Feb. 27, 2007

Missouri Tigers (17-10, 6-8 Big 12) vs. Colorado Buffaloes (6-18, 2-12 Big 12)
Game 28 - Feb. 28, 2007 - Columbia, Mo.

	GAME CENTRAL: Game Notes  Yahoo! Live Audio   Mizzou All-Access
	TIPOFF: 6:06 p.m. CST. ARENA: Mizzou Arena - Columbia, Mo. (15,061). TV: MSN / (Dan McLaughlin, play-by-play; Jon Sundvold, analyst); game available to ESPN Full Court subscribers. RADIO: Tiger Radio Network (Mike Kelly play-by-play; Gary Link analyst). RANKINGS:    Mizzou: NR    Colorado: NR SERIES: Missouri leads 91-52; Tigers lead 52-11 in Columbia. COACHES:    Mizzou: Mike Anderson (Tulsa '82); 106-51 overall (5th season); 17-10 at Mizzou (1st).    Colorado: Ricardo Patton (Belmont '80) 183-158 overall (12th season); Same at CU.

FOR OPENERS

• Mizzou will look for its third consecutive home win on Wednesday, when it welcomes Colorado to Mizzou Arena for Senior Day ... Wednesday's contest will mark the final regular-season home game for senior Marcus Watkins ... Mizzou is 61-39 all-time on Senior Day, including two consecutive wins at Mizzou Arena.
• The son of Associate Head Coach Melvin Watkins, Marcus has played in 99 career games during his collegiate career and made six starts for the Tigers last season.
• The Tigers are not only fighting for their seventh Big 12 Conference win, but are positioning themselves for the Big 12 Championship in Oklahoma City ... A win by Mizzou and it could finish no worse than the No. 8 seed in the Big 12 Tourney ... The Tigers can still finish anywhere between fifth and eighth, not too shabby for a program picked 11th and 12th by a number of preseason publications ... One very real possibility for Mizzou is a No. 6 seed in Oklahoma City, which means the Tigers would play in the No. 6 vs. No. 11 game at the Big 12 Championships for the seventh time in 11 years.
• The future appears bright for Head Coach Mike Anderson's Tigers ... In addition to this strong finish, Mizzou has zero scholarshipped seniors on this season's roster and will gain the services of highly-touted junior DeMarre Carroll, who is sitting out after transferring from Vanderbilt.
• Among players eligible for Big 12 Newcomer of the Year honors (non-freshman award), Stefhon Hannah ranks No. 2 in scoring (15.7 points per game), No. 1 in assists (4.6), No. 1 in steals (2.5), No. 1 in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4-to-1), No. 1 in three-point field goal percentage (.403), No. 1 in field goal percentage (.469) and No. 2 in three-point field goals (2.0).
• Despite returning just two starters and 37 percent of its scoring from last season's 12-16 club, Mizzou has already surpassed last season's win total and has 17 victories on the year ... The five-game improvement is the most in the Big 12 Conference this season and Anderson's 17 wins are the second most in school history among first-year head coaches at MU.
• As a team, Mizzou leads the Big 12 and ranks No. 4 nationally with 10.5 steals per game and has 283 total steals ... The Tigers only had 167 total steals during the entire 2005-06 season ... The 283 steals are already No. 3 in Mizzou's single-season records book and the Tigers need just 13 more thefts to break the school record of 295 set in 1985-86.

