Mizzou Men Head to Lawrence For "Big Monday"
1/14/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 14, 2007
Missouri Tigers (11-5, 0-3 Big 12) vs. Kansas Jayhawks (15-2, 2-0 Big 12)
Game 17 - Jan. 15, 2007 - Lawrence, Kan.
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FOR OPENERS
- Mizzou is coming off one-day's rest following an 85-81 loss to Kansas State on Jan. 13 and will look to snap a season-long three-game losing streak at arch-rival Kansas on ESPN's Big Monday on Jan. 15 in Lawrence, Kan.
- The Tigers have dropped seven consecutive games to the Jayhawks in Lawrence, with Mizzou's last win at Allen Fieldhouse coming Jan. 24, 1999, by a 71-63 margin … Mizzou has won two of the last three meetings with Kansas, but each of those wins have come at Mizzou Arena.
- The Jan. 15 contest with Kansas nearly marks the one-year anniversary of the Tigers' thrilling 89-86 overtime win against the Jayhawks last season … That game was also televised on ESPN's Big Monday … KU led that game 74-67 with just 34 seconds remaining, but the Tigers forced OT and won following Thomas Gardner's 40-point effort.
- Junior guard Stefhon Hannah continues to lead the nation with 3.44 steals per game … Hannah has topped five or more steals in a game six times this season … Hannah now has 55 steals on the year and already ranks ninth on Mizzou's single-season steals list … FYI, the single-season record is 76 held by Lynn Hardy in 1986-87 … The Big 12 record for steals in a season is 102 by Mexico, Mo., native Cookie Belcher (Nebraska) in 1998-99 … Hannah also needs just nine more steals to move into the Mizzou single-season Top 3.
- As a team, Mizzou leads the Big 12 and ranks No. 2 nationally with 12.1 steals per game and has 194 total steals … The Tigers only had 167 total steals during the entire 2005-06 season … Missouri needs just 76 more thefts to move into the single-season Top Five and needs just 102 more steals to break the school record of 295 set in 1985-86.
- Despite returning just 37.6 percent of its scoring from last season, Missouri is No. 3 in the Big 12 with 78.9 points per game … The Tigers also rank No. 3 in three-point field goals (8.3).
- Monday's contest is part of the Midwest Ford Dealer's MU-KU Border Showdown and is worth 1.5 points in the standings … Mizzou currently leads the Border Showdown 8.5 - 4.0.
MIZZOU QUICK HITTERS
- Mizzou will look to snap a three-game losing streak when it travels to Kansas on Jan. 15 for ESPN's Big Monday.
- Mizzou is 12-18 all-time on Big Monday and 1-1 on the ESPN family of networks this season, defeating Arkansas on ESPN2 (86-64) before falling to Illinois on ESPN (73-70).
- Monday's contest will be the second all-time meeting between Missouri sideline boss Mike Anderson and Kansas coach Bill Self … Self and the Kansas Jayhawks defeated Anderson and the UAB Blazers in the Sweet Sixteen in 2003-04.
- The Tigers will look to snap a road / neutral court losing streak of 11 consecutive games … The Tigers haven't won away from Mizzou Arena since Jan. 10, 2006, at Oklahoma.
- Mizzou will go in search of its first 12-5 start since the 2000-01 season.
- 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 a win vs. Kansas, Missouri would record its 1,400th victory as a program … Missouri is 38th all-time in NCAA Division I Basketball wins and would join 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. 2 nationally with 12.1 steals per game … So far this season the Tigers have 194 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 15.4 steals per game.
- Those 12.1 steals per game would shatter the Big 12 record of 10.8 steals set by Iowa State in 2004-05.
- At their current pace of 12.1 steals per game, the 2006-07 Tigers would shatter the school record of 295 set in 1985-86 … Missouri is on pace for 363 steals.
- Despite being labeled as undersized, Missouri is averaging 33.5 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 26.5 points per game from its bench through 16 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 424 points.
- Missouri is scoring nearly 30-percent of its points (21.6-of-78.9) off of opponent turnovers … The Tigers are forcing an average of 21.7 turnovers per game and scoring 21.6 points off of those opponent miscues.
- As a team, Missouri is No. 28 nationally at 40.1 percent shooting from three-point range (132-of-329) … 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).
