Nov. 22, 2010
Columbia, Mo. -
Complete Release in PDF Format 
University of Missouri Tigers (2-0, 0-0 Big 12) vs.
University of Wyoming Cowboys (2-2, 0-0 MWC)
Tip-Off: 6 p.m. CT
Arena: Aventura Spa & Palace (N/A)
TV: CBS College Sports (Thad Anderson and Pete Gillen)
Radio: Tiger Radio Network (Mike Kelly - Play by Play / Gary Link - Analyst)
Rankings: Mizzou 15/14; Wyoming NR/NR in AP / USA Today Coaches Poll
Series: Missouri leads 3-1; last 64-54 Mizzou win Dec. 5, 1981 in Columbia
Coaches:
Missouri: Mike Anderson (Tulsa '82); 179-87 overall (9th); 90-46 at Mizzou (5th)
Wyoming: Heath Schroyer (Armstrong Atlantic State '95) 43-55 at Wyoming (4th)
Mizzou Quick Hitters
> Mizzou Basketball hits the road for the first time this season as the Tigers meet the Wyoming Cowboys in the semifinals of the 2010 Cancun Challenge.
> Missouri has enjoyed two tournament wins during Mike Anderson's time in Columbia ... Of course Mizzou won the 2009 Big 12 Tournament title in Oklahoma City and then won the John Thompson Foundation Classic in 2006-07 in his first season in Columbia.
> Mizzou also finished third at the 2007 CBE Classic, falling 86-83 to #10 Michigan State before handling Maryland 84-70 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City.
> Mizzou's trip to Cancun will be the first-ever regular season games played by the Tigers outside the country … Missouri did play three exhibition games in Canada over Labor Day 2008.
> Missouri gets a rare look at the Mountain West Conference on Tuesday ... The Tigers haven't faced a foe from the MWC since falling 74-71 at UNLV on Feb. 9, 2005.
> Speaking of Wyoming, the Cowboy Football program is led by a former Missouri Tiger football assistant, Dave Christensen ... Coach Christensen was the offensive coordinator coach under Gary Pinkel at Mizzou from 2001-08.
> Missouri is looking to start 3-0 for the second consecutive year and for the fourth time in five years under Mike Anderson.
> Speaking of fast starts, Mike Anderson is just 10 wins shy of 100 during his time at Missouri ... Anderson has 90 wins and 46 losses in Columbia, an excellent winning percentage of .662 ... Anderson won 89 games as well at UAB and has 179 career victories.
> Missouri turned in a dominating performance during Saturday's 96-58 win over North Florida ... The Tigers forced a school record 34 turnovers, including 21 in the first half ... The previous record was 31 by Canisius on Nov. 25 1991, and then 31 by West Texas State on Dec. 5, 1980.
> Missouri is forcing one turnover for every three opponent possessions this year (50 opponent turnovers compared to 104 opponent FG attempts).
> Last season Missouri led the nation by forcing turnovers on 30 percent of its opponent possessions.
> The Tigers have scored 43 points off of those 50 turnovers, a number that will increase as this new collection of players becomes more familiar with each other.
> The bench production from the Tiger reserves is nothing new under Mike Anderson ... The Tigers ranked #2 nationally in bench scoring a season ago at 31.6 points per game and have averaged 27.2 points over Anderson's five years in Columbia!
> The Tigers are already averaging 32.0 ppg from their bench, including a season high 36 points vs. North Florida on Saturday.
> It's early, but Missouri has been good at defending the rim though two games, averaging 7.0 swats a contest ... Laurence Bowers leads the way with eight of those blocks in just two contests.
> 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 as the highest-ranked recruit of the Mike Anderson era, rated as high as #16 nationally by 2K Sports.
> The quick, explosive guard is a true point for the Fastest 40 Minutes in Basketball and brings a team-oriented approach to the lineup.
> The rookie leads Missouri with nine assists through two games, including a career high eight dimes in the win vs. North Florida.
> He also ripped five steals in the win as well and is tied for the team lead with six total thefts.
> Pressey showed some moxie in the season-opener against Western Illinois, sinking two free throws with just 1:26 remaining and the Tigers up just 58-57 after forcing a WIU turnover.
> 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 exhibition debut vs. Harris-Stowe, scoring nine points on a trio of three-pointers, while dishing two dimes and ripping a game high four steals.
> 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.
> Scored four points, dished three assists and added two steals in the win vs. North Florida.
> 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 his first career double-double vs. North Florida with 16 points and 10 boards off the bench.
> Leads the team in field goal percentage (.611) and is second in scoring (11.0) and rebounding (6.0).
> 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
> Tied for the team lead with six steals through two games and ripped a career high five steals vs. North Florida on Nov. 20.
> Added 11 points and four assists in just 16 minutes in the 38-point win.
> 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
> Scored a season high 18 points vs. North Florida, hitting 7-of-12 shots and a pair of three-pointers.
