Nov. 26, 2010
Columbia, Mo. -
Complete Release in PDF Format 
University of Missouri Tigers (4-0, 0-0 Big 12) vs.
University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff Lions (0-5, 0-0 SWAC)
Tip-Off: 3 p.m. CT
Arena: Mizzou Arena (15,063)
TV: MSN (Dan McLaughlin and Jon Sundvold)
Radio: Tiger Radio Network (Chris Gervino - Play by Play / Gary Link - Analyst)
Rankings: Mizzou 11/12; Ark-Pine Bluff NR/NR in AP / USA Today Coaches Poll
Series: Missouri leads 3-0; last 88-70 Mizzou win Dec. 19, 2009 in Columbia
Coaches:
Missouri: Mike Anderson (Tulsa '82); 181-87 overall (9th); 92-46 at Mizzou (5th)
UAPB: George Ivory (Mississippi Valley State '88) 31-36 at UAPB (3rd season)
For Openers...
> A torrid stretch of games continues for Missouri Basketball as the Tigers host Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Sunday afternoon at Mizzou Arena ... The Tigers returned back to Columbia late Thursday evening after a successful two-game tournament in Cancun, Mexico ... The Tigers went 2-0 over the break and claimed the 2010 Cancun Challenge title.
> Missouri will play three games over the next five games, including two more contests away from Mizzou Arena ... Following Sunday's game vs. Pine Bluff, Missouri faces #16 Georgetown at Sprint Center in Kansas City and then travels to Eugene, Ore., to meet the Oregon Ducks in the 2010 Big 12 / Pac-10 Hardwood Series.
> Missouri will be looking to move to 5-0 under Mike Anderson for the second time during his tenure in Columbia... Missouri started 9-0 in 2006-07.
> Missouri has been very good on the glass this year thanks in large part to returning junior Laurence Bowers and newcomer Ricardo Ratliffe ... Missouri has a combined three double-doubles already in 2010-11 after having just five all of last season ... Ratliffe leads the team with two double-doubles in four games and narrowly missed a third with eight points and 12 boards vs. Wyoming ... Bowers led Missouri last season with three-double-doubles.
> The Tigers have been one of the country's winningest programs the last two (plus) seasons ... Including its 4-0 mark this year, the team has won 58 games over that stretch, the 12th most wins in all of college basketