Nov. 23, 2007
Columbia, Mo. -
Complete Release in PDF Format 
University of Missouri Tigers (4-1)
Western Illinois University Leathernecks (2-2)
Regular Season Game 6 - November 25, 2007 - Columbia, Mo.
Tip-off: 1 p.m. CST
Arena: Mizzou Arena - Columbia, Mo. (15,061)
TV: MSN (Chris Gervino play-by-play; Jon Sundvold analyst)
Radio: Tiger Radio Network (Tom Ackerman play-by-play; Gary Link analyst)
Rankings: Mizzou: RV/RV, Western Illinois: NR/NR in Associated Press / USA Today Coaches
Series: Missouri leads 1-0 all-time, Tiger won 91-64 in Columbia on Dec. 9, 1985
Coaches:
Missouri: Mike Anderson (Tulsa '82); 111-54 overall (6th season); 22-13 at Mizzou (2nd)
Western Illinois: Derek Thomas (UMSL '89) 30-88 at Western Illinois (5th season)
For Openers
> Missouri plays its lone home game in a stretch of 22 days on Sunday when it faces a much-improved Western Illinois team this Sunday at 1 p.m. inside Mizzou Arena.
> The Tigers face their first of two teams from the newly-formed (or named) Summit League on Sunday ... Mizzou faces in-state foe UMKC at home on Jan. 8, the final non-conference tilt of the year.
> The contest vs. Western Illinois continues a daunting stretch of games that began on Nov. 19-20 with contests against No. 11 Michigan State and Maryland in the CBE Classic in Kansas City, Mo., and continues with affairs at Arkansas and California, before concluding on Dec. 8 at home against Purdue ... The Tigers opened the difficult stretch with a narrow 86-83 loss to the nationally-ranked Spartans, before toppling the Terrapins 84-70.
> Missouri will look to run its November record to 13-1 under Mike Anderson ... The Tigers were a perfect 8-0 in the season's first month last year and are already off to a 4-1 start in 2007-08.
> The Tigers will look to improve upon their 21-game homecourt winning streak vs. non-conference foes, which dates back to the 2005-06 season opener ... In fact, Head Coach Mike Anderson has yet to lose a non-conference game at Mizzou Arena since his hiring in 2006 ... The Tigers are a perfect 14-0 under Anderson on the friendly confines of Norm Stewart Court.
> Leo Lyons will look to build upon his career effort earlier this week against Maryland ... The Kansas City native recorded his first career double-double with career highs of 23 points and 11 boards in 29 minutes vs. the Terps en route to earning ESPN Player of the Game accolades.
> Lyons became the third Tiger this season to reach the 20-point plateau ... DeMarre Carroll accomplished the feat with 23 points in the season opener against Central Michigan, while Stefhon Hannah dropped in 20 points vs. No. 11 Michigan State.
> In a battle of virtual equals (according to the national rankings), Missouri led Maryland throughout the contest en route to that 84-70 decision ... The win marked Mizzou's first win over an ACC opponent since stopping No. 20 Maryland at the Hearnes Center on Dec. 30, 1997.
> The Tiger defense continued to play well in Kansas City, as they forced a combined 40 turnovers in two games, while taking eight charges ... The Tigers took an incredible seven charges vs. Maryland alone, including three by senior Darryl Butterfield who has a team-leading six on the year.
Mizzou Quick-Hitters
> Mizzou continues its 102nd season of college basketball on Sunday when it faces Western Illinois in the final home game until a Dec. 8 contest with Purdue.
> Mizzou is in the middle of a stretch where it will spend much more time away from home ... The Tigers will play four of their next 10 games away from Mizzou Arena.
> Speaking of Mizzou Arena, ESPN's Pat Forde named Mizzou Arena the No. 1 "New School" college basketball arena in America ... Who can argue?, the place is loaded!
> The Tigers and Leathernecks will meet for the second time in school history, with Mizzou holding a 1-0 series lead ... The only previous meeting was a 91-64 MU win on Dec. 9, 1985.
