Dec. 6, 2006
Columbia, Mo. -
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
University of Missouri Tigers (9-0)
vs.
Purdue Boilermakers (7-1)
Game 10 - Dec. 9, 2006 - West Lafayette, Ind.
Tip-off:
1 p.m. CST
Arena:
Mackey Arena (14,123)
TV:
ESPN360 (Dave Kaplan play-by-play; Dave Chomes analyst)
Radio:
Tiger Radio Network (Mike Kelly play-by-play; Gary Link analyst)
Rankings: Purdue:
RV (44th - AP / 41st - Coach); Mizzou: RV (28th - AP / 28th - Coach)
Series:
Purdue leads 7-2 overall; last - Mizzou won 69-66 in Auburn Hills, Mich. 11-29-94
Coaches:
Missouri:
Mike Anderson (Tulsa '82); 98-41 overall (5th season); 9-0 at Mizzou (1st)
Purdue:
Matt Painter (Purdue '94) 41-25 overall (3rd season); 16-20 at Purdue (2nd)
For Openers
> The University of Missouri will look to remain unbeaten on the 2006-07 season and push its record to 10-0 when it travels to West Lafayette, Ind., to face the 7-1 Purdue Boilermakers on Dec. 9 ... The contest will be the first of two consecutive games away from Mizzou Arena for the Tigers ... Mizzou will finish up its swing in on Dec. 19 in St. Louis vs. Illinois in the Busch Braggin' Rights Game.
> Mizzou and Oklahoma State are the lone undefeated teams in the Big 12 Conference ... The Tigers have started 10-0 just five times since 1922-23 ... A win would also make Mike Anderson the first Tiger Head Coach to open his career 10-0 since Craig Ruby in 1920-21 ... Ruby opened his Mizzou coaching career with 17 consecutive wins.
> Despite returning just 37.6 percent of its scoring from last season (12-16 overall), Missouri is No. 3 in the Big 12 with 82.9 points per game ... The Tigers also rank No. 2 in three-point field goals (9.11) and No. 3 in three-point percentage (43.6).
> Overall, the Tigers have topped 80 points in six of nine games and have won five of eight 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. 9 nationally with 11.6 steals per game, No. 18 with 21.8 turnovers forced per game, and No. 18 with 18.7 assists per game.
> Leading the way for Mizzou is newcomer Stefhon Hannah ... Hannah ranks No. 1 nationally with 37 total steals and No. 2 nationally with 4.1 steals per game ... He also ranks No. 4 with 48 total assists ... Hannah and Jason Horton are the NCAA's No. 5 assist tandem at 10.5 per game.
> Mizzou is 49-72 all-time vs. the Big Ten Conference and will be playing back-to-back games vs. the league ... Mizzou plays Illinois on Dec. 19 in St. Louis, Mo. ... Tickets to the Busch Braggin' Rights Game are available by calling the Mizzou Athletics Ticket Office at 1-800-CAT-PAWS.
Mizzou Quick-Hitters
> Saturday's contest at Purdue marks the first road test of the season for the University of Missouri.
> First year Mizzou coaches are 8-7 all-time in their road openers.
> The nine-game homestand to open the season was a school record ... The previous mark for home contests to open a campaign was seven, which was set on two occasions, most recently the 1998-99 campaign, Norm Stewart's final in Columbia.
> The Tigers are one of only two remaining unbeaten teams in the Big 12 and will be looking for their first 10-0 start since 1991-92.
> Mizzou is also one of just 14 teams still undefeated nationally.
> Of those 14 teams, 12 are either ranked in the Top 25 or are receiving votes ... Mizzou is just outside the top 25 in both the Associated Press and ESPN USA Today Coaches polls ... The Tigers are 28th in each poll, while Saturday's opponent, Purdue, is No. 44 in the Associated Press Poll and No. 41 in the Coaches Poll.
> Mizzou hasn't been ranked in the Top 25 (by either poll) since Week 6 of the 2003-04 season.
> Head Coach Mike Anderson looks to remain as one of only two unbeaten first-year head coaches in the country ... Oklahoma State's Sean Sutton is the other, although Sutton spent the latter portion of 2005-06 serving as head coach on an interim basis.
> A win at Purdue 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 nine games, the Mike Anderson Era Tigers have already set Mizzou Arena records in 17 categories.
