelly, play-by-play: Gary Link, analyst)
Rankings: Neither team was ranked or receiving votes in the last poll
Series: MU leads 89-49 : Last Meeting: MU, 77-65 in Columbia on Feb. 10, 2004
Coaches:
Missouri: Quin Snyder (Duke '89) 110-71 at MU and overall (6th season).
Colorado: Ricardo Patton (Belmont '80) 152-121 at CU and overall (9th season)
Mizzou Heads for the Mountains to Take on Buffaloes in Boulder
The University of Missouri men's basketball squad (10-8, 2-3 Big 12) takes to the road after a mini-two game home stand on Wednesday to face Colorado (9-7, 1-4 Big 12) in sunny Boulder (forecast for Wednesday - partly cloudy, high of 55 degrees!) Mizzou is coming off of one of its most impressive offensive outings of the season against Nebraska as it scored 80 points on the Huskers, who were allowing a league best 58.8 points per contest heading into the game.
Pacing the Tigers' efforts once again was super sophomore Linas Kleiza. The native of Kaunas, Lithuania, was red-hot on Saturday, knocking down 8-of-12 shots and 15-of-17 free throws on his way to a career-best 31 points. He also pulled down 10 rebounds giving him his fourth double-double of the season and seventh of his career.
Kleiza was not alone in the offensive explosion as the Tigers shot a season-best 54.3 percent from the field including 21-of-32 (65.6 percent) from inside the three point arc. The Tigers were also money from the charity stripe, setting season-highs for free throws made (26) and free throws attempted (31) for the afternoon.
Wednesday's game, which is set for a 8:00 pm CST tip, will be aired on the Tiger Radio Network with Mike Kelly and former Tiger Gary Link calling all of the action. Fred White and Paul Splittorff will handle the broadcast duties for ESPN+ television with Steve Kurtenbach running the show in the production truck. Mizzou is 2-1 this season on ESPN+ and is 2-0 when Mr. White is calling the action.
Quick Hits
The Tigers have won 10 of the last 13 over CU, but have dropped two of the last three (both losses came in Boulder) to the Buffaloes ... Mizzou is looking for its first win away from Mizzou Arena in 2004-05 ... It is 10-3 at home, 0-3 in neutral court contests and 0-2 on the road ... The Tigers are allowing their opponents to score only 65.2 points per game ... If they can maintain that average, it would be the lowest average a Tiger squad has allowed since 1998-99 (63.2 points per game) ... Mizzou is 8-2 against Colorado under Head Coach Quin Snyder ... Sophomore Linas Kleiza has connected on 32 of his last 34 free throw attempts over the course of the last four games ... His 31-point rampage against Nebraska marked the first time a Tiger player had eclipsed the 30-point mark since Arthur Johnson scored 37 on Mar. 7, 2004 against Kansas on Senior Day in Columbia ... The 31 free throw attempts was also the most the Tigers have registered since that same game against Kansas when they went to the line 32 times (including 17 trips by AJ on the day) ... Mizzou is 9-0 this season when leading at halftime ... After playing 13 of their first 18 games at home, the Tigers will play four of their next five games on the road ... Head Coach Quin Snyder is looking for win number 111 at Mizzou ... Junior Jimmy McKinney has now started 74 straight regular season games for Mizzou, dating back to Dec. 30, 2002 against Valparaiso ... McKinney and fellow junior Kevin Young are the only Tigers to start all 18 games this season ... The Tigers scored 80 points against the Huskers, who were leading the Big 12 in scoring defense, holding their opponents to just 58.8 points per contest.
About the Buffaloes
The Buffaloes, who are 9-7 overall and 1-4 in the conference, picked up their first Big 12 win on Saturday when they defeated Iowa State in Ames in overtime, 54-52. Glean Eddy led the way for CU with 12 points and 11 rebounds while Julius Ashby pulled down 13 boards as the Buffaloes out rebounded the Cyclones 54-35 on their way to the win.
Leading the way overall for CU is freshman Richard Roby, who is averaging 14.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Chris Copeland has been a valuable weapon as well, averaging 13.6 points per game while knocking down a team-high 30 three point field goals on the year. Copeland also paces Colorado in the blocked shots department, swatting 25 shots through 16 games so far this season.
Heading up the Buffaloes attack is Ricardo Patton, who is in his ninth season at CU. Patton has led the Buffs to a 152-121 record during his tenure at CU.