- Overall, the Tigers have topped 80 points in nine of 16 games and have won six of their 11 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 three seasons (2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06) Mizzou won just four (total) games by 20-plus point margins.
TIGER TIDBITS (Individual Notes)
- Stefhon Hannah continues to be one of the nation's top newcomers and leads the country in steals per game at 3.44 … He also ranks No. 4 in the Big 12 with 4.8 assists and No. 11 in scoring (15.4).
- Hannah has topped five or more steals in a game six times this season and has already joined the Mizzou single-season Top 10 … In fact, Hannah needs just nine more steals to move into the Mizzou single-season Top Three.
- Hannah and Jason Horton rank No. 4 nationally and No. 1 in the Big 12 with 4.9 steals per game.
- Marshall Brown has been Mizzou's top scorer in Big 12 play and ranks among the Big 12's top scorers in league play with 23.7 points per game.
- In those three Big 12 games Brown is averaging 20.3 of his 23.7 points in the second half on 76.9 (20-of-26) percent shooting over the final 20 minutes … Brown is also 15-of-17 (.882) from the charity stripe in the second period.
- Brown has recorded career highs in back-to-back games, initially scoring 24 points at Texas, before dropping in 28 against Kansas State, which is the highest scoring total by a Tiger this season.
- Matt Lawrence continues to be one of the nation's top three-point shooters and ranks No. 2 in the Big 12 and No. 21 nationally at 50.6 percent.
- As the numbers show, Lawrence is the Big 12's most improved player this season and has upped his scoring average 787-percent from the 1.5 points per game he averaged as a freshman … Lawrence is second on the club with 11.8 points per game and ranks No. 2 in the Big 12 and No. 32 nationally with 2.82 treys per game.
- Lawrence leads the team with 45 three-point makes this year and has shot better than 50 percent from three-point range in 7-of-16 games this season.
- Lawrence was named the nation's No. 1 Surprise Impact Player by ESPN's Stephen Bardo on College Game Night.
- Jason Horton is on a run of 26 consecutive starts, which is the longest starting streak on the team this season … Fellow junior Marshall Brown has started 24 consecutive game to rank second on the club.
- Kansas City, Kan., native Leo Lyons has made six consecutive starts and continues to play much-improved basketball during that stretch … Lyons is averaging an improved 20.0 minutes per game during that run, compared to the 15.9 minutes he averaged in his nine games as a reserve.
- One reason for Lyons' increased playing time has been because of his defense … Since joining the starting line-up on Dec. 19 vs. Illinois, Lyons has recorded at least one steal in each game and is averaging 1.9 steals per game during that stretch, which is second on the team … Lyons most recently reached double figures against Kansas State, scoring 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting.
- Freshman J.T. Tiller has seen increased playing time over his last eight games and is averaging 17.0 minutes per game during that run, with increased averages of 5.8 points, 1.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game.
MORE ABOUT THE JAYHAWKS
Kansas enters Monday's contest 15-2 and 2-0 in Big 12 Conference play following a 68-64 overtime win at Iowa State on Jan. 13 … In their last home game, KU dismantled No. 9 Oklahoma State 87-57 in their Big 12 Conference-opener … The Jayhawks are led in scoring by Preseason All-American Brandon Rush, who leads the club with 13.5 points and 30 three-point buckets … Overall, the Jayhawks are on a nine-game winning streak since falling at DePaul, 64-57, on Dec 2 … Fellow sophomore Mario Chalmers is second on the club with 12.3 points per game, while Julian Wright leads Kansas in rebounding with 8.1 per game.
MIZZOU SERIES WITH KANSAS
Saturday's game marks the 256th all-time meeting between Kansas and Missouri with the Jayhawks holding a 162-93 series advantage … In Lawrence, KU leads 83-32 and has won seven consecutive dating back to a 71-63 Tiger win on Jan. 24, 1999 … Mizzou has won two of the last three in the series … Missouri Head Coach Mike Anderson is 0-1 all-time vs. Kansas, with that lone meeting coming during the 2003-04 season in the Sweet Sixteen.