> Missouri is averaging a robust 18.7 assists per game through nine games this season, which is No. 14 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 168th 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 104 steals through nine games (11.6 per game) which is currently tops in the Big 12 and ranks No. 9 nationally ... Last season, Mizzou didn't record its 104th steal until Jan. 25 against Iowa State, 17 games into the season.
> At their current pace of 11.6 steals per game, the 2006-07 Tigers would break the school record of 295 set in 1985-86 ... Missouri is on pace for 348 steals.
> The Tigers have achieved a positive assist-to-turnover ratio in six of nine games this season ... The Tigers had a positive assist-to-turnover ratio in just seven total games all of last season ... Mizzou also leads the Big 12 in turnover margin at +6.0.
> Despite being labeled as undersized, Missouri is averaging 35.1 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 30.1 points per game from its bench through nine 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 (23.2-of-82.9) off of opponent turnovers ... The Tigers are forcing an average of 21.9 turnovers per game and scoring 23.2 points off of those opponent miscues.
> As a team, Missouri is No. 11 nationally at 43.6 percent shooting from three-point range (79-of-172) ... 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 lead the conference and rank No. 5 nationally with 10.5 assists per game ... The duo also leads the Big 12 and ranks No. 3 nationally with a combined 5.8 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. 2 nationally) with 4.1 steals per game and ranks No. 3 with 5.9 assists ... Hannah also ranks No. 15 in scoring (13.8) and No. 12 in three-point makes (1.9).
> Hannah joins Ohio State standout Mike Conley, as the only players in America to rank among the top 25 in both steals and assists.
> A native of Chicago, Ill., Hannah will have more than 20 friends and relatives in attendance on Saturday at Purdue.
> Horton is No. 9 in the Big 12 with 4.56 dimes per game and No. 7 in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.16-to-1).
> As the numbers show, Matt Lawrence is the Big 12's most improved player this season and has upped his scoring average 907-percent from the 1.5 points per game he averaged as a freshman ... Lawrence is No. 17 in the Big 12 with 13.6 points per game ... He also ranks No. 18 nationally in three-point field goal percentage (.518) and No. 2 in the Big 12 and No. 9 nationally with 3.22 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 11.4 points and a team-leading 7.2 rebounds, which also ranks No. 8 in the Big 12.
> Freshman Keon Lawrence continues his marvelous rookie campaign and his 8.3 points per game is the most by a Tiger freshman guard since Kareem Rush averaged 14.7 in 1999-2000 ... Lawrence's 50.0 percent shooting stroke would rank fourth in the Big 12 with enough attempts.
> Leo Lyons is becoming one of Mizzou's most consistent performers and is averaging 8.2 points and 6.4 rebounds over his last five contests.
> Marshall Brown tied a career high with 21 points vs. Coppin State and narrowly missed his second career double-double by adding eight boards.
Getting To Know Today's Foe
Second-year Head Coach Matt Painter and the Purdue Boilermakers continued their torrid start to the 2006-07 season with a 78-62 win over Loyola-Chicago on Dec. 5 ... The Boilermakers are on a run of five consecutive wins, including impressive victories over Oklahoma and DePaul at the EA-Sports Maui Invitational (Nov. 20-22) and an ACC-Big Ten Challenge triumph over then-No. 25 Virginia (61-59) at home ... Two-time Big Ten Player of the Week Carl Landry leads the Boilers with 19.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game ... A former All-Big Ten pick as a junior in 2004-05, Landry missed a majority of the 2005-06 season with a knee injury and was granted a medical redshirt ... Fellow senior David Teague also returns after missing the 2005-06 season with a torn ACL ... Teague averaged 14.0 points per game in 2004-05 and is pouring in 10.6 points and 5.3 rebounds as a senior ... Boston College transfer Gordon Watt is third on the club with 8.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game from his forward position.
> Overall, four of Purdue's top six players (at least statistically) did not play in 2005-06 due to redshirts.
> Purdue assistant coach Rick Ray is a native of Kansas City, Kan., and attended high school at Sumner Academy before playing junior college ball at Labette Community College in Parsons, Kan.
Mizzou Series History With Purdue
Saturday's game vs. Purdue will be the 10th all-time meeting between the Tigers and Boilermakers ... Purdue owns a 7-2 series lead, but the two clubs haven't met on the hardwood since Nov. 29, 1994 ... The Tigers won that game 69-66 at the Great Eight event in Auburn Hills, Mich. ... Prior to that contest, Mizzou and Purdue hadn't met since March 14, 1975.
