Jan. 22, 2008

Missouri Tigers (11-7, 1-2 Big 12) vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders (10-7, 1-2 Big 12)
Regular Season Game 19 - January 23, 2008 - Lubbock, Texas

	GAME CENTRAL: Game Notes  (621 kb) Yahoo!
	TIPOFF: 7:05 p.m. CST. ARENA: United Spirit Arena - Lubbock, Texas (15,098). TV: ESPN-Plus (Doug Bell play-by-play; Paul Splittorf analyst). RADIO: Tiger Radio Network (Mike Kelly play-by-play; Gary Link analyst). RANKINGS:    Mizzou: NR/NR    Texas Tech: NR/NR SERIES: Missouri leads 8-7 overall; in Lubbock Texas Tech leads 5-1. COACHES:    Mizzou: Mike Anderson (Tulsa '82); 118-60 overall (6th season); 29-19 at Mizzou (2nd).    Texas Tech: Bob Knight (Ohio State '62); 900-369 overall (42nd season); 137-81 at Tech (7th).

FOR OPENERS

• Mizzou goes searching for its first road win of the 2007-08 season (0-4) when it travels to Lubbock, Texas, to face Bob Knight and the Red Raiders Wednesday at 7 p.m.
• The contest will be a Lone Star State homecoming for MU seniors Marshall Brown and Jason Horton ... Brown grew up in Austin, while Horton was a product of nearby Dallas.
• Although the Tigers are still searching for that first road win of the year, the team certainly has been close ... Missouri has enjoyed second-half leads in three of its four road games this season and were within one possession in the final minute at Iowa State last week in Ames.
• A win for the Tigers on Wednesday would mark the club's fourth Big 12 road win under Anderson ... While the second-year coach would move to 4-6 on the road in Big 12 games, he would practically equal Mizzou's Big 12 road success in the three seasons before his arrival ... In the three years before he came to Columbia, Missouri was just 5-19 in league road games, with three of those wins coming in 2003-04, a season in which Mizzou opened the year in the preseason Top 5.
• A pair of Tigers who have been outstanding on the road this year are Stefhon Hannah and Matt Lawrence ... Hannah leads the club with 18.8 points and 6.3 assists per game in four road games on 52.2 percent shooting from the floor ... Lawrence is second with 17.5 points and 5.0 rebounds on 50.0 percent shooting from three-point range ... Both Hannah (28 points at Arkansas) and Lawrence (28 points at Mississippi State) have recorded their career highs for scoring on the road this season.
• Missouri is the nation's No. 2 team at defending the three-point arc this season, as foes are shooting just 25.9 percent from bonus distance against them ... Missouri's three-point defense easily leads the Big 12 ... Oklahoma is second at 31.1 percent ... Over the last 14 games, opponents are shooting just 62-of-253 from three (.245) vs. the Tiger defense.
• A by-product of Missouri's great perimeter defense has been some huge scoring runs ... The Tigers have had seven runs of 20+ points this season, including a 34-2 run vs. McNeese State and a 24-4 run to close out Purdue.
• In addition to three-point defense, Missouri ranks among the national leaders in assists, steals and turnovers, key by-products of its fast-paced style of play ... Mizzou ranks No. 9 nationally in assists with 18.4 dimes, No. 10 with 18.9 turnovers forced per game and No. 14 with 9.6 steals.