Series - Mizzou leads, 89-49- Last Meeting: MU, 77-65 in Columbia on Feb. 10, 2004
A Look Back ... Mizzou vs. Nebraska
The Tigers shot a season-best 54.3 percent from the field and knocked down 26-of-31 free throws as Mizzou improved to 10-3 on the year at Mizzou Arena. Below are a couple other notes from the contest ...
Missouri Team Notes after the Nebraska Game
* Mizzou went on a 9-0 run from 0:19 in the first half to 17:50 in the second half (2:29).
* The Tigers used an 18-5 run over 7:48 in the second half to build a lead of 14 at 70-56.
* With the win, Missouri now leads the all-time series with the Cornhuskers, 118-84. The Tigers have won 13 of the last 18 against the Cornhuskers and have not lost to NU in Columbia since February of 1995.
* The Tigers have won five of their last six games at home and improve to 10-3 at Mizzou Arena with the victory over Nebraska.
* Mizzou is 10-2 against Nebraska under Head Coach Quin Snyder. Snyder is 6-0 against the Cornhuskers in Columbia.
* The Tigers, who held a 38-37 lead at halftime, are now 9-0 when leading at the half.
* The Tigers improve to 4-1 on Saturdays and 6-0 in day games.
* The Tigers scored 80 points or more for the first time since they scored 87 points vs. Montana on Dec. 11.
* The Tigers shot a season-best 54.3 percent from the field including 21-of-32 from inside the three point arc.
Missouri Player Notes after the Nebraska Game
* Sophomore Linas Kleiza set a career high with 31 points to lead the Tigers. He is the first MU player to score at least 30 points in a game since Arthur Johnson did it on March 7 against Kansas.
* Kleiza recorded his fourth double-double of the season with 31 points and 10 rebounds. It is the 15th time in MU's 19 games in which he has had double figures in points and it is his fifth game this season with 20 or more points. It is the fourth game in which he has had at least 10 rebounds.
* Kleiza led the Tigers in rebounding for the 11th time this season and the fourth game in a row.
* Kleiza has knocked down 32 of his last 34 free throw attempts over the course of his last four games. He knocked down a career-best 15 free throws on 17 attempts against Nebraska on Saturday.
* Sophomore Thomas Gardner had double-digit points for the eighth time this season. He finished with 17 points, two short of his season high and three short of his career best.
* Junior Jimmy McKinney registered his second best scoring output of the season with 13 points including a 6-of-6 performance from the free throw line.
Attack the Rack
After combining to score just 35 points in the Tigers' three games heading into the Nebraska contest, Tiger guards Thomas Gardner and Jimmy McKinney combined to score 30 points (17 for Gardner and 13 for McKinney) on 9-of-17 shooting from the field against the Huskers. One of the keys for the duo to be successful has been and will be to attack the basket and get to the free throw line. Gardner was 6-of-9 from the field (5-of-5 from inside the three point arc) and also was a perfect 4-of-4 from the free thow line against NU. McKinney was equally effective in his effort to get to the free throw line, knocking down 6-of-6 free throws.
On the Offensive?
After averaging just 62.0 points per game since the beginning of 2005, the Tigers exploded for 80 points against Nebraska (as you can tell, I am pretty excited about that). It marked only the third time Mizzou has reached the 80-point plateau this season and was the first time they had done so since Dec. 11 when they beat Montana, 87-62.
In the five games prior to the NU contest, the Tigers had connected on just 40.1 percent of their shots and were 2-3 in 2005 before Saturday's 54.3 percent (25-of-46) effort against Nebraska. Stay tuned ...
What Can Brown Do for You? (The Remix)
I guess we could have gone with `there's a new Marshall in town,' or something Clarence Gilbert-esque like that, but we will stick with what has worked so far in the notes this season. Much like UPS, who uses the slogan of `What can brown do for you?,' freshman Marshall Brown continues to deliver for Mizzou.
The super-athletic forward scored a career-best 12 points in 22 minutes of action to lead Mizzou in scoring for the first time in his career against Texas Tech. Brown has scored seven or more points in six of the Tigers' last 11 games and has connected on a team-best 42.9 percent (12-of-28) three point attempts on the season.
Bench Marks
The Tigers who have come off of the bench for Mizzou have played a key role this season. When the Tigers' bench has outscored the opponent's bench, they are 8-4. Mizzou's bench has averaged 20.7 points per contest compared its opponent's mark of 15.4 points per game. In the loss to Texas Tech, Mizzou's bench scored 31 of the Tigers' 62 points.
Thomas Gardner has come off of the bench in 13 of the Tigers' games and leads the way averaging 9.7 points per game. TG had one of the best outings of the season against Nebraska when he connected on 6-of-9 attempts from the field on his way to 17 points in the Tigers' win. He broke into double figures for the first time in four games against Texas Tech, scoring 11 points while hitting 7-of-8 free throw attempts.
