Busch Braggin' Rights on the Line Tuesday in St. Louis
12/14/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 14, 2006
University of Missouri Tigers (9-1) vs. Illinois Fighting Illini (9-2)
Game 11 - Dec. 19, 2006 - St. Louis, Mo.
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FOR OPENERS
- For the 26th season, Busch Braggin' Rights are on the line as Missouri and Illinois square off at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis before a nationally-televised, ESPN audience … The Fighting Illini own a 17-8 series lead in the Braggin' Rights series and Mizzou is looking for its first win since a 78-72 triumph on Dec. 21, 1999.
- Despite the stretch of six consecutive defeats to Illinois, Head Coach Mike Anderson and the Tigers do have history on their side … Since the Busch Braggin' Rights series began in 1980, each first-year head coach has won their inaugural game of the Braggin' Rights … Illinois' Lon Kruger won his first game 85-69 in 1996, Mizzou's Quin Snyder won his first Braggin' Rights game 78-72 in 1999, Bill Self won 86-81 in OT in 2000 and Bruce Weber won 71-70 in OT in 2003.
- Mizzou's 9-1 start is its second best over the last decade … The Tigers opened 10-1 during the 2002-03 season and were an identical 9-1 during their Elite Eight campaign of 2001-02.
- Despite returning just 37.6 percent of its scoring from last season (12-16 overall), Missouri is No. 4 in the Big 12 with 80.8 points per game … The Tigers also rank No. 2 in three-point field goals (8.70) and No. 2 in three-point percentage (42.0).
- Overall, the Tigers have topped 80 points in six of 10 games and have won five of nine games by 20-plus points … Over the previous two seasons combined (2004-05 and 2005-06), Missouri topped 80 points in scoring and identical six times … Over the previous three seasons (2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06) Mizzou won just four (total) games by 20-plus point margins.
- Not only is Mizzou's high-pressure style paying dividends offensively, but it's paying off in the NCAA statistical rankings as well … Missouri ranks No. 4 nationally with 12.0 steals per game, No. 13 with 21.8 turnovers forced per game, and No. 24 with 17.9 assists per game.
- Leading the way for Mizzou is newcomer Stefhon Hannah … Hannah ranks No. 2 nationally with 40 total steals and No. 3 nationally with 4.0 steals per game … He also ranks No. 24 with 54 total assists … Hannah and Jason Horton are the NCAA's No. 8 assist tandem at 9.8 per game.
MIZZOU QUICK HITTERS
- Tuesday's contest with Illinois marks the 110th appearance for the Tigers in St. Louis … The Tigers are 53-56 all-time in the Gateway City and 8-17 vs. Illinois since beginning the Busch Braggin Rights series in 1980.
- Missouri has dropped six consecutive games to Illinois since winning three straight from 1997-99.
- Over the last 15 games of the series, Illinois owns a slight 8-7 series advantage.
- Today's game is Mizzou's lone neutral-court contest of the regular-season … The next neutral-court game for Missouri will come March 8-11 at the Big 12 Championships in Oklahoma City, Okla.
- Mizzou is the lone one-loss team in the Big 12 Conference … Oklahoma State is 11-0, while five other Big 12 schools have two losses … Overall, there are only 40 undefeated and one-loss teams remaining in the country.
- With its 9-1 opening under Mike Anderson, Mizzou is off to its best start since the 2002-03 season … A win vs. Illinois would equal the 10-1 start it enjoyed in 2002-03.
- This is the first meeting between Missouri and Illinois when both clubs are unranked since 1997-98 … Missouri won that meeting 75-69.
- For the second consecutive week, Mizzou is receiving votes in both the Associated Press and ESPN USA Today Coaches polls.
- Mizzou hasn't been ranked in the Top 25 (by either poll) since Week 6 of the 2003-04 season.
- Head Coach Mike Anderson was named the No. 1 Immediate Impact Coach in America by Sports Illustrated's Seth Davis
- Anderson was also listed as the leading candidate for National Coach of the Year by Mike DeCourcy and the Sporting News.
- A win vs. Illinois would give Missouri its 1,398th as a program … Missouri is 38th all-time in NCAA Division I Basketball wins and is currently two wins shy of 1,400 … Kansas, Texas Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are the only other Big 12 schools to have reached the 1,400 win plateau.
- Head Coach Mike Anderson is reaching a coaching milestone of his own … Anderson is just two wins shy of his 100th career victory.
- Through just 10 games, the Mike Anderson Era Tigers have already set Mizzou Arena records in 17 categories.