MIZZOU QUICK HITTERS

• Mizzou will look for its third consecutive home win on Wednesday when it hosts the Colorado Buffaloes on Senior Day in Columbia.
• The Tigers are also looking for their fifth win over the last seven games, despite an overtime loss at Nebraska on Saturday.
• Wednesday's contest marks the second all-time meeting between Missouri sideline boss Mike Anderson and Colorado coach Ricardo Patton... Anderson won the previous meeting, 79-65, in Boulder on Jan. 24, 2007.
• Overall, Missouri is searching for its 18th win of the year, which would be the most since winning 22 in 2002-03.
• With Mizzou's win last Saturday at Oklahoma State, the Tigers have now won in each arena since the formation of the Big 12 ... Only Kansas can claim that accomplishment along with the Tigers.
• Mizzou needs just 13 more steals to break the single-season record of 295 set in 1985-86, including the opening round of the Big 12 Championship, Mizzou would need to average just 4.4 steals per game the rest of the way to break that record ... On the year, Mizzou is averaging 10.5 steals per game.
• This season's Tigers are No. 5 in single-season three-point field goals and need 34 more treys through the remainder of the season to move into No. 4.
• Missouri's 37.4 percent stroke from three-point range is No. 6 all-time in school history.
• A key statistic for the Tigers continues to be rebounding ... Mizzou is 10-1 when outrebounding its opposition ... That lone loss came at Kansas on Jan. 15 when the Tigers outrebounded the Jayhawks 43-42, but fell 80-77.
• Mizzou's bench continues to play a key role this season and has outscored its opposition's bench in 21-of-27 games this year ... The Tigers are 17-4 in those games.
• The Tigers have enjoyed 17 double-figure scoring performances from their bench this year, led by freshman Keon Lawrence, who has accomplished the feat eight times off the pine ... Leo Lyons has done it five times.
• Head Coach Mike Anderson was named the No. 1 Immediate Impact Coach in America by Sports Illustrated's Seth Davis.
• Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl named Anderson one of his six most innovative coaches in America.
• Anderson was also listed as the leading candidate for National Coach of the Year by Mike DeCourcy and the Sporting News.
• ESPN's Jay Bilas paid equal props to Anderson, saying he was in fine shape to win Coach of the Year honors.
• With its 79-65 win at Colorado on Jan. 24, Missouri recorded its 1,400th victory as a program ... Missouri is 38th all-time in NCAA Division I Basketball wins and joined Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are the only other Big 12 schools to have reached the 1,400 win plateau.
• Ol' Mizzou ranks No. 4 nationally with 10.5 steals per game ... So far this season the Tigers have 275 total steals, which is already more than the 167 steals Missouri recorded during the entire 2005-06 season ... In case you were wondering, Virginia Military (VMI) leads the nation with 15.7 steals per game.
• Despite returning just 37.6 percent of its scoring from last season, Missouri is No. 3 in the Big 12 with 76.9 points per game ... The Tigers also rank No. 2 in three-point field goals (8.1).
• Also labeled as undersized, Missouri is averaging 31.7 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 25.3 points per game from its bench through 27 games, including a season high 49 points vs. Lipscomb ... Last season, Missouri's reserves averaged just 11.9 points per game.
• If you simply take raw scoring numbers Mizzou's bench scored 334 point through 28 games last season ... So far this year, Tiger reserves have accounted for 678 points.
• Missouri is scoring nearly 30-percent of its points (20.7-of-76.9) off of opponent turnovers ... The Tigers are forcing an average of 19.3 turnovers per game and scoring 20.7 points off of those opponent miscues.
• Speaking of turnovers, Mizzou forces one turnover every four possessions ... Overall, Missouri has forced 521 turnovers in 2,009 total possessions for its opposition, that's a percentage of 26.0, which ranks No. 2 nationally ... The Tigers also record a steal once every six-plus possessions (14.1 percent), which is No. 3 nationally.
• As a team, this year's squad ranks No. 6 in school history with a 37.4 percent shooting from three-point range (228-of-583) ... The Tigers have topped double figures in three-point makes six times this season ... The Tigers topped double figures in three-pointers just twice all of last year (at Davidson and at home vs. Kansas).
• Overall, the Tigers have topped 80 points in nine of 27 games and have won seven of their 17 games by 20-plus points ... Over the previous two seasons combined (2004-05 and 2005-06), Missouri topped 80 points in scoring just six times ... Over the previous four seasons (2002-06) Mizzou won just eight (total) games by 20-plus point margins.

