Mizzou Basketball Opens 2010-11 Campaign
11/15/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 15, 2010
Columbia, Mo. -
Complete Release in PDF Format 
University of Missouri Tigers (0-0, 0-0 Big 12) vs.
Western Illinois University Leathernecks (2-0, 0-0 Summit)
Tip-Off: 7 p.m.
Arena: Mizzou Arena (15,061)
TV: Mizzou Sports Network (Dan McLaughlin and Scott Highmark)
Radio: Tiger Radio Network (Mike Kelly - Play by Play / Gary Link - Analyst)
Rankings: Mizzou 15/15; Western Illinois NR/NR in AP / USA Today Coaches Poll
Series: Third meeting, Missouri leads 2-0; last 91-52 on 11-25-07 in Columbia
Coaches:
Missouri: Mike Anderson (Tulsa '82); 177-87 overall (9th); 88-46 at Mizzou (5th)
Western Illinois: Jim Molinari (Illinois Wesleyan '77) 247-223 overall (17th season)
For Openers...
> Missouri opens its 105th season of basketball on Thursday when it hosts Western Illinois inside Mizzou Arena ... The Tigers are a perfect 4-0 in home-openers under Head Coach Mike Anderson, 83-21 all-time in season openers and 88-15 in home-openers ... Mizzou is also 36-1 in their last 37 home-openers.
> Missouri is coming off a pair of dominating exhibition wins in which the club averaged 114.5 points and had eight players average at least 9.5 points per game.
> Mizzou Arena has been a terror dome for non-league opponents during the Mike Anderson era... In running their record to 40-0 (under Anderson), the Tigers are averaging a 26.6 ppg. margin of victory vs. non-conference foes at home, including quality wins over Arkansas, California, Davidson, Mississippi State, Murray State, Oral Roberts and Purdue.
> Overall Missouri owns a 47-game non-conference home court winning streak, which dates back to the 2005-06 campaign ... That 47-game run is a school record, topping the 29 consecutive non-conference home wins from 1979-83 ... That streak ended with an overtime loss to Marquette ... Missouri's last non-conference loss at home came against Sam Houston State in the 2005-06 season opener.
> Missouri begins the 2010-11 campaign as a ranked program ... The Tigers are rated #15 in both the Associated Press and USA Today polls to start the year ... The Tigers are ranked in the preseason for the first time since 2003-04 ... Missouri opened the year #5 in 2003-04, the highest preseason ranking in school history ... Mizzou of course finished the 2008-09 season ranked inside the Top 10 after its run to the NCAA Elite Eight.
> Missouri is one of the latest starting clubs in NCAA Basketball this season, but the club begins an exciting stretch of seven games in 14 days on Thursday ... By next Wednesday the Tigers will have already played four contests.
> Missouri will once again have each of its games televised this season thanks to its partnership with Mizzou Sports Network, ESPN, The Big 12 Network and CBS ... All 31 regular-season games and both exhibition games will be carried on live television and at least 30 of those 31 games will be carried nationally on ESPN Fullcourt.
Mizzou Quick Hitters
> The regular season is here for Mizzou Basketball and Mike Anderson has been great at leading the Tigers to opening wins ... Mizzou is a perfect 4-0 in openers under the fifth-year coach and have averaged a 17.0 ppg margin of victory in those contests.
> Thursday's game vs. Western Illinois is part of the 2010 Cancun Challenge ... Western Illinois will travel to Wyoming next, while Wyoming's Thursday-night foe, North Florida, will play in Columbia on Saturday.
> Mizzou's trip to Cancun will be the first-ever regular season games played by the Tigers outside the country … Missouri did of course play three exhibition games in Canada over Labor Day 2008.
> Missouri is playing its first of three games vs. teams from the state of Illinois ... The Tigers meet the University of Illinois on Dec. 23 in the annual Busch Braggin' Rights Game in St. Louis and then face Northern Illinois on Dec. 27.
> Tiger fans may be familiar with Western Illinois head coach Jim Molinari ... Molinari played two seasons at Kansas State in the 1970s before transferring to Illinois Wesleyan to finish his collegiate career.