- Missouri is averaging 17.9 assists per game through 10 games this season, which is No. 24 nationally … The school record for assists per game throughout a season is 19.0, which came in 1988-89.
- To put the team's assist production in perspective, Mizzou didn't achieve its 179th assist in 2005-06 until the 15th game of the year (vs. Kansas).
- Perhaps even more impressive is that same comparison with regards to steals … The Tigers have 120 steals through 10 games (12.0 per game) which is currently tops in the Big 12 and ranks No. 4 nationally … Last season, Mizzou didn't record its 120th steal until Feb. 4 at Iowa State, 20 games into the season … In fact, the Tigers only had 167 steals all of last season and at their current rate of 12.0 thefts per game, Mizzou will eclipse that total on Jan. 6 vs. Iowa State.
- At their current pace of 12.0 steals per game, the 2006-07 Tigers would break the school record of 295 set in 1985-86 … Missouri is on pace for 360 steals, which would be No. 2 in Big 12 history.
- Despite being labeled as undersized, Missouri is averaging 33.6 points per game in the paint, including a season best 50 tallies in the opener against North Carolina A&T.
- Another improved area for the Tigers has come in bench production … Missouri is averaging 29.1 points per game from its bench through 10 games, including a season high 49 points vs. Lipscomb … Last season, Missouri's reserves averaged just 11.9 points per game.
- Missouri is scoring nearly 30-percent of its points (22.1-of-80.8) off of opponent turnovers … The Tigers are forcing an average of 21.8 turnovers per game and scoring 22.1 points off of those opponent miscues.
- As a team, Missouri is No. 18 nationally at 42.0 percent shooting from three-point range (87-of-207) … The Tigers have topped double figures in three-point makes five times this season … The Tigers topped double figures in three-pointers just twice all of last year (at Davidson and at home vs. Kansas).
TIGER TIDBITS (Individual Notes)
- Jason Horton and Stefhon Hannah are one of the Big 12's top backcourt tandems and rank No. 8 nationally with 9.80 assists per game … The duo also leads the Big 12 and ranks No. 6 nationally with a combined 5.6 steals per game.
- No junior college newcomer has made a bigger impact for his club this season with his all-around game than Hannah … Hannah leads the Big 12 (No. 3 nationally) with 4.0 steals per game and ranks No. 3 with 5.4 assists … Hannah also ranks No. 11 in scoring (14.5) and No. 12 in three-point makes (1.8).
- Hannah joins Ohio State standout Mike Conley, UCLA's Darren Collison and Georgia's Sundiata Gaines as the only players in America to rank among the top 32 in both steals and assists.
- Horton is No. 9 in the Big 12 with 4.40 dimes per game and No. 4 in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.32-to-1).
- As the numbers show, Matt Lawrence is among the Big 12's most improved players this season and has upped his scoring average 827-percent from the 1.5 points per game he averaged as a freshman … Lawrence is second on the club with 12.4 points per game … He also ranks No. 23 nationally in three-point field goal percentage (.492) and No. 2 in the Big 12 and No. 56 nationally with 2.90 treys per game.
- Like Lawrence, Kalen Grimes is among the Big 12's most improved players and has upped his season averages from 2.6 points and 2.6 boards as a sophomore to 10.6 points and a team-leading 7.1 rebounds, which also ranks No. 10 in the Big 12.
- Freshman Keon Lawrence continues his marvelous rookie campaign and his 7.8 points per game is the most by a Tiger freshman guard since Jimmy McKinney averaged 8.6 in 2002-2003.
- Marshall Brown has seen his offensive consistency increase over the last four games and is averaging 11.3 points during that stretch … Brown has reached double figures three times in his last four games, including a career-high tying 21 tallies vs. Coppin State on Nov. 27.
GETTING TO KNOW TODAY'S FOE
Although Illinois has a Dec. 17 contest with Belmont, the Fighting Illini enter Braggin' Rights Week with a 9-2 overall record following a 71-66 win over the UIC Flames at the United Center in Chicago … Illinois opened the year with seven consecutive wins, but dropped back-to-back contests to Maryland and Arizona, before defeating IUPUI and UIC … Senior Warren Carter leads Illinois in scoring at 13.4 points per game and is second with 6.8 rebounds … One of the Big Ten's most improved players, Carter averaged just 4.8 points and 2.8 boards as a junior … Carter is the older brother of Texas A&M sophomore Josh Carter … Overall, Illinois is one of the nation's more balanced teams and has seven players averaging better than 9.0 points per game, including five players averaging double-figures.
- Mizzou does boast a pair of Illinois ties … Stefhon Hannah was a standout in the Chicago Public League and played his high school basketball at Hyde Park High School in Chicago .. Nick Berardini, a non-scholarship junior played at Lake Forest High School.