With A Missouri Win
> Head Coach Mike Anderson would earn his 99th career win as a head coach three days before his 47th birthday ... Anderson turns 47 on Dec. 12.
> The Tigers push their non-conference winning streak to 12 games, dating back to last season.
> The Tigers would start 10-0 for the first time since 1991-92 and for just the fifth time over their last 84 years of college basketball (1922-23).
> Mike Anderson will be the first first-year head coach at Missouri to start 10-0 since Craig Ruby in 1920-21, a stretch of 86 years.
> Anderson's 10-0 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 Texas A&M career in 2004-05.
> Mizzou would move to 2-0 the month of December after going 8-0 in November.
> Mizzou would improve to 3-7 vs. Purdue and 1-4 vs. the Boilermakers in West Lafayette.
> The Tigers would enjoy their seventh consecutive win vs. an opponent from the state of Indiana ... The Tigers defeated Indiana in 2000-01, 2003-04 and 2004-05, Valparaiso in 2000-01 and 2002-03 and Evansville on Dec. 3, 2006 ... Mizzou's last loss to a team from the Hoosier State came Dec. 7, 1999, in Columbia to No. 15 Indiana.
> The Tigers would enter the annual Busch Braggin' Right Game against Illinois undefeated for the first time since 2002-03 and for the fifth time in series history.
Anderson Making History In Nine Games
Mizzou is off to one of its best starts in school history ... The Tigers are 9-0 for the first time since their Elite Eight season of 2001-02 ... Here is a look at the best starts at Mizzou over the last 84 years of basketball.
Rec. Year Finish Coach
19-0 1981-82 27-4 Norm Stewart12-0 1972-73 21-6 Norm Stewart
11-0 1991-92 21-9 Norm Stewart
10-0 1979-80 25-6 Norm Stewart
9-0 2006-07 ??? Mike Anderson
9-0 1989-90 26-6 Norm Stewart
9-0 2001-02 25-11 Quin Snyder
Instant Success
Very few junior college newcomers have made more of an impact on their new clubs than Mizzou's Stefhon Hannah ... The junior guard is quickly becoming one of the most talked about newcomers in the Big 12 Conference and has recorded league single-game highs for assists (13 vs. Coppin State) and steals (7 vs. Stephen F. Austin).
> Hannah joins Ohio State standout Mike Conley, as the only players in America to rank among the top 25 in both steals and assists.
> Hannah's 37 total steals (through nine games) leads the nation and is nearly as many steals as Big 12 rivals Nebraska, Oklahoma and Iowa State (41) as an entire team.
> Over his last five games, Hannah has recorded 27 total steals, which is a school record for a five-game stretch ... Reggie Smith had 22 steals during a five-game stretch in 1992-93.
Hannah Wins Rookie of The Week, Again
Mizzou junior guard Stefhon Hannah is quickly making a name for himself throughout the Big 12 Conference and back-to-back Rookie of the Week honors is helping his cause.
> Hannah won his first Rookie of the Week award following a 12-point, nine-assist, seven-steal effort vs. Stephen F. Austin on Nov. 25 ... The seven steals were second all-time in school history, while the nine assists tied a career high for the Chicago, Ill., native.
> Hannah repeated the feat just one week later, averaging 15.5 points, 5.5 assists, 4.5 steals and 4.5 rebounds in wins over Arkansas and Evansville.
> Hannah opened with a career high 21-point effort in an 86-64 win over Arkansas on ESPN2, while chipping in six steals and six assists ... He followed that up with 10 points and a career high six rebounds against Evansville to help the Tigers to a 73-54 victory.
> Hannah became the first Tiger to win back-to-back Rookie of the Week honors since Keyon Dooling in 1998-99 and was the first Mizzou standout to win multiple Rookie of the Week accolades since Linas Kleiza in 2003-04.
Mizzou's Mike Anderson In Rare Company
There were 62 coaching changes made in NCAA Division I basketball last season and of those 62 head coaches starting new jobs, just two remain undefeated ... Mizzou's Mike Anderson is one of those two.
> Anderson joins Oklahoma State's Sean Sutton as the only first-year head coaches in America still undefeated, although Sutton served as interim head coach at his alma mater last season.