> Missouri closed out exhibition play with a perfect 2-0 mark for the fifth consecutive time under Mike Anderson ... The Tigers got solid bench production, with 55.5 ppg coming from the reserves, while Laurence Bowers led the club in both scoring (24.5) and rebounding (10.0).
> Kudos to the Tiger faithful, including a great student turnout during preseason action ... Missouri averaged 8,176 fans during two preseason contests, including 8,425 fans in the preseason finale.
> Missouri was excellent at the foul line in preseason play, led by Bowers who was a combined 18-of-19 at the charity stripe ... The Tigers as a team were 65-of-86 (.756) and made better than 30 free throws in both contests.
> Other key statistics in preseason play were the incredible steal and point-off-turnover totals for Mizzou ... The Tigers had 33 total steals in two games and produced 77 total points off turnovers ... Newcomer Phil Pressey led Missouri with seven thefts, followed by fellow guard Mike Dixon (five).
> Missouri has typically played some tough schedules over the years and that trend will continue in 2010-11 ... With the preseason polls being released, Mizzou will have 12 games against teams ranked / receiving votes in the preseason Top 25 ... Included in that list are some impressive non-conference games vs. Old Dominion and Vanderbilt at home, neutral site games vs. #13 Illinois, #21 Georgetown, Wyoming and Providence/La Salle and a road game at Oregon.
> Missouri got some love in the preseason polls this year, checking in at #15 in both Top 25 ledgers ... Mizzou was #32 in the ESPN / USA Today Coaches Poll and #45 in the Associated Press Poll last season at this time.
> FoxSports.com's Jeff Goodman gave the Tigers some preseason hype as well, picking Anderson's club #9 in his preseason poll.
> Goodman also put the Tigers in his Final Four in his early season projections.
> Sports Illustrated thought highly of Missouri's backcourt depth and pegged the MU guards #13 nationally as a position group.
Tiger Tidbits
#1 Phil Pressey, 5-10, 168 Pounds
> Phil Pressey enters the Missouri program has the highest-ranked recruit of the Mike Anderson era, rated as high as #16 nationally by 2K Sports.
> Pressey put on a great display in his debut scoring 12 points, but more importantly dishing seven assists with just one turnover in 24 minutes.
> He added 19 points in a start vs. Arkansas-Fort Smith ... Had a great second half, scoring all-19 of his points with five steals and three assists in 14 second-half minutes.
> The quick, explosive guard is a true point for the Fastest 40 Minutes in Basketball and brings a team-oriented approach to the lineup.
> Pressey dished a game high nine assists in the Black & Gold Game, while scoring 16 points in a winning effort.
> His older brother Matt Pressey is a junior on this year's club and his father, Paul Pressey, is currently an assistant coach for Byron Scott and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
#2 Ricky Kreklow, 6-6, 195 Pounds
> Ricky Kreklow became the third consecutive Mr. Basketball in the state of Missouri to ink with the Tigers.
> Kreklow made an impressive debut vs. Harris-Stowe, scoring nine points on a trio of three-pointers, while dishing two dimes and ripping a game high four steals.
> Made the start vs. Arkansas-Fort Smith.
> The talented newcomer is the son of current Missouri Volleyball head coach Wayne Kreklow and is a local product that grew up watching the Tigers.
> He was named the MVP of the Demetrius Johnson All-Star game in St. Louis this June after scoring 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting.
#3 Matt Pressey, 6-2, 185 Pounds
> The “Elmers Glue” of this year's club and is out of the same mold as a J.T. Tiller and Zaire Taylor with his blue-collar mentality.
> Made the start in the exhibition opener for the injured Marcus Denmon and dished three assists and ripped three steals in 21 minutes.
> First double-figure game (15 points) was against Arkansas-Fort Smith thanks to 11-of-13 foul shooting.
> Was a junior college All-American at Navarro College last year, joining fellow Tiger Ricardo Ratliffe on that first team squad.