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Kareem Rush Career Records at Missouri |
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| Rank | Category | Stat | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Career 3-Point FG Pct. | 43.9 | |
| 1st | Consec. Games w/3FG | 40 | |
| 2nd | Career 3-Point FG's | 226 | |
| 2nd | Career 3-Point FG Attempts | 536 | |
| 4th | Career Scoring Average | 19.4 | |
| 10th | Career FG Attempts | 1,235 | |
| 11th | Career Points | 1,584 | |
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FAMILY AFFAIR
A Rush will once again roam the hardwood along with the Missouri Tigers, but this time, it's in an opposing uniform … Kansas sophomore Brandon Rush, the younger brother of former Tiger great Kareem Rush, will make his third appearance against Mizzou on Monday and enters the contest leading KU with 13.5 points per game … A native of Kansas City, Mo., Rush attended Mt. Zion Academy in North Carolina, where he teamed with current Tiger junior Glen Dandridge.
At right is a list of Kareem Rush's career accomplishments in three seasons at MU. Among his honors:
- First Round NBA Draft Pick, 2002 – 20th overall, Toronto (to Los Angeles)
- First Team All-Big 12, 2000-01
- First Team All-Big 12, 2001-02
- HM All-American, 2000-01
- HM All-American, 2001-02
- Big 12 Freshman of the Year, 1999-00
What Can Brown Do For You?
Junior Marshall Brown has been on a tear over his last three ball games and ranks among the Big 12's leaders with 23.7 points and 6.0 boards through three Big 12 games.
- While his 23.7 points per game is impressive, Brown is actually averaging 20.3 points in the second half alone in games against Iowa State (15 second-half points) Texas (22 second-half points) and Kansas State (24 second half points).
- A native of Austin, Texas, Brown has recorded career high scoring totals in back-to-back games vs. Texas and K-State.
- In his hometown return to Austin, Brown scored 24 points vs. the Longhorns on 7-of-11 shooting from the floor and a career-high tying 3-of-4 shooting from three-point range ... After hitting a pair of free throws in the first half, Brown erupted for 22 second-half tallies to claim the career high ... The 6-foot-6 forward also narrowly missed a double-double with nine boards, while playing in front of more than 30 family members and friends.
- Brown broke that career high just three days later, scoring 28 points vs. K-State, hitting 9-of-13 field goals and all eight free throws ... Brown hit four first-half free throws, before hitting 9-of-12 shots in the second half vs. the Wildcats.
- Brown initially opened Big 12 play with a 19-point effort against Iowa State on Jan. 6 ... Brown hit 8-of-11 free throws and 5-of-9 shots to pace Mizzou.
- While offensive confidence has been key for Brown, a primary factor in his improved scoring punch has been his ability to get to the free throw line ... Over the last three games, Brown is a combined 23-of-27 (.852) from the charity stripe ... In the previous 13 games leading up to Big 12 play, Brown had made just 18 free throws all season.
Don't Get Caught Watching The Paint Dry
Mizzou has scored an impressive 536 points in the paint this season and is well on its way to surpassing the 690 points in the paint recorded by last season's club ... Overall, the Tigers are averaging 33.5 points per game in the lane and are being led by an unlikely tandem ... well, at least half of that tandem is unlikely.
- What's not surprising, is that junior forward Kalen Grimes leads the team in “paint points” with 106 tallies ... What may shock you, however, is that 6-foot point guard Stefhon Hannah is second on the club with 100 points in the paint ... Third on the club is Marshall Brown with 84, while Leo Lyons is fourth with 72.
Stealing “The Show”
Mizzou Basketball has truly become The Hottest Show in the Midwest (better known as “The Show”) under Head Coach Mike Anderson and the main attraction to Tiger Basketball has been Mizzou's outstanding defensive efforts ... Missouri ranks No. 2 nationally with 12.1 steals per game and junior college transfer Stefhon Hannah is the ring-leader with an NCAA-leading 3.44 thefts per game.
- Mizzou has recorded double-figure steal totals in 11-of-16 games, including 20 thefts vs. Southern, which is No. 2 all-time in Mizzou single-season history and tied for the top steal total in the Big 12 ranks this season.
- The Tigers have had an individual record four or more steals 12 times this year, led by Hannah's seven steals vs. Stephen F. Austin on Nov. 25, 2006 ... Keon Lawrence (twice), Hannah (seven times), Matt Lawrence (once) and Jason Horton (twice) have all enjoyed at least four steals in a game this season.