MIZZOU QUICK-HITTERS

• Mizzou continues its 102nd season of college basketball on Wednesday evening when it travels to Texas Tech.
• Mizzou is looking for its first road win of the season and first win in Lubbock since 2000.
• The Tigers haven't won on the road in the state of Texas since Feb. 21, 2003, at Baylor (70-66), a stretch of seven consecutive defeats.
• Head Coach Mike Anderson and Bob Knight will meet for the second time ... Mizzou won that first meeting last season.
• Despite Mizzou's 11-7 record early on in Big 12 play the Tigers have been close in nearly every game this season and have dropped five games by six points or less, including two games currently ranked in the Top 10, No. 2 Kansas and No. 10 Michigan State.
• In addition, in the Tigers' seven losses this season, they have either been in the lead or in a one-possession game in the final 6:23 of each contest.
• Although the Tigers are 0-1 on the road in Big 12 play this year, it's important to note that Mizzou had good success in league road games a year ago, winning at Iowa State, at Colorado and at No. 18 Oklahoma State, all by double-figure margins.
• As is the case with many teams across the country, Mizzou has been a buzz saw at home this year ... In running their mark to 10-1 at Mizzou Arena, the Tigers have averaged a 23.2 ppg. margin of victory on Norm Stewart Court.
• In fact, Mizzou has enjoyed double-figure wins in all-10 home win this year, with six of their last nine home wins coming by 30+ points ... Included in that impressive run is a 97-84 win over then-No. 12 Texas.
• Fueling those dominating wins have been some strong second-half performances over the last two weeks ... Mizzou scored a season high 61 second-half points against UMKC, which was the most since Missouri scored 64 against Chicago State on Dec. 2, 1995.
• The Tigers followed that up with 59 second-half tallies vs. No. 12/13 Texas on Jan. 12.
• Thanks to those huge second-half scoring numbers, Missouri ranks No. 19 nationally in scoring at 81.4 points per game.
• Although the Tigers are clicking offensively, the team's defensive pressure may actually be picking up following last season's school record 302 steals ... The Tigers have forced 340 turnovers (173 steals) in 18 games this season ... Last year, Mizzou led the Big 12 with 10.1 steals and 18.9 turnovers per game and are averaging 9.6 steals and 18.9 turnovers forced per game this year, including the 23 turnovers forced vs. 2007 NCAA Tournament qualifiers Maryland and Arkansas.
• Conversely, the Tigers are turning the ball over just 13.4 times per game.
• Mizzou has done an excellent job converting off those miscues and are averaging 22.9 points per game off turnovers ... When you break down the numbers, Missouri is scoring 30 percent of its points off of turnovers (22.9-of-81.4 ppg).
• Overall, the Tigers are forcing a turnover once every six possessions, which allows them to average 8.3 more shots per game than their opponents.
• In addition to steals, a trademark of Mike Anderson-coached teams has been assist totals and the Tigers are recording assists on 62.3 percent of their buckets this season (332 assists on 533 FG's).
• When you take Missouri's 51 “put-back” buckets out of the equation, the Tigers are averaging assists on 69.0 percent of their field goals.
• Overall, Missouri's 18.4 assists per game rank No. 9 nationally and has the club on pace to finish third all-time with 589 assists.
• Even with the club's fast-paced style of play, Missouri boasts a 1.4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio on the season, which ranks No. 13 nationally.
• To put Missouri's assist/turnover numbers in perspective, through 18 games last season (versus a much lighter strength of schedule), Missouri had 289 assists and 279 turnovers and had just a 1.1-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio as a team.
• This year Missouri has 332 assists, 242 turnovers and that 1.4-to-1 assist to turnover ratio.
• The Tigers boast a +5.4 turnover margin on the year, which ranks among the best in America, due in large part to the fact their 13.4 turnovers committed per game rank No. 18 nationally.
• Missouri has flashed a balanced playing rotation, as nine Tigers are averaging at least 13.4 minutes per game and no player is averaging more than 27.5 minutes.
• Missouri has topped double figures in three-point makes four times this year, including a season high 12 vs. Texas ... The Tigers also hit 11 three-pointer vs. McNeese State and 10 three-pointer vs. Michigan State and Southern.
• ESPN's Pat Forde named Mizzou Arena the No. 1 “New School” college basketball arena in America ... Who can argue?, the place is loaded!

TIGER TIDBITS (Individual Notes)