> Missouri is a perfect 3-0 at home this year and has won each contest by double figures ... The Tigers have actually led each of their last two home games by 30 points at the half (53-23 vs. Fordham; 51-21 vs.Southern) and own a 26.7 ppg. scoring margin in those three home wins.
> Missouri will look to run its November record to 13-1 under Mike Anderson ... The Tigers were a perfect 8-0 in the season's first month last year and are already off to a 4-1 start in 2007-08.
> Mizzou's defensive pressure may actually be picking up following last season's school record 302 steals ... The Tigers have forced 100 turnovers (54 steals) in five games this season ... Last year, Mizzou led the Big 12 with 10.1 steals and 18.9 turnovers per game and are averaging 10.8 steals and 20.0 turnovers forced per game this year, including the 23 turnovers forced and 13 steals vs. Maryland.
> Conversely, the Tigers are turning the ball over just 10.2 times per game.
> The Tigers have done an excellent job converting off those miscues and are averaging 25.2 points per game off turnovers ... When you break down the numbers, Missouri is scoring 29.4 percent of its points off of turnovers (25.2-of-85.6 ppg).
> In addition to steals, a trademark of Mike Anderson-coached teams has been assist totals and the Tigers are recording assists on 60.0 percent of their buckets this season (99 assists on 165 FG's).
> When you take Missouri's 18 "put-back" buckets out of the equation, the Tigers are averaging assists on 63.1 percent of their field goals.
> Even with the club's high-paced style of play, Missouri boasts a 1.9-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio on the season, which leads the Big 12 Conference.
> To put Missouri's assist/turnover numbers in perspective, through five games last season (vs. a much lighter strength of schedule), Missouri had 93 assists and 79 turnovers and had just a 1.18 assist-to-turnover ratio as a team.
> This year Missouri has 99 assists, 51 turnovers and that 1.9-to-1 assist to turnover ratio.
> The Tigers also boast a +9.8 turnover margin on the year, which ranks among the best in America.
> Missouri has flashed a balanced playing rotation, as nine Tigers are averaging at least 14.4 minutes per game and no player is averaging more than 29.2 minutes.
> Missouri hit 10 three-pointer vs. Michigan State, which tied a season high ... The Tigers have hit 10 treys in a game twice this season, including 10 triples vs. Southern.
Tiger Tidbits (Individual Notes)
> The Junk Yard Dog has arrived ... DeMarre Carroll dominated the Columbia Regional of the CBE Classic and continued his great play in Kansas City hitting 7-of-9 shots in the second half against No. 11 Michigan State en route to a 14-point, seven-rebound, three assist night vs. the Spartans.
> Carroll has reached double figures in all five games this season, including 11 points in just 16 minutes of play against Maryland.
> Carroll has nearly produced double-double efforts in four games this year and is averaging 16.4 points and 7.2 boards to pace the Tigers in both categories.
> Even more incredible is that he is producing those numbers in just 23.2 minutes per game.
> If you pro-rated his averages over 40 minutes, he'd be averaging 28.3 ppg and 12.4 rpg.
> Carroll was recently named one of Seth Davis' (Sports Illustrated) Key Faces in New Places for 2007-08.
> ESPN's Andy Katz also said "there may not be a harder working interior player -- outside of Tyler Hansbrough -- than DeMarre Carroll."
> In case you were wondering, Carroll dominates the classroom too and needs seven hours in the spring semester to finish his degree and begin his Masters work in Administration.
> Stefhon Hannah continues to be one of the nation's most dynamic point guards and has reached double figures in 12 of his last 13 games.
> Hannah's 14 points and five dimes vs. Maryland came while the senior guard was diagnosed with the flu and wasn't able to eat all day ... Hannah spent the early portion of the second half in the locker room, but returned to score eight second-half points, leading MU to the win ... Now that's Tiger Tough!
> The Chicago native scored a season-high 20 points vs. Michigan State on Nov. 20 ... The consistent lead guard has reached double figures in 30-of-34 career games for MU.
> The 20-point night was the eighth of his career.
> Hannah also has 26 assists, nine steals and just eight turnovers on the year ... For his short career, Hannah has had five or more dimes 18 times (including all five games this year) and multiple steals 20 times, which is no surprise since the 6-foot-1 senior was named the nation's ninth-best perimeter defender by Fran Fraschilla and ESPN.com.
