July 6, 2007

Columbia, Mo. - With Mizzou Basketball's summer conditioning program well underway, mutigers.com is taking a look back at an exciting 2006-07 season before releasing its preview for the 2007-08 campaign.

Overall, the Tigers went 18-12 and finished in the upper-half of the Big 12 Conference standings, despite being predicted to finish as low as 12th place by a number of preseason publications.

This season Mizzou will return all-five starters and an incredible 97 percent of its scoring and rebounding numbers. The Tigers will also bolster their frontline with the additions of DeMarre Carroll and Justin Safford, two athletic big men that will have the opportunity to contribute for MU this year.

Mizzou Team Notes:
fÜ Missouri improved six wins during the regular-season, going from 12 wins in 2005-06 to 18 wins in 2006-07. That improvement was tops in the Big 12 Conference during the regular-season and the six-win improvement overall was the most at Missouri since the 1993-94 season.
fÜ This six-win improvement was also the most for a first-year staff at Mizzou in school history.
fÜ Mizzou earned the program's first upper-division finish in the Big 12 since the 2003-04 season and finished alone in sixth place in the Big 12 standings after being predicted 12th by a number of publications.
fÜ Missouri was the Big 12's most improved scoring team, going from an average of 66.3 points per game in 2005-06 (No. 11 in the Big 12) to 77.6 points per game last season. The 77.6 points per game was third in the Big 12 and the Tigers improved 11.3 points per game overall in the scoring column.
fÜ The 77.6 points per game also ranked No. 27 nationally and was the 11th-highest scoring average nationally among BCS Conference schools.
fÜ As you would expect, Missouri's shooting numbers went up dramatically as well. Last season Missouri shot just 42.8 percent from the floor (11th in the Big 12) and 33.7 percent (last in the Big 12) from three-point range. In 2006-07, Missouri finished No. 4 in field goal percentage (46.0) and No. 6 in three-point percentage (37.2). Mizzou's 37.2 percent shooting rate from three-point range was No. 6 in school history.
fÜ With those improved scoring totals, the Tigers also improved dramatically in assists. In 2005-06, Missouri was No. 11 in the Big 12 with just 12.0 assists per game. This past season, Mizzou was No. 4 in assists with 15.5 per contest. That improvement of 3.5 assists per game was tops in the Big 12.
fÜ Mizzou's assist/turnover ratio also improved. The Tigers had just a 0.76 a/t ratio in 2005-06, but improved to 1.04 in 2006-07... Missouri was the Big 12's most improved team in that category as well.
fÜ Despite returning just 37-percent of its scoring from the previous season, the Tigers were able to accomplish this offensive improvement through balance. The season prior. MU averaged just 11.9 points per game from its bench. Last season, Missouri averaged 26.2 points per game from its reserves and got 22 double-figure scoring efforts off the pine, including nine from Keon Lawrence and seven from Leo Lyons.
fÜ The Tigers also showed great improvement on defense, finishing No. 1 in the Big 12 and No. 5 nationally with 10.1 steals per game. The 302 total steals broke the previous school record of 295 set in 1985-86. In 2005-06 Missouri ranked No. 11 in the Big 12 with just 167 steals.
fÜ Thanks to those increased steal totals, Missouri ranked No. 11 nationally in turnovers forced and forced one turnover every 3.8 possessions. Overall, the Tigers scored 20.3 points per game off of opponent turnovers, also a school record.
fÜ Missouri also led the Big 12 in Turnover Margin. The Tigers had a +3.93 turnover margin after ranking No. 11 in the Big 12 the season before Mike Anderson's arrival with a -1.32 margin. The 18.9 turnovers per game Missouri forced this season was No. 1 in the Big 12 and No. 11 nationally.

Tiger Individual Notes:
fÜ Matt Lawrence was the Big 12's most improved player last season, going from 1.5 points per game as a freshman to 11.2 points per game as a sophomore.
fÜ Overall, Lawrence finished No. 2 in the Big 12 in both three-point percentage (44.3) and three-point field goals per game (2.7). That 44.3 percent average from three-point range was No. 14 nationally.
fÜ Lawrence was cited as Stephen Bardo's No. 1 Surprise Impact Player on ESPN's College Game Night and was named to the Kansas City Star's All-Improved Team.
fÜ Kalen Grimes joined Lawrence as one of the Big 12's most-improved players. Grimes went from averaging 2.6 points and 2.6 rebounds as a sophomore to 7.0 points and 5.6 boards as a junior. He also led the team with three double-doubles.
fÜ Overall, the much-improved group of Matt Lawrence, Kalen Grimes and Leo Lyons went from averaging a combined 6.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in 2005-06 to 25.6 points and 13.0 rebounds last season. That group also made a combined 60 starts after making just two starts over their entire Tiger careers.
fÜ Not to be forgotten, Lyons went from averaging 2.6 points and 2.4 rebounds as a freshman to 7.4 points and 4.3 rebounds as a sophomore.
fÜ Jason Horton showed dramatic improvement throughout the season and finished No. 4 in the Big 12 with a 2.38 assist/turnover ratio. Over his last-seven games Horton enjoyed a 23-to-5 assist turnover ratio (4.6-to-1 average).
fÜ The assist combination of Stefhon Hannah and Horton were also among the best in the Big 12 last season and the 232 combined assists were No. 6 in school history.
fÜ Another Tiger that improved throughout his first season was Keon Lawrence. After battling injuries early on, Lawrence finished as Missouri's most productive freshman since Kareem Rush, averaging 9.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He finished his freshman season with eight consecutive double-figure scoring games and finished the year averaging 13.9 points on 49.5 percent shooting from the floor and 47.7 percent shooting from three-point range over his last 11 contests.
fÜ A hard-worker in the class room, Lawrence earned a 3.55 grade-point average through his summer and fall semesters.
fÜ Another player who improved dramatically throughout his first season was Darryl Butterfield. Butterfield was a big presence off the bench during the second half of Big 12 play, averaging 6.5 points and 2.8 rebounds over the final 10 outings. He also shot 61.7 percent from the floor during that stretch, which was tops on the club.
fÜ Stefhon Hannah earned a number of post-season accolades, including Missouri's first Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Year Award. The individual recognition from the Big 12 Coaches was the first for any Missouri player since Kareem Rush won Freshman of the Year in 1999-2000. Hannah was the unanimous selection for the Newcomer of the Year award.
fÜ Hannah also earned 2nd Team All-Big 12 Honors from the Kansas City Star and 3rd Team Honors from the Big 12 Coaches.
fÜ Hannah joined Texas' Kevin Durant as the only player in the Big 12 to rank among the Top 11 in 10 statistical categories, including steals, where he finished No. 20 nationally with 2.4 per game.
fÜ Hannah was also the only Big 12 player to record both a point-rebound and point-assist double-double last season. His 13 assists vs. Coppin State tied the school record and were the most-ever in a regulation contest.

Tigers Nearly At 100 Percent
We're not talking about health issues, we are talking about scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and minutes returning from last season's much-improved 2006-07 unit, which enjoyed an 18-12 overall record and an unexpected upper-division finish in the Big 12 Conference standings.
> The Tigers return 99.3 percent of their starts (149-of-150), and 95.9 percent of their minutes played (5,778-of-6,025), while adding the services of freshman Justin Safford and Vanderbilt transfer DeMarre Carroll.
> Scoring-wise, the Tigers appear to be in good hands, returning 96.6 percent of their points (2,248-of-2,328) and 97.6 percent of their three-pointers (239-of-245), while adding the services of the 6-foot-8 Carroll, who averaged 10.9 points and 6.4 boards as a sophomore standout at Vandy.
> Assists and steals will again play key roles for Mizzou in 2007-08 and the Tigers are equally stacked in those areas, returning 97.0 percent of their thefts (293-of-302) and 98.5 percent of their assists (459-of-466) ... Mizzou also returns 96.6 percent of its rebounding (1,009-of-1,045) and 98.9 percent of its blocked shots (90-of-91).
> Those returning numbers are a stark contrast from last season, when Anderson inherited a club that went 12-16 the season prior and returned just 37.7 percent of its scoring, 29.7 percent of its three-pointers, 56.0 percent of its rebounding, 40.7 percent of its starts and 51.3 percent of its minutes played.

Senior Leadership
Following a season that saw the Tigers have zero scholarshipped seniors on their 2006-07 roster, the Tigers will have plenty of veteran leadership to pull from in 2007-08 as the Tigers enjoy six scholarshipped seniors on this season's club.
fÜ Marshall Brown, Kalen Grimes and Jason Horton each enter their fourth season with the program, while Darryl Butterfield, Stefhon Hannah and Vaidotas Volkus enter their senior seasons after transferring to Mizzou from junior college.
fÜ The Tigers have gotten a variety of contributions from this senior class, which accounts for 54.6 percent of Mizzou's returning scoring and 55.4 percent of the returning rebounding ... Out of a possible 150 starts made last season, this season's seniors accounted for 105-of-150.

Talk About Instant Help
Newcomers seem to have a way of making early contributions in Head Coach Mike Anderson's system. Even during his days at UAB, newcomers were able to make a quick impact for his clubs and that happened once again for the Tigers in 2006-07.
fÜ Overall, the Tigers added five scholarshipped newcomers to their roster last season, with transfer Stefhon Hannah becoming Mizzou's first-ever Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Year award winner. Among the nation's top returning point guards in 2007-08, Hannah averaged 15.4 points and 4.6 assists in his first season of major-college hoops.
fÜ Freshman Keon Lawrence was equally impactful for Anderson's club, averaging 9.7 points, while finishing the year with eight consecutive double-figure scoring efforts. The 9.7 points were the most for a Mizzou freshman since NBA performer Kareem Rush in 1999-2000.
fÜ Another newcomer, Darryl Butterfield, turned out to be a fan-favorite during his rookie campaign and showed marked improvement throughout the year. Butterfield made his first career start at Nebraska, and scored a career high 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting in Lincoln. The hard-nosed forward also ranked among team-leaders with 21 steals and proved to be a versatile performer with 24 assists.
fÜ While they weren't necessarily newcomers, Anderson's impact on returnees Matt Lawrence, Leo Lyons and Kalen Grimes basically pushed their collegiate careers in new directions. Each of the Tigers ranked among the Big 12's most improved players last season, with Lawrence's 9.7 ppg. scoring increase pacing the league. Overall, the grouping of Lawrence, Grimes and Lyons improved their scoring and rebounding averages a combined 18.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

The Pine Is Just Fine
With Mizzou's impressive list of returners off of last season's much-improved 18-12 squad, the Tigers will bring plenty of depth into the 2007-08 campaign as they return 12 total letterwinners, including nine players that averaged at least 13.6 minutes per game.
fÜ Each of those nine players scored in double figures multiple times last season and eight of the nine (J.T. Tiller) recorded at least one start.
fÜ Overall, Missouri averaged a school record 26.2 points per game last season from its bench and enjoyed 22 double-digit scoring efforts from its reserves, led by Keon Lawrence (nine times) and Leo Lyons (seven times).
fÜ In addition to those nine regulars returning, Missouri also adds the services of a pair of athletic post players, freshman Justin Safford and junior transfer DeMarre Carroll. Safford was ranked among the nation's top 20 post-graduate performers by Scout.com, while Carroll averaged 10.9 points and 6.4 rebounds as a sophomore at Vanderbilt in 2005-06.