• The Junk Yard Dog has had a major impact in just his first season ... DeMarre Carroll, also known as J.Y.De, dominated the Columbia Regional of the CBE Classic en route to MVP honors and has reached double figures in 15-of-18 game this season, including three 20-point efforts and a pair of double-doubles this season.
• Carroll has been at his best at home, where he is averaging 15.4 points and 8.1 boards and 1.6 steals on 60.4 percent shooting from the floor.
• Carroll has actually been close to producing double-double efforts in 12 games this year and is averaging 14.3 points and 7.4 boards to rank among team leaders in both categories.
• The Big 12 Newcomer of the Year front-runner also ranks fourth in the Big 12 Conference in field goal percentage (.568), while ranking among the Top 11 in scoring (11th) and rebounding (5th).
• Carroll has topped 10 rebounds six times this season, including back-to-back games against Iowa State (13) and Kansas (12).
• Those 13 rebounds at Iowa State led to his third double-double of the year when coupled with his 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the floor.
• Even more incredible is that he is producing those numbers in just 25.3 minutes per game.
• Carroll always seems to find a way to impact the game for Missouri and while he was saddled with foul trouble vs. Purdue, the junior forward blocked a career high three shots in the final 4:11 to help lead Missouri to the come-from-behind win ... Carroll actually scored three points, had three blocks, two assists and a steal in the final 7:35 of the MU win vs. Purdue ... The Birmingham native also added a career-high tying four steals vs. McNeese State and UMKC, showing another way he has impacted a Tiger win.
• 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 22 of his last 25 games, including a four 20-point efforts this season.
• He has also reached double figures in 17-of-20 career Big 12 Conference games.
• Although his scoring numbers are consistent (15.0 points through 18 games last year vs. 14.6 through 18 games this year), the key to Hannah's improved play has been fewer turnovers and more assists ... Last season through 18 games Hannah had 87 assists and 62 turnovers ... This year he has 98 dimes and just 50 turnovers vs. a much stronger set of opponents.
• Included in that improved assist total was a season high 11 dimes vs. UMKC, helping the senior record his second career point-assist double-double.
• Hannah flashed his toughness vs. Maryland on Nov. 20 when he played with the flu and still managed 14 points and five dimes ... The Chicago native wasn't able to eat all day and 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.
• Hannah broke out of an early offensive slump with 20 points vs. No. 11 Michigan State on Nov. 20 ... The consistent lead guard has reached double figures in 36-of-43 career games for MU.
• For his efforts, Hannah was named to the CBE Classic All-Tournament Team in Kansas City.
• Hannah scored a career high 28 points at Arkansas, marking the 10th 20-point effort of his career.
• Hannah recently dropped in 23 points vs. No. 3 Kansas in leading the Tigers to the near-upset win.
• In addition to his scoring numbers, Hannah's assist totals are on the rise ... When you factor in Hannah's 5.4 assists per game this year, the senior guard is actually accounting for 26.3 of Mizzou's 81.4 points per game (including assists on three-point field goals).
• Hannah's 5.4 assists are the second most in school history, just behind the 5.8 dimes per game dished out by Anthony Peeler (1989-90).
• Hannah also has 98 assists and 34 steals on the year ... For his short career, Hannah has had five or more dimes 27 times (including 13-of-18 games this year) and multiple steals 28 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 18 of his last 25 games, including a season high 18 points in the win over No. 12/13 Texas ... At one point, Lawrence scored 10 consecutive points in the first half for the Tigers setting the stage for the upset win.
• Despite being just 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, Lawrence is third on the club at 4.1 rebounds per game, including five games of six or more boards.
• The dynamic guard is also second on the team with 13 blocks.
• 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.
• J.T. Tiller earned his first career start vs. Coppin State and responded with 10 points, three assists and two steals in 25 minutes.
• Tiller also reached double-figures vs. Illinois on Dec. 22, scoring 10 points in a career high 28 minutes.
• While his scoring totals are up, Tiller continues to be Missouri's top perimeter defender and played some key defensive minutes late vs. Purdue, helping to hold Purdue to just one field goal in the final 7:47 of the game en route to Mizzou's game-winning 24-4 run.
• Tiller continued his strong play vs. McNeese State, dishing a career-high tying four assists, without committing a turnover and added three more dimes and three steals vs. North Carolina A&T.
• Matt Lawrence poured in a career high 28 points on Dec. 30 at Mississippi State ... The 6-foot-7 guard hit 6-of-11 treys and tied a season high with six rebounds.
• Over his last 13 games, Lawrence has hit multiple treys in 10 of those contests.
• In fact, the St. Louis native has been at his best on the road throughout his career and his shooting 44.9 percent from beyond the arc (44-of-98) from three-point range away from Mizzou Arena.
• Leo Lyons has played much-improved basketball this season and has reached double-figures in nine of his last 11 contests.
• Lyons' has already reached double figures 11 times this season, surpassing the nine double figure games he enjoyed his first-two seasons combined.
• 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 23 points made him the third different Tiger to top the 20-point plateau this year.
• Lyons also torched UMKC for 22 points on a career-best 10-of-12 shooing from the floor.
• Lyons recorded his second double-double of the year in the win over Purdue, chipping in 13 points and 10 rebounds ... Lyons ranks among the Big 12's leaders with those two double-dips.
• Lyons flashed his versatility vs. Western Illinois when the 6-foot-9, 240-pounder dished a career high six assists and recorded two steals ... Lyons has 24 assists, which is tops among Tiger post players.
• He just goes about his business quietly, but senior guard Jason Horton has dished out 53 assists compared to just 25 turnovers this season, to rank No. 3 in the Big 12 in assist-turnover ratio.
• Horton now has 372 career dimes, which is No. 7 all-time in school history and the Dallas native needs just 11 more assists to move into the MU career top five.
• Horton needs just nine more assists to pass Mike Sandbothe (380) for sixth all-time.
• Horton is also closing in on the career top 10 in steals and needs 10 more thefts to tie Melvin Booker for No. 10 with 147.
• Although he's been known more for his defense and passing ability, Horton is averaging 11.3 points on 10-of-13 shooting (.769) in his last three home games, including a season high 16 points vs. Texas on Jan. 12, which was his highest scoring output since his freshman season.
• Senior forward Marshall Brown is closing in on 1,000 career points ... The Austin, Texas native currently has 834 tallies and needs 156 points to become the 38th member of the Mizzou 1,000-point club.
• The selfless senior was named team captain in December by teammates and coaches.
• The Texas product then earned his first start of the year vs. Coppin State and later scored a season high 14 points vs. his hometown Texas Longhorns in the Big 12 opener.
• 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 enjoyed his most complete game at Mississippi State on Dec. 30, scoring four points and grabbing four boards in nine second-half minutes vs. the Bulldogs.
• Darryl Butterfield leads Mizzou with 13 charges taken this season, including three games with multiple charges drawn this year.
• Senior forward Vaidotas Volkus earned his first career start vs. Kansas and recorded career highs of eight points and two assists ... Volkus also hit 4-of-5 shots from the floor vs. the Jayhawks.
• The Lithuania native gave the Tigers a great first-half lift off the bench vs. Purdue, scoring five points and grabbing three boards in seven minutes ... For the game, Volkus played 11 minutes, which was his third-highest output this year.