> His younger brother Phil Pressey is a freshman on this year's club and his father, Paul Pressey, is currently an assistant coach for Byron Scott and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
#10 Ricardo Ratliffe, 6-8, 240 Pounds
> Highly-coveted big man out of Central Florida College, that was twice named a first team NJCAA All-American.
> Recorded a double-double in his debut with 15 tallies and 10 boards … Showed a soft shooting touch at the line, hitting 9-of-12 shots.
> One of only 13 players in NJCAA history to be named back-to-back first team All-American.
> Named the Big 12's Preseason Newcomer of the Year by the league coaches.
> Broke the Central Florida school record with 1,653 points over two seasons.
> Had his junior college jersey (#20) retired at the school's season-opener this year.
> Made a huge splash in his Black & Gold debut, scoring 32 points and grabbing nine rebounds.
#11 Michael Dixon, 6-1, 180 Pounds
> Another efficient Tiger in the preseason, leading the team in field goal percentage (.684) after hitting 13-of-19 total shots.
> Hit 7-of-9 shots and 4-of-5 three-pointers vs. Arkansas-Fort Smith en route to 19 tallies ... Added four assists and four steals.
> Scored 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting, while dishing three assists with zero turnovers in the exhibition-opener vs. Harris-Stowe.
> Returning sophomore that made eight starts as a rookie last year.
> Scoring point guard that ranked among Big 12 freshmen leaders with 7.5 points per game.
> Top returning assist man from last season with 55 dimes and just 32 turnovers.
> Played huge in some big games for Mizzou, scoring a career high 16 points in the win over Illinois, 13 vs. Texas and 15 vs. West Virginia in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
#12 Marcus Denmon, 6-3, 185 Pounds
> Sat out the exhibition opener as a precaution with a right shoulder strain … However he played in the preseason finale, scoring 10 points in 25 minutes with three steals.
> Returning Academic All-Big 12.
> Big 12 All-Reserve Team last year as a sophomore.
> Led the club in three-point shooting percentage last season at 40.7 percent with 68 makes.
> Ranked second on the team in scoring at 10.4 points per game and will give the Tigers another big guard to replace Zaire Taylor and J.T. Tiller.
> Is back to full strength after suffering a knee injury as a freshman ... He fought through soreness in that knee for much of his sophomore campaign.
#21 Laurence Bowers, 6-3, 185 Pounds
> Led Missouri in both scoring (24.5) and rebounding (10.0) in preseason play.
> Had a career game with 26 points and 14 rebounds vs. Arkansas-Fort Smith in the preseason finale.
> Scored 49 points in just 42 minutes this preseason.
> Named to the Big 12's All-Reserve Team, but finished his sophomore year with six consecutive starts.
> Tore ligaments in his left wrist down the home stretch of the 2009-10 campaign, but is fully healthy ... He will wrap his wrist however as a precaution.
> Named Academic All-Big 12 last year, as well as All-Reserve.
> Was one of the Big 12's most improved players going from 3.2 ppg as a freshman to 10.2 points and 5.7 rebounds as a sophomore.
> Needs just eight more blocked shots to move into Missouri's career Top 10 ... Currently has 61 swats.
#23 Justin Safford, 6-3, 185 Pounds
> Is healthy after undergoing off-season ACL surgery ... Injured his knee on Feb. 24 vs. Colorado, but worked incredibly hard throughout his rehabilitation and is back to near full strength.
> Narrowly missed a double-double in the exhibition debut, scoring nine points, while grabbing a game high 12 boards in 17 minutes ... Added 10 points vs. Fort Smith.
> Is the club's lone senior and enters this third year with the program, which includes 70 wins during that stretch.
> Averaged 8.6 points and 4.1 rebounds as a junior, but averaged 9.9 points in Big 12 play before his injury.
> Made a return to live action in the Black & Gold Game where he recorded a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double on 7-of-11 shooting.
#24 Kim English, 6-6, 200 Pounds
> Was incredibly efficient in the exhibition opener, scoring 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting in 20 minutes … Connected on 4-of-6 three-pointers.