> As you would expect, Hannah is a preseason candidate for the Bob Cousy National Point Guard of the Year Award.
> Not to be outdone, Keon Lawrence has reached double figures in 12 of his last 13 games, including a season high 14-points, four assists and five steals vs. Southern and 12 points in back-to-back games vs. Michigan State and Maryland.
> Lawrence has been an outstanding mid-range jump shooter this year and is shooting 65.4 percent from inside the arc (17-of-26).
> Despite being just 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, Lawrence is second on the club at 4.8 rebounds per game ... Included in that effort was a season-high tying six rebounds vs. Michigan State.
> As was documented by the Kansas City Star, there are no "off days" for Lawrence, as he makes 1,000 shots each day the team is given off by head coach Mike Anderson.
> Coaches often say some of the largest strides for a player are made between his freshman and sophomore seasons and sophomore J.T. Tiller is proving them right ... Tiller has been strong thus far and poured in a career high 13 points in the win over Fordham.
> Noted more for his defense as a freshman, Tiller has nearly doubled his scoring average from last season and is averaging 7.0 points after averaging 4.2 points as a rookie.
> Leo Lyons made his hometown return to Kansas City a special one, as he poured in career highs of 23 points and 11 boards in the 14-point Tiger win over Maryland.
> Lyons earned Player of the Game honors from Dick Vitale and Co. as he hit 8-of-11 shots and 7-of-11 free throws en route to his first career double-double.
> The 11 rebounds were the most by a Tiger this season and the 23 points made him the third different Tiger to top the 20-point plateau this year.
> Lyons tied a then-career high with 18 points in the opener vs. Central Michigan ... Lyons hit 8-of-9 field goals vs. the Chippewas.
> He just goes about his business quietly, but senior guard Jason Horton has dished out 18 assists compared to just four turnovers this season.
> Horton now has 337 career dimes, which is No. 9 all-time in school history and the Dallas native needs just 43 more assists to move into the MU career top five.
> In a reserve roll, Horton is averaging 3.6 assists per game and his 4.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio leads the Big 12 Conference.
> Senior forward Marshall Brown is closing in on 1,000 career points ... The Austin, Texas native currently has 765 tallies and needs 235 points to become the 38th member of the Mizzou 1,000-point club.
> Brown broke out of an offensive slump vs. Michigan State and scored a season high 12 points and grabbed a season high eight boards in the near upset of the No. 11 Spartans.
> Matt Lawrence needs just three more treys to top 100 for his career.
> Freshman Justin Safford graced ESPN's Top 10 Plays on Nov. 8 with his alley-oop slam vs. Missouri Western ... Safford checked in at No. 6.
> Safford scored his first career points against Fordham on Nov. 13, scoring five points and grabbing five boards in nine minutes.
About Western Illinois
Western Illinois enters Sunday's game 2-2 on the year following a 75-57 home win over Eastern Illinois on Nov. 20 ... The Leathernecks had five players reach double figures in the win, including David Jackson who scored 14 points on 7-of-8 foul shooting ... Overall, WIU has six players averaging 7.8 points or better, including David Nurse who paces the club with 13.0 points on 11-of-21 shooting (.524) from three-point range ... Sunday's game will be Western Illinois' second game vs. a Big 12 foe ... The Leathernecks played at Kansas State on Nov. 17 and fell 77-64, despite being within two points in the second half.
The Series With Western Illinois
Sunday's game is the second all-time meeting between Missouri and Western Illinois ... The Tigers won the first contest 91-64 at the Hearnes Center on Dec. 9, 1985.
With A Tiger Win ...
> Missouri would improve to 5-1 on the young season and improve its non-conference homecourt winning streak to 22 games.
> Missouri would improve to 23-13 all-time under Mike Anderson.
> Mizzou would improve to 22-8 vs. non-ranked opposition under Anderson, including an 19-3 mark at home.
> Mizzou would improve to 19-4 at home under Anderson and 15-0 at home vs. non-conference opposition.