> Leads the club in scoring (13.5) and three-point field goals made (4-of-8).
> Has 106 career three-pointers in his tenure, just 40 outside the Missouri all-time Top 10.
> 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, 6-8, 210 Pounds
> Led Missouri in both scoring (24.5) and rebounding (10.0) in preseason play.
> Recorded his fourth career double-double vs. North Florida with 12 points and 10 rebounds in 24 minutes.
> Narrowly missed a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds in the opener.
> Leads the team in rebounding (10.0) and blocked shots (4.0 bpg) this season.
> Tied for 10th in school history with 69 career blocked shots and needs just three more to pass Monte Hardge (1995-99) who had 72 in his career.
> 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.
#23 Justin Safford, 6-9, 230 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.
> Made the start in the season-opener and finished with seven points.
> Is the club's lone senior and enters his fourth year with the program, which includes 72 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
> Reached double figures vs. North Florida with 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor ... Scored 12 second-half tallies in the win on 5-of-6 second-half shooting.
> Has 111 career three-pointers and needs 35 more treys to join the Mizzou career Top 10.
> Honorable mention preseason All-American by Sports Illustrated.
> 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 to the Preseason Top 50 for the James Naismith 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
> Career game in the season-opener vs. Western Illinois, scoring a career high nine points, while tying a career high with five boards.
> Hit his first career three-pointer to end the first half, while dishing two assists.
> Gives Missouri a great defensive presence in the low post and finished his sophomore season with 17 blocks in his final eight games.
> On a run with at least one blocked shot in 10 consecutive games dating back to the final eight games of 2009-10.
> Spent a portion of the summer playing with Global Sports Academy in Europe.
Mizzou Outside The Lower 48
Mizzou Basketball is no stranger to playing games outside the “Lower 48” states and that was especially true during Norm Stewart's tenure in Columbia ... Overall the Tigers have twice played in San Juan, P.R. (1996-97 and 2008-09) three times in Alaska at the Great Alaskan Shootout (1980-81, 1985-86 and 2000-01) and nine times in Hawaii, including eight tournaments (1982-83, 1984-85, 1985-86, 1986-87, 1989-90, 1992-93, 1995-96 and 1997-98).
> Missouri is 4-2 all-time in San Juan, 5-4 all-time in Alaska and 17-8 all-time in Hawaii including the Maui Classic title in 1989-90 and Rainbow Classic crown in 1985-86 ... Mizzou also won the Hawaii Pacific Invitational in 1984-85 ... Overall the Tigers are 26-14 when traveling such great distances.
English Named To Naismith List
Junior guard Kim English earned another preseason honor as he was named to the James Naismith preseason watch list on Nov. 16.
> English is one of four Big 12 players named to the list and is one of just 50 players nationally, including incoming freshmen.
> English led the club in scoring (14.0) and three-point makes (68) last year en route to guiding the Tigers to a 23-11 overall mark.
Thank You For Your Patience
Missouri Basketball was the last team in America to play a regular-season game this year, joining Arkansas and Fairleigh-Dickinson as the final two clubs to get started on Nov. 18 ... Both the Tigers and Razorbacks opened play at 7 p.m. CT, while Fairleigh-Dickinson, a 2009-10 Tiger opponent, opened at 6 p.m. CT.
> Mizzou opened its 2009-10 season later as well, facing Prairie View A&M on Nov. 17 ... Before that the latest start came in 2003-04 when Mizzou opened at Oakland on Nov. 29.
Traveling Tigers - Seven Games In 14 Days
Missouri Basketball is doing some heavy traveling the next two weeks as the club is in the midst of a seven-game stretch in 14 days … Missouri is playing 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 opened this 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 Wyoming
Wyoming earned a solid 64-55 victory over Western Illinois on Nov. 20 and enters Tuesday's game 2-2 on the young season ... The Cowboys got 13 points from Desmar Jackson and 13 off the bench from Djibril Thiam thanks to 4-of-6 shooting ... Thiam leads Wyoming in scoring at 11.5 points per night and has started three of four games ... Jackson is second with 10.3 points, but missed last week's game vs. North Florida due to a suspension ... Like Mizzou, Wyoming is a youthful club and has just one senior ... The Cowboys are coached by Heath Schroyer who is in his fourth season in Laramie.
The Good Tigers Giveth...
Missouri will always be one of the country's more unselfish programs under former point guard Mike Anderson and the Tigers have showed a propensity to distribute the rock once again this year ... Mizzou dished 20 assists in its 96-58 win over North Florida on Nov. 20 and have topped 20 dimes 35 times under Anderson.
> Missouri is currently averaging 16.0 assists through two games in 2010-11.
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 is once again among the national leaders in both turnovers forced and steals this year, forcing 25.0 turnovers per game, including a school record 34 turnovers vs. North Florida ... The Tigers also average 12.5 steals a night.