> Saw limited time in the exhibition finale due to foul trouble.
> Returning all-Big 12 Third Team from last year after pacing the club in scoring and tying for the team lead with 68 three-point makes.
> Was the first sophomore to earn all-Big 12 for the Tigers since Kareem Rush.
> Named to the Preseason Top 50 for the John Wooden Player of the Year Award.
> Named one of college basketball's top shooters by FoxSports.com's Jeff Goodman.
> Named one of college basketball's Top 15 wing players by CBS's Gary Parrish.
> Named honorable mention all-Big 12 this preseason by the league coaches ... The league just announces a first team on the preseason ballot.
> Is of course known for his tireless work ethic and wears #24 because he is thinking about the game of basketball 24 hours a day.
> Often sleeps in the locker room during the season, which allows him to workout during off-hours.
#32 Steve Moore, 6-9, 270 Pounds
> Gives Missouri a great defensive presence in the low post and finished his sophomore season with 17 blocks in his final eight games.
> Closed the year with at least one block in each of his last eight games.
> Spent a portion of the summer playing with Global Sports Academy in Europe.
Traveling Tigers - Seven Games In 14 Days
Missouri Basketball will do some heavy traveling the next two weeks as the club will play seven games in a span of just 14 days … Missouri will play those seven games in four different venues (Mizzou Arena, Aventura Palace, Sprint Center and McArthur Court), in two different countries (U.S. and Mexico) and in two states (Missouri and Oregon) … Total travel distance for the Black & Gold will be 7,308 miles.
> The Tigers open the stretch with back-to-back home games before leaving Sunday morning (Nov. 21) for a flight from St. Louis to Dallas and then on to Cancun, Mexico ... The team will then drive from Cancun to Playa del Carmen, Mexico, the location of this year's Cancun Challenge.
> The Tigers then return on Thanksgiving Day and host a Nov. 28 contest vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff … Missouri will then drive the next day to Kansas City and face the Georgetown Hoyas on Nov. 30.
> After brief overnight stay in KC the Tigers fly from Kansas City to Eugene, Ore., to meet the Oregon Ducks in the Big 12 / Pac-10 Hardwood Series before flying back home to Columbia.
Detailed Travel Distance For The Tigers
Travel Mileage
Columbia to St. Louis 120
St. Louis to Dallas 543
Dallas to Cancun 1,008
Cancun to Playa del Carmen 42
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Playa del Carmen to Cancun 42
Cancun to Dallas 1,008
Dallas to St. Louis 543
St. Louis to Columbia 120
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Columbia to Kansas City 131
Kansas City to Eugene, Ore. 1,811
Eugene to Columbia 1,940
Total 7,308
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Brother tandems aren't necessarily rare at Mizzou, but very few brother tandems have played at the same time for the Black & Gold … Many Missouri fans remember the days of Slim & Slam (aka Sammie and Simeon Haley) and then there were Mike and Jerry Kirksey who played together one season (1957-58) and thanks to Gary Link for reminding us about the Minx twins, Beau and Charles, who played for MU in 1944, but now the Tigers have a new tandem of brothers, Matt and Phil Pressey.
> The Pressey brothers will get two seasons of play on the hardwood at Missouri and Matt enters the program after earning first team Junior College All-America honors at Navarro College in Texas, while Phil was one of the elite national recruits at the point guard position.
> To this point the most successful tandem (stats-wise) are the Haley Twins who each stood over 7-feet tall and played during the 1994-96 seasons … The duo combined to score 819 points, grab 541 rebounds and block 120 shots during their two seasons playing together.
> During 1957-58 the Kirksey brothers of Buffalo, Mo., combined to score 125 points, led by Mike, who averaged 5.4 points per night.
