Feb. 3, 2006
Columbia, Mo. -
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Missouri (10-9, 3-5 Big 12) will look to halt its season-long four game losing skid on Saturday when it travels to Lubbock, Texas, to face Bob Knight and the Texas Tech Red Raiders ... Saturday's game looms large for both clubs with regards to conference standings, as the Tigers stand one-half game behind Tech (tied for sixth) in the Big 12 rankings ... Although the Tigers have dropped their last two games away from Mizzou Arena, the club does own one of the Conference's more impressive road wins, a 71-69 triumph at then-No. 22 Oklahoma on Jan. 10 ... A win on Saturday would even Missouri's Big 12 road record at 2-2 and push Mizzou's overall Big 12 record to 4-5 ... Last season Missouri won just one Big 12 road game ... Speaking of last season, through nine Big 12 games in 2004-05, Missouri was just 2-7 before racing to four consecutive Conference wins ... Those four consecutive wins actually followed a five game losing skid for last season's club ... Missouri has played much-improved defense over its last two games, holding No. 7 Texas to 66 points and Nebraska to just 65 ... The issue surrounding the Tigers has been offensively, where the team is averaging just 56.8 points on 37.6 percent shooting during this four game skid ... Two of the Big 12's top scorers will face off on Saturday ... Missouri's Thomas Gardner continues to pace the Big 12 at 20.9 points per game, while Texas Tech's Jarrius Jackson ranks third at 19.3 points ... Gardner needs just four three-point field goals to move into Mizzou's single-season Top 10 ... Gardner has a career high 68 triples already this season, with Mark Atkins (1993-94) and Brian Grawer (2000-01) standing 10th with 71 makes ... Thanks to his career high 10 rebounds vs. Texas on Wednesday, senior guard Jimmy McKinney needs just 10 more boards to reach 400 for his career ... Once he reaches the 400 rebound plateau, McKinney will be just the fifth player in school history to record 1,000 points, 400 rebounds and 300 assists for a career ... McKinney also scored 13 points vs. the Longhorns en route to his first career double-double ... The effort also marked the 50th double-figure scoring game of his career.
Gardner Named To Wooden Award Midseason List
College basketball's version of the FDA gave Mizzou junior guard Thomas Gardner its stamp of approval over the weekend when the John R. Wooden Award committee named the Portland, Ore., native to its midseason All-America listing.
l Gardner was one of three Big 12 players named to the grouping, along with Texas representatives LaMarcus Aldridge and P.J. Tucker.
l Gardner currently leads the Big 12 and ranks among national leaders in scoring (20.9) and three-point field goals per game (3.5).
l Gardner is the first Tiger to be selected to the Wooden Award midseason list since Kareem Rush in 2001-02.
Fancy Seeing You Here
Former Mid-American Conference foes will enjoy a unique meeting on Saturday as Missouri junior James Douglas and Texas Tech's Andy Hipsher meet on the hardwood for the second time ... Hipsher doesn't suit up for the Red Raiders however, the former University of Akron Zip serves as the color analyst on the Texas Tech Radio Network broadcast team, while Douglas, a former Eastern Michigan Eagle, serves as a reserve point guard for the Tigers ... In their lone meeting as collegians, Douglas' Eagles got the better of Hipsher's Zips by a 77-54 margin in Ypsilanti, Mich., on Feb. 7, 2004 ... Douglas and Hipsher were both in the starting line-ups for their respective clubs, with Douglas scoring four points and dishing out seven assists, while Hipsher scored three points and recorded two steals ... The Tigers also faced Hipsher's former collegiate coach and father earlier this season at Arkansas ... Dan Hipsher is an assistant coach on Stan Heath's staff in Fayetteville, Ark.
McKinney Closing In On A Milestone
Jimmy McKinney's versatility has the Tiger senior closing in on a milestone ... After scoring his 1,000th career point against Iowa State on Jan. 25, the former Vashon High School standout needs just 10 rebounds to become the fifth player in Missouri history to record 1,000 points, 400 rebounds and 300 assists during his Mizzou playing career ... McKinney has already topped 300 assists and currently has 331 heading into today's contest ... Once McKinney tops 400 boards, the St. Louis, Mo., native will join Doug Smith (1987-01), Anthony Peeler (1988-92), Melvin Booker (1990-94) and Greg Cavener (1981-85) as the only Tigers to accomplish the 1,000-point, 400-rebound, 300-assist feat.