TIGER TIDBITS (Individual Notes)

• Stefhon Hannah continues to be one of the nation's top newcomers and ranks No. 12 nationally and No. 2 in the Big 12 in steals per game at 2.5 per outing ... He also ranks No. 5 in the Big 12 with 4.6 assists and No. 11 in scoring (15.7).
• Hannah is averaging a team-leading 16.5 points on 52.3 percent shooting from the floor (45-of-86) and 47.6 percent shooting from three-point range (20-of-42) over his last eight games.
• With his 17-point, 10-rebound effort at Nebraska, Hannah became the first player in the Big 12 this season to record a point-assist and point-rebound double-double.
• Hannah has topped five or more steals in a game six times this season and has already joined the Mizzou single-season Top Three ... In fact, Hannah needs just nine more steals to claim the MU single-season record.
• Hannah has dished 124 dimes this season and is No. 9 in school history for single-season assists ... The junior needs just 19 more dimes to move into the single-season Top 5.
• Hannah is just the third Tiger in school history to reach the Mizzou single-season Top 10 for steals and assists in the same year ... Hannah joins Lynn Hardy (1985-86) and Anthony Peeler (1989-90).
• Freshman Keon Lawrence is averaging 15.8 points on 54.8 percent shooting (23-of-42) from the floor over his last-four games ... Lawrence is also averaging 6.3 rebounds per game, which tops the club during that run.
• Lawrence opened with a career high 24 points against Baylor, which is the eighth-highest scoring total for a Mizzou freshman in school history.
• He followed that with a game-high 18 points at Oklahoma State and his 42 points over two games are the most for an MU freshman since Kareem Rush scored a combined 50 points in games against Texas Tech (31) and Kansas State (19).
• Over his last eight games, Lawrence is averaging 14.4 points and 4.3 rebounds on 49.4 percent shooting from the floor and 46.9 percent shooting from three-point range (15-of-32).
• Jason Horton continues to be outstanding protecting the ball this season and ranks No. 3 in the Big 12 with a 2.3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio ... Over his last eight games Horton has 24 assists and just six turnovers.
• Horton needs just 11 more assists to top the century mark for the third consecutive season ... Horton would join Anthony Peeler and Melvin Booker as the lone Tigers to accomplish that feat three consecutive years.
• Horton needs just 17 more assists to move into the Missouri career Top 10.
• Marshall Brown recorded career highs in back-to-back games, initially scoring 24 points at Texas, before dropping in 28 in the first meeting with Kansas State, which is the highest scoring total by a Tiger this season.
• Brown has supplemented his scoring nicely from the free throw line since the start of Big 12 play and is 50-of-69 in league action, which ranks No. 16 in Big 12 games ... Brown is scoring 4.1 of his 12.6 points per game (Big 12 scoring average) from the free throw line.
• Kalen Grimes continues to be a much-improved rebounder and is averaging 6.2 boards over his last six games.
• Grimes is coming off a 16-point, nine-rebound effort against Kansas and has finished one rebound shy of a double-double in two of his last three outings.
• Matt Lawrence continues to be one of the nation's top three-point shooters and ranks No. 3 in the Big 12 and No. 16 nationally at 44.1 percent.
• Over his last-three outings Lawrence is shooting 54.5 percent from the floor (12-of-22) and 50.0 percent (10-of-20) from beyond the arc.
• As the numbers show, Lawrence is the Big 12's most improved player this season and has upped his scoring average 740-percent from the 1.5 points per game he averaged as a freshman ... Lawrence is second on the club with 11.1 points per game and ranks No. 2 in the Big 12 with his 2.63 three-pointers per game.
• Lawrence leads the team with 71 3-point makes this year and has shot at least 50 percent from three-point range in 11-of-27 games this year.
• Lawrence needs just one more trey to move into the Mizzou single-season Top 10 ... Jason Sutherland is 10th on that list with 72 treys.
• Lawrence was named the nation's No. 1 Surprise Impact Player by ESPN's Stephen Bardo on College Game Night.
• Darryl Butterfield continues to provide a strong all-around presence for Mizzou off the pine and scored a career high 13 points at Nebraska on 6-of-8 shooting.
• Butterfield has been one of the team's most efficient players over the last seven games and is 21-of-35 (60.0 percent) from the floor during that stretch.
• Kansas City, Kan., native Leo Lyons has provided a big lift inside for the Tigers since the start of Big 12 play ... Lyons is averaging an improved 19.0 minutes per game during league action after averaging 16.5 minutes per game in non-conference competition.
• One reason for Lyons' increased playing time has been because of his defense ... Over his last 15 games, Lyons is averaging 1.7 steals per game, which is No. 2 on the club ... He has recorded multiple steals in eight of Missouri's last 15 contests as well.
• Lyons' 14 points vs. Oklahoma were his most in a Big 12 game ... Lyons hit 5-of-6 shots and 4-of-5 free throws.