About Western Illinois
Western Illinois enters Thursday's game with a 2-0 record following an 83-47 win over St. Francis (Ill.) on Nov. 12 and a 59-52 road win at Savannah State on Sunday ... The Leathernecks are led in scoring by Matt Lander and Ceola Clark III ... Lander is averaging 18.5 points, while Clark, a returning All-Summit League performer, is averaging 16.5 points, 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals ... Clark is also the preseason Summit League Defensive Player of the Year ... Jim Molinari's clubs are always outstanding defensively and WIU is allowing just 49.5 points per game this year ... Neither of Western Illinois' opponents have topped 40 percent shooting, however they have been out-rebounded 52 to 50 on the season.
Scoring Balance Fueling Tigers
Pick your poison with Missouri's offense ... During a pair of resounding exhibition wins Missouri averaged 114.5 points and had an incredible eight players average at least 9.5 points per game, with seven guys averaging in double figures.
> Laurence Bowers led the way with 24.5 points in just 21.0 minutes ... If you are scoring at home, Bowers averaged 1.2 points per minute played during the preseason.
> Despite playing the point for Mizzou, sophomore Michael Dixon led the team in field goal percentage (.684) en route to logging 17.0 points a night ... Dixon hit 13-of-19 shots and 4-of-6 treys.
> Also in double figures during the preseason were newcomers Phil Pressey (15.5), Ricardo Ratliffe (11.0) and Matt Pressey (10.0), while returners Kim English (10.5) and Marcus Denmon (10.0) chipped in a combined 20.5 points a night.
The Good Tigers Giveth...
Missouri will always be one of the country's most unselfish programs under former point guard Mike Anderson and the Tigers showed a propensity to distribute the rock in preseason play once again this year ... Mizzou dished 19.0 assists in two early-season wins and had a 38-to-27 assist/turnover ratio.
> Compare that efficiency to preseason games the last two years, when the Tigers had 24 assists and 29 turnovers in preseason play last year and 44 assists and 46 turnovers in exhibition play during the Elite Eight year of 2008-09.
And Taketh Away...
If it's the Fastest 40 Minutes in Basketball then opponents know waves of defensive pressure will be in store ... Missouri has ranked among the nation's leaders in steals each year under Anderson's watch, including a national best 10.9 steals per game in 2009-10 ... The Tigers also led the country by forcing 19.4 turnovers a game last season.
> Missouri has dialed up the pressure so far this year, averaging 16.5 steals in a pair of preseason wins ... The Tigers averaged 38.0 points per game off of turnovers in the exhibition season, after averaging 23.0 points off turnovers last year.
When Is a Broken Record Not a Record
Of course exhibition games don't count in the records book, but the 115 points scored by the Tigers in the exhibition win against Arkansas-Fort Smith would have littered the Mizzou annals in a number of areas.
> The 115 points would have been the most points ever scored at Mizzou Arena … Currently the regular-season record for points is 107 set twice, initially vs. SIU-Edwardsville on Jan. 27, 2008 and once again vs. Colorado on Jan. 14, 2009.
> The 115 points would have also been the eighth highest scoring total in school history and most for MU since 117 tallies vs. Southern on Dec. 6, 2001.
An Exhibition of Big Wins
Missouri has of course been dominating in exhibition victories and the Tigers continued that solid opening play vs. Harris-Stowe State and Arkansas-Fort Smith, recording a 114-60 victory vs. Harris-Stowe before a 115-74 win over Fort Smith … Below is a list of Tiger exhibition contests and margins of victory under Mike Anderson's watch in Columbia.
Opponent Score Margin
Arkansas-Fort Smith 115-74 41
Harris-Stowe State 114-60 54
NW Missouri St. 83-60 23
Truman State 96-33 63
Lincoln 97-54 43
Missouri Southern 87-58 29
Missouri-St. Louis 78-51 27
Missouri Western 113-55 58
Missouri-Rolla 105-67 38
Lithuania Academy 94-40 54
Mizzou Arena - Home Sweet Home
Mike Anderson is a perfect 40-0 all-time in non-conference home games at Missouri ... Not only have the Tigers won 40 consecutive in non-league action, but they have done so in dominating fashion, sporting a 26.7 ppg margin of victory.