Tigers Set School Record for Team GPA in Fall Semester
The University of Missouri men's basketball team continues to achieve both on and off the court this season
With final grades now set for the 2004 fall semester at Mizzou, the reports show that the men's basketball team has established a record for its team grade point average. Bryan Maggard, MU's Associate Athletic Director for Academic Services, says that the Tiger men's team came in with a cumulative team GPA of 2.91 this past fall - which was the highest single semester mark in recorded history for an MU men's basketball squad.
According to Maggard, four Tiger cagers had GPAs of over 3.0 on the standard 4.0 scale, and two will earn a place on the coveted Dean's List.
The achievement comes on the heels of the 2004 NCAA Graduation Report, which shows that the Missouri men's basketball team led the Big 12 Conference in graduation rates, at 67%. The next-best rate in the league belonged to Colorado (40%), followed by Texas Tech and Kansas (33%) and Nebraska (20%). The rates represent students who enrolled in 1997-98 and graduated within six years.
At the Line with Linas
At the risk of totally jinxing the progress the Tigers made from the free throw line of late, we offer this intriguing analysis of the Tigers' free throw shooting, in particular in regard to sophomore Linas Kleiza. The Tigers knocked down a season-high 90.0 percent (18-of-20) from the free throw line against OSU after entering the contest shooting just 64.1 percent on the season.
They were spurred by Kleiza's remarkable 13-for-13 shooting from the stripe, setting a then career best for free throws made in a game. Linas has made a living at the free throw line this season, getting to the charity stripe 122 times already. Kleiza has hit 90 of those attempts, good for 73.8 percent accuracy. He has been particularly impressive the past nine games, knocking down 64-of-78 attempts (82.1 percent) and has averaged just under nine trips to the line per game during that stretch.
Shouldering the Load
Linas Kleiza has recovered fully from a shoulder separation he experienced half way through last season and it looks as though he will be shouldering a major part of the Tiger offense this season. The All-Big 12 Preseason Honorable Mention recipient has been amazing offensively so far this season and continues to improve on defense.
Kleiza put together an amazing effort against Nebraska in Columbia, scoring a career-best 31 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field. He also knocked down 15-of-17 free throws against the Huskers on his way to his fourth double-double of the season.
Despite four turnovers against Texas Tech, Kleiza was able to record his third double-double of the season against the Red Raiders, scoring 10 points and pulling down 12 rebounds.
After struggling to just four points in the first half against Kansas State, Kleiza scored 10 of his team-high 14 points while also pulling down eight rebounds against KSU. The offensive juggernaut reached the 20-point plateau for the fourth time this season against Oklahoma State when he dumped in 24 points while going a perfect 13-of-13 from the free throw line. Kleiza scored 25 (of Mizzou's 64) points, pulled down seven rebounds and handed out three assists against Illinois.
After scoring just three points in the opening half against Indiana, Kleiza poured in 15 of his game-high 18 points in the second half including 12 free throws in the win.
He had the best offensive game of his career against Montana, scoring a career-best 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field. Kleiza recorded the fifth double-double of his career against Arkansas with a team-high 14 points and 11 rebounds. He broke out of mini-scoring funk with 13 points, nine boards and nine assists against Oakland while turning the ball over just one time, something he has been focusing on improving all season. He is definitely Mizzou's most versatile player as he leads the team in scoring (16.3 ppg.), rebounds (7.6 rpg.) and is third on the squad in assists (37).
The Youth of the Tiger Nation
The freshmen on the Tiger roster have started to really assert themselves on the court for Mizzou. Over the course of the last 11 games, Marshall Brown, Kalen Grimes, Jason Horton and Glen Dandridge have combined to score 27.5 percent of the Tigers points (231-of-841) and all four of them have set or equaled career highs in points during that stretch.
Brown scored a career-best 12 points in the Tigers loss to Texas Tech. He knocked down two threes and was also 2-of-2 from the free throw line. Horton equaled a career high with 12 points for the second straight game against Iowa State. He and Brown had great outings against American. Horton scored a career-best 12 points while Brown chipped in with nine as the Tigers took out the Eagles. The foursome was great against Gonzaga, combining for 16 points and 10 rebounds. Horton scored six points and handed out three assists and recorded no turnovers in 37 minutes while running the Tiger offense. Dandridge and Grimes also had solid nights. Dandridge scored five points on 2-of-3 shooting while also recording a steal, a block and an assist in seven minutes of playing time while Grimes set a career-best with six rebounds.