WITH A MISSOURI WIN:

• Missouri would improve to 34-2 vs. Colorado at home over the last 36 years.
• Mizzou would improve to 62-39 on Senior Day, including three consecutive wins at Mizzou Arena.
• The Tigers would improve to 5-2 over their last seven games and inch within one game of .500 in Big 12 play at 7-8.
• The Tigers would even their Big 12 home record at 4-4 and finish the year with a three-game homecourt winning streak after a 1-4 start at home in Big 12 action.
• Mizzou would record its 18th win of the year, the most since winning 22 games in 2002-03.
• Head Coach Mike Anderson would be just two wins shy of recording his fifth consecutive 20-win season ... Anderson enjoyed four consecutive 20-win campaigns during his tenure at UAB.
• Missouri would be just two wins shy of its 21st 20-win season in program history.
• The Tigers would improve six games on their 2005-06 win total of 12 ... The six-game improvement would be the most at Mizzou since the 1993-94 season ... The Tigers won 19 games in 1992-93 and then won 28 in 1993-94 ... The six-game improvement would be the highest total for a first-year head coach at Mizzou ... The previous record was five by Walter Meanwell, who improved five games during his first season in 1917-18.
• Head Coach Mike Anderson would have his 18th win as head coach at Mizzou, which would tie the school record for wins by a first-year head coach ... Quin Snyder won 18 games in 1999-00.

MORE ABOUT THE BUFFS
   Colorado enters Wednesday's game 6-18 overall and 2-12 in Big 12 Conference play following an 87-71 home defeat to Kansas State on Feb. 24 ... The Buffaloes are riding a five-game losing skid dating back to an impressive 89-77 home win over nationally-ranked Oklahoma State on Feb. 3 ... CU is led by talented junior Richard Roby, who is averaging 17.2 points per game ... Freshman Xavier Silas is second on the club with 12.1 points, while Dominique Coleman leads the club with 6.4 boards per game ... One of the Big 12's youngest clubs, Colorado has especially struggled away from the Coors Event Center and are just 1-9 on the road this year.

SERIES WITH COLORADO
   Mizzou owns a firm 91-52 series advantage over Colorado, which includes wins in 33 of their last 35 meetings in Columbia ... The Tigers did have an eight-game homecourt winning streak vs. CU snapped last season as the Buffaloes earned a 74-71 win ... Mizzou avenged that loss earlier this season, however, as the Tigers raced to a 79-65 in Boulder ... Overall, Mizzou is 52-11 vs. CU in Columbia.

	HANNAH'S BIG 12 NEWCOMER RANKS
	Rank	Category	Total
	1.	Assists	4.6
	1.	Steals	2.52
	1.	Assist/TO Ratio	1.4
	1.	3-Point FG Pct.	0.403
	1.	FG Pct.	0.469
	1.	FT Pct.	0.753
	2.	Scoring	15.7
	2.	3-Point FG/Gm.	2.0

HERE'S YOUR BIG 12 NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
   With his consistent performance throughout the year, junior college transfer Stefhon Hannah is solidifying himself as the leading candidate for Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Year recognition. A transfer from Chipola Community College, Hannah ranks among the Big 12's top non-freshman newcomers in eight statistical categories (see right).