> The Tigers have played some impressive foes during Anderson's run as well, and own quality wins over Arkansas, California, Davidson, Georgia, Oregon, Purdue, Murray State, Mississippi State and others during that 40-game stretch.
> Missouri was actually more dominant at home than normal last year, owning a 32.6 ppg margin of victory, including a 56-point win against Texas-Pan American (100-44), which is the largest margin of victory in the history of Mizzou Arena, a 51-point win over Fairleigh Dickinson (87-36), a 43-point triumph against Chattanooga (99-56) and a 37-point win against Oregon (106-69).
Year Record Margin of Victory
2006-07 11-0 18.7 ppg
2007-08 9-0 27.5 ppg
2008-09 10-0 29.5 ppg
2009-10 10-0 32.6 ppg
Total 40-0 26.7 ppg.
English Named to Wooden Top 50
Missouri junior guard Kim English was named a preseason candidate for the prestigious John R. Wooden Player of the Year trophy announced by The Los Angeles Athletic Club ... The Baltimore, Md., native led Mizzou in scoring last season averaging 14.0 points en route to all-Big 12 recognition.
> The list features 50 of the top players in college basketball who, based on last year's individual and team performances, are considered to be the early frontrunners for one of the top honors in college hoops this season ... Transfers and incoming freshmen are not eligible to for the preseason list, but can play their way into mid-season consideration for the honor.
> English's selection marks the second consecutive year a Tiger has made the Wooden Preseason ledger ... J.T. Tiller was a Top 50 nominee last year and helped the club to a 23-11 mark, which included a win in last year's NCAA Tournament.
Ratliffe Named Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year by the League Coaches
Forward Ricardo Ratliffe was named the Big 12 Conference's Preseason Newcomer of the Year by the league coaches ... It's the second time in Head Coach Mike Anderson's tenure that a player has earned the top newcomer billing in the preseason ... DeMarre Carroll earned the same honor before the 2007-08 campaign and went on to claim the postseason award as well.
> A 6-foot-8, 240-pound post player, Ratliffe adds tremendous size and strength to a strong returning nucleus at Mizzou … The Hampton, Va., native enjoyed a historic two-year career at the junior college level, earning back-to-back first team all-NJCAA All-America honors while setting school records for scoring (1,653 points) and rebounding (580) at Central Florida Community College ... Ratliffe was one of just 13 players in junior college history to be named first team All-America twice.
Tiger Ranked In Preseason
Missouri Basketball is entering the regular season as a ranked club for the first time since 2003-04 … Missouri was pegged #15 nationally in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches Top 25 polls in October.
> Missouri was #5 nationally to open the 2003-04 campaign and have been ranked in the preseason 14 times before … The #15 national ranking is the ninth highest preseason ranking in school history … Mizzou of course finished the 2008-09 campaign #9 nationally en route to its NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearance.
The Pine Is Fine
Missouri is known for having deep squads and the trend continued in 2009-10, as the Tiger reserves averaged 31.6 points per game last season.
> Tiger reserves scored 1,076 of the team's 2,627 points last year and nine different Tigers reached double figures off the bench.
> In Anderson's 134 games on the Tiger sidelines, the reserves have outscored Missouri's starters 19 times.
> Mizzou has broken the school record for bench production each of the last two years … Before last season's 31.6 ppg bench total, the club set the record in 2008-09 with 27.0 ppg ... The Tigers also broke the school record with 62 bench points in home wins against SIU-Edwardsville and Colorado in 2008-09.
College Basketball's Wins Over Last Two Years
Guess who is among college basketball's winningest programs the last two seasons? ... It's the Missouri Tigers ... Mizzou has won 54 games the last two seasons, the 12th highest win total in college hoops since the start of the 2008-09 campaign.
> Below is a list of the winningest programs over the last couple of seasons.
Team Wins
1. Duke 66
2. Kansas 61
Syracuse 61
4. Butler 59
5. Utah State 58
Memphis 58
Michigan State 58
Pittsburgh 58
9. Gonzaga 57
10. Purdue 56
Villanova 56
12. Mizzou 54