A Peek at the Mizzou Arena
On September 21, 2002, a new and exciting phase for Missouri Basketball began with the groundbreaking for a brand new, $75 million state-of-the-art facility. The new arena is an imposing place to play for opposing teams and provides unbelievable options for the Tigers when it comes to player development. In addition to more seating, with a capacity of 15,061, there are a host of other exciting additions:
Ø 26 Luxury Suites
Ø State-of-the art training room
Ø Expanded locker room facilities complete with film room and player lounge
Ø Practice gym
Ø Basketball office complex
Ø Box office and team store
Ø Missouri Athletics Hall of Fame
Mizzou Arena houses all the up-to-date technologies desired in a modern sports facility. Both men's and women's basketball programs have video game film viewing theaters; all coaches offices and meeting rooms have cable TV hook-ups and both private (suites, clubs) and public (concession stands, retail store) areas throughout the arena have direct-game and cable televisions in place. Adjacent to the west side truck dock are dedicated and secured television production and satellite truck parking areas with permanent patch-in panels. The audio-video room within the arena is also linked to Missouri's two major sports venues - the Hearnes Center and Memorial Football Stadium. The arena contains a center-hung scoreboard-video board as well as 30" high video ribbon board located above the luxury suites where the lower and upper seating bowl transition occurs.
New Editions
No, I am not going to break into a rendition of "Cool it Now" or "Candy Girl" (as much as you all would enjoy that) but Mizzou has two members of its staff that are beginning new editions of their careers. And like the group "New Edition," you might say that the newest members of the Tiger coaching family are old school.
Associate Head Coach Melvin Watkins joined the Tigers in July after six years as head coach at Texas A&M and a two year stint as head coach at UNC-Charlotte. Watkins has brought a wealth of experience and energy to the Tiger bench. The other new face on the Tiger bench is assistant coach Jeff Meyer, who most recently was an assistant at Butler University for three years. Meyer brings 25 years of coaching experience to Mizzou including 16 years as a head coach at Liberty University. He also joined the Tiger bench in July.
Coach Quin Snyder
6th Year at MU
110-71
In his sixth year at the helm of the Mizzou basketball program is Quin Snyder. Missouri's 15th head coach, Snyder has built a program that has joined the upper echelon of college basketball. With a focus on developing players academically, physically, skillfully and socially, Snyder's squads have enjoyed trips to the post season in each of the last five seasons including four trips to the NCAA Tournament. Mizzou has averaged exactly 20.0 wins per contest during Snyder's five-year tenure at Mizzou. The intense competitor the Tiger players call "Coach Q" won his 100th career game last season when Mizzou defeated Texas A&M in the Big 12 Tournament. He became the fourth coach in Mizzou school history to reach the 100-win plateau and Snyder will have a great opportunity to add to that total with a contract that will keep him as a fixture on the Tiger bench through 2007-08.
In 2004-05, Mizzou returns several of its top players including senior Jason Conley, junior Jimmy McKinney and sophomores Thomas Gardner and Linas Kleiza. Snyder and his staff also gathered a sixth straight Top 25 recruiting class to augment the already talented roster. Mizzou has moved to a new state-of-the-art home this season, the Mizzou Arena, which holds around 15,000 rowdy Missouri fans and gives the Tigers an unbelievable opportunity to build on the foundation of success that has been established.
Given the success and excitement Snyder's squads have generated in his five years at the helm, it is not surprising that Tiger fans are looking for big things from Mizzou in 2004-05. In 2003-04, Snyder led the Tigers to wins over Top 20 teams such as Oklahoma State and Oklahoma. He also saw his second recruiting class of Arthur Johnson, Rickey Paulding, Travon Bryant and Josh Kroenke complete outstanding careers at Mizzou. Johnson and Paulding both jumped into the Top 10 on the Tiger scoring charts and Johnson finished his career as the Tigers' all-time leader in blocked shots and rebounds. That outstanding class also finished their career having played in the most NCAA Tournament contests of any class in school history with eight.
A native of the Pacific Northwest, Snyder, 37, attended Mercer Island High School in the state of Washington. A two-time state player of the year, Snyder led the team to the 1985 state championship. During this time, Mercer Island achieved a No. 1 ranking in USA Today's high school polls. Snyder was named a McDonald's All-America player, being the first ever chosen from the state of Washington.
Snyder and his wife, the former Helen Redwine, a native of Charlotte, N.C, have one son, Owen Redwine Snyder, born on December 25, 2002.