ABOUT TEXAS TECH
   Texas Tech (10-7, 1-2 Big 12) will look to continue its home court dominance as it welcomes the Tigers to United Spirit Arena on Wednesday ... The Red Raiders have won all-eight games at USA this season, including a dominating 68-53 win over then-No. 9 Texas A&M on Jan. 16 ... Although the Red Raiders are technically 8-1 at home this season, that one “home loss” came in Dallas vs. Stanford by a 62-61 margin ... Martin Zeno leads Tech in scoring and rebounding this season with 16.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game ... Alan Voskuil, one of the nation's top three-point shooters at 57.1 percent, is second on the club at 12.5 points, while John Roberson rounds out the double-figure scorers with 11.7 tallies per game.

THE SERIES WITH THE RED RAIDERS
   Missouri leads the all-time series with Texas Tech 8-7, including a 71-58 win over the Red Raiders last year in Columbia ... Missouri had lost three consecutive in the series prior to that win ... Mizzou is 1-5 all-time in Lubbock, with that last win coming Feb. 15, 2000 by an 86-76 margin ... Since the formation of the Big 12, the series is tied 6-6.

WITH A TIGER WIN:

• The Tigers would earn their first road win of the year and first since winning 75-64 at No. 18 Oklahoma State in Stillwater on Feb. 17, 2007.
• Mizzou would even its Big 12 Conference record at 2-2.
• The Tigers would also stop their current six-game road losing streak.
• Missouri would have its first win in Lubbock, Texas, since Feb. 15, 2000.
• Overall, Anderson would improve to 119-60 in his six seasons as a head coach.
• Missouri would earn its 12th win of the year, moving within six victories of last season's 18-win mark.
• The Tigers would move to 30-18 all-time under Mike Anderson.

HANNAH NEARING 100 ASSISTS YET AGAIN
   As Stefhon Hannah nears his second consecutive 100-assist season, the senior point guard is about to join some select company amongst Tiger point guards. Hannah currently has 98 dimes this year and needs two more to become just the seventh player in school history to record 100 assists in back-to-back campaigns. Among those seven Tigers is teammate Jason Horton, who dished 103 assists as a freshman and 121 as a sophomore. Other Tigers to accomplish back-to-back 100 assist seasons are Larry Drew (1978-80), Lynn Hardy (1987-89), Anthony Peeler (1988-92) and Melvin Booker (1990-94).

THE LITHUANIAN SENSATION: Vaidatos Volkus
   Vaidotas Volkus made the most out of his first career start vs. Kansas, scoring a career high eight points on 4-of-5 shooting from the floor. Coming into the game Volkus has scored just four points combined over the last seven games and had scored just 22 points all season on 7-of-18 shooting. In addition to his scoring punch, Volkus provided the Tigers with solid interior passing, including a career-best two assists, his first two assists of the year.

IT'S NOT ABOUT THE STEAL
   When watching Missouri's high-pressure style of play it's easy to fall in love with the steal statistic, but really, Mike Anderson's style of play isn't about “the theft”, it's more about “the act” ... The huge steal totals get the most publicity because it's an NCAA recognized statistic, when in fact, “deflections” and turnovers are more closely charted by the coaching staff.
   It's the deflections that often lead to turnovers and possibly steals, but can also upset the opponent's rhythm on offense and force them to regroup while the shot clock is winding down.
   So far this season Missouri has 463 team deflections, which have ultimately led to 340 turnovers forced, either via 173 steals, eight 35-second clock violations, nine forced five-second calls, four 10-second violations, etc.
   Stefhon Hannah leads Mizzou with 81 deflections this season, while J.T. Tiller (59) and DeMarre Carroll (55) round out the top three.