Tigers Honor All-Century Squad
During the Feb. 12 contest against Kansas State, the University of Missouri will honor its 30-member All-Century Team ... The school's 20 consensus All-Americans were automatically selected to the squad, while fans were able to vote in the remaining 10 members ... Below is a look at the Mizzou All-Century grouping, separated by the First Team All-Americans and At-Large selections:
All-Americans (20): Melvin Booker (1991-94); John Brown (1971-73); Arthur Browning (1921-23); Herb Bunker (1921-23); Derrick Chievous (1985-88); Max Collings (1930-31); Marshall Craig (1928-30); Ricky Frazier (1980-82); Charles Henke (1959-61); John Lobsiger (1938-40); Anthony Peeler (1989-92); Craig Ruby (1918-20); Doug Smith (1988-91); Willie Smith (1975-76); Bill Stauffer (1950-52); Norm Stewart (1954-56); Steve Stipanovich (1980-83); Jon Sundvold (1980-83); Fred Williams (1915-16); George Williams (1920-21).
At-Large selections by fans (10): Kim Anderson (1974-77); Keyon Dooling (1999-2000); Larry Drew (1977-80); Al Eberhard (1972-74); Clarence Gilbert (1999-02); Byron Irvin (1988-89); Arthur Johnson (2001-04); Rickey Paulding (2001-04); Kareem Rush (2000-02); Kelly Thames (1994-98).
Getting To Know Today's Foe
Texas Tech (11-10, 3-4 Big 12) enters today's game following an 86-52 loss at Kansas on Monday ... Despite the difficult road defeat, Bob Knight's young squad has been outstanding at home this season, racking up a 10-1 record at United Spirit Arena, which includes a 3-0 home mark in Big 12 play against Baylor, Iowa State and Oklahoma State ... The Tigers and Red Raiders are eerily similar in that both clubs are one game over .500 record-wise, both have struggled away from their home courts and both are led by All-Big 12 caliber candidates ... While Mizzou is led by Wooden Award honoree Thomas Gardner, Tech is led by Jarrius Jackson (19.3 ppg) who ranks third in the Big 12 in scoring, tops in free throw percentage (82.8) and eighth in steals (1.81) ... Jackson is complemented by talented sophomore Martin Zeno, who ranks among Big 12 leaders (ninth) with 16.1 points per game and 16th with 5.5 boards ... Mizzou's outstanding three-point defense (.321) should also be tested by the Red Raiders on Saturday, as Tech enters the contest shooting a solid 38.7 percent from bonus distance (2nd in the Big 12).
Mizzou Series With Texas Tech
Saturday's game marks the 14th all-time meeting between Missouri and Texas Tech ... The Tigers own a slight 7-6 series lead, but the Red Raiders have won two consecutive in the series, which began Dec. 5, 1955, in Columbia, Mo. (92-60 Mizzou win) ... Texas Tech leads the series 4-1 in Lubbock and Mizzou Head Coach Quin Snyder is 1-2 in three lifetime trips to west Texas ... Missouri's lone road win in the series came on Feb. 15, 2000, by an 86-76 margin ... Tech is looking to equal the longest winning streak in the series ... Mizzou won three consecutive from Feb. 15, 2000 through Jan. 27, 2001 ... A win Saturday would give Tech three consecutive wins vs. Mizzou.
Three Tigers Double Their Pleasure
With his 13-point, 10-rebound double-double vs. No. 7 Texas on Feb. 1, Jimmy McKinney became the fourth Tiger to record a point-rebound double-double this season ... McKinney joined Kevin Young (three double-doubles), Marshall Brown (one) and Thomas Gardner (one) in accomplishing the feat and Missouri now ranks third among Big 12 schools with four players recording at least one double-double ... Texas and Iowa State lead the Big 12 with four players registering at least one double-dip, while Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma State each have three.