THE BUSCH BRAGGIN' RIGHTS SERIES
Today's game marks the 26th Anniversary of the Missouri-Illinois Braggin' Rights series in St. Louis … Initially played Dec. 10, 1980, this regional rivalry has moved into the national spotlight thanks to four overtime contests and a total of 13 games being decided by 10 points or less since the annual tilt was moved to St. Louis following the 1979-80 campaign … Illinois owns a 17-8 series lead in the Busch Braggin' Rights series and a 24-12 lead overall … Prior to 1980, Illinois enjoyed a 7-4 series advantage, with five games played in Champaign, five in Columbia and one game (Dec. 16, 1946) played in Kansas City … The initial Missouri-Illinois contest was played Dec. 21, 1932, in Columbia with the Fighting Illini securing a 36-24 win … Currently, Illinois has won six consecutive in the series, but four of those six games have been decided by 11 points or fewer … Prior to this current stretch, Mizzou enjoyed a run of seven victories in nine opportunities … Mizzou's last win vs. Illinois came Dec. 21, 1999, a 78-72 decision.
WITH A MISSOURI WIN:
- Head Coach Mike Anderson would earn his 99th career victory, exactly one week following his 47th birthday … Anderson turned 47 on Dec. 12.
- Anderson would also have his 10th win as head coach at Mizzou, which would be the eighth most for a first-year head coach in school history.
- Anderson would be 2-0 vs. Missouri rivals, including an 86-64 win over Arkansas earlier this season.
- The Tigers would snap a six game losing skid to Illinois.
- The Tigers would start 10-1 for just the second time over the last decade … Mizzou opened 10-1 during the 2002-03 season.
- Mike Anderson will be the first first-year head coach at Missouri to start 10-1 since George Bond in 1922-23, a stretch of 84 years.
- Anderson's 10-1 start would be the second fastest for a first year head coach in Big 12 history … Texas A&M's Billy Gillispie went 11-0 to open his career in 2004-05.
- Mizzou and Illinois would be tied 8-8 over the last 16 meetings in the Busch Braggin' Rights series.
- The Tigers would improve to 54-56 all-time in St. Louis.
- Mizzou would move to 2-1 the month of December after going 8-0 in November.
- Mizzou would improve to 13-24 all-time vs. Illinois and 9-17 vs. the Fighting Illini in St. Louis.
- Missouri would win its first game away from Mizzou Arena since Jan. 10, 2006, when the Tigers won 71-69 at No. 22 Oklahoma.
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MIZZOU VS. THE BIG TEN |
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| Opponent | Mizzou's Record | |
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| Illinois | 12-24 | |
| Indiana | 9-9 | |
| Iowa | 7-10 | |
| Michigan | 1-4 | |
| Michigan State | 4-2 | |
| Minnesota | 0-2 | |
| Northwestern | 4-3 | |
| Ohio State | 6-4 | |
| Penn State | 0-0 | |
| Purdue | 2-8 | |
| Wisconsin | 4-7 | |
| TOTALS | 49-73 | |
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MIZZOU VS. THE BIG TEN CONFERENCE
The Busch Braggin' Rights Game is Mizzou's second regular-season contest with a member of the Big Ten Conference … The Tigers are 49-73 all-time vs. the Big Ten with the 36 all-time meetings vs. Illinois (not including Tuesday's game) serving as the most for Mizzou vs. any Big Ten member … Second on the “most frequented list” is Indiana … The Tigers and Hoosiers have locked-up 18 times with each team winning nine games apiece … At right is a breakdown of Mizzou vs. the Big Ten:
ANOTHER BORDER BATTLE
One beauty of college basketball is its visible, nationally-televised rivalry games and Mizzou is fortunate enough to play four of those “marquee rivalry” games each year … Tonight's game vs. Illinois is the second of those heated contests.
- Tonight's affair will be the 37th all-time meeting between Mizzou and Illinois, with the Fighting Illini holding a 24-12 series advantage.
- Mizzou's first rivalry game came Nov. 30 vs. Arkansas in Columbia, where the Tigers upended the Hogs 86-64 on ESPN2.
- Ironically, Arkansas entered that game on an eight-game winning streak, while Illinois enters with a six-game run.
- The final two rivalry games come Jan. 15 and Feb. 10 when the Tigers hook up with the Kansas Jayhawks … Mizzou and Kansas will be meeting for the 256th and 257th times in series history … The Feb. 10 contest will mark the 100-year anniversary of the Mizzou - Kansas rivalry.