> Missouri would improve to 5-1 on the season heading into a Nov. 28 showdown at Arkansas.
> The Tigers would be 13-1 in the Month of November under Mike Anderson, including an 8-0 mark last season.
November Pain
November has been a big month for the Tigers under Mike Anderson and the program looks to improve to 13-1 in the season's first month under the second year sideline boss.
> Looking for a 5-1 start to November vs. Western Illinois, Missouri has made a habit of producing big early-season victories, as eight of their 12 wins have come by 20 or more points.
> The Tigers won six games by 20-plus points in November last year, including an 86-64 win over Arkansas.
> This year, Mizzou is 4-1 in November, including a 79-55 triumph over a Fordham team that went 18-12 last season and returns all-five starters and their top 10 scorers from last year's team and a 95-50 win over Southern, the largest win in the history of Mizzou Arena.
November Dominance For Mizzou
Date Team Score Margin 11-10-06 N.C. A&T 101-80 +21 11-12-06 Stetson 66-45 +21 11-16-06 Lipscomb 89-69 +20 11-25-06 S. F. Austin 85-56 +29 11-27-06 Coppin St. 98-77 +21 11-30-06 Arkansas 86-64 +22 11-13-07 Fordham 79-55 +24 11-16-07 Southern 95-50 +45Charge it!
It's actually better than a steal ... you get the ball, plus you draw a foul and through five games, the Tigers have 21 of them ... Don't know what we're talking about? Charges!
> Missouri drew an incredible six charges in the season-opening win against Central Michigan, before drawing five more against Fordham.
> Missouri's ability to use the "plastic" was shown off on a national stage on Nov. 20, when the club took a season high seven charges in the 84-70 win over Maryland.
> Leading that defensive effort vs. the Terps was Darryl Butterfield, who took three charges in that game alone and now has a team-leading six charges drawn on the year ... Stefhon Hannah is second with five charges drawn, while Matt Lawrence and Jason Horton each have three.
Big Game Stefhon
Big time players make big time plays in big time games and Stefhon Hannah has made a habit of producing some big time scoring outings in big games throughout his MU career.
> Hannah has topped the 20-point plateau eight times in just over a season, including a season high 20 points in a near upset of No. 11 Michigan State in the semifinals of the CBE Classic in Kansas City.
> Of those eight career 20-point games, seven have come vs. teams that qualified for post-season play (or were nationally ranked), including five NCAA Tournament teams.
Pts Opponent Date 27 at Kansas State (NIT) 1-31-07 27 Mississippi State (NIT) 1-2-07 25 Baylor 2-14-07 23 vs. Illinois (NCAA) 12-19-06 21 Arkansas (NCAA) 11-30-06 21 at Purdue (NCAA) 12-9-06 20 Davidson (NCAA) 11-19-06 20 vs. Michigan State (NCAA) 11-19-07
J.Y.De (As in Junk Yard DeMarre)
He plays the game with such passion and ferocity that just one season into his Tiger career DeMarre Carroll has earned the moniker J.Y.De. ... Carroll has ranked among Missouri's leaders in both scoring and rebounding in each game thus far and has reached double figures in scoring in five consecutive games ... Carroll has even led the team in assists with a season high five dimes against Southern.
> Carroll made his Tiger debut by scoring a career high 23 points vs. Central Michigan on 10-of-12 shooting and narrowly missed a double-double with eight boards.
> That opening night by the 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward turned into a career night, as he eclipsed the 22 points he poured in on Kentucky as a Vanderbilt sophomore on Feb. 11, 2006.
> The Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, continued his hot start with 14 second-half points and six second-half boards against No. 11 Michigan State.
Entering The Season Like A Lyon
Leo Lyons showed a national TV audiance that he has "arrived" ... Lyons enjoyed career highs of 23 points and 11 boards to lead Missouri to an 84-70 win over Maryland in the third-place game of the CBE Classic in Kansas City.
> Second on the team in scoring (13.4 ppg.) and field goal percentage (.650), Lyons has twice reached double figures in scoring, including 18 points in the opener against Central Michigan.
> Lyons also leads the team with seven blocked shots and is averaging 2.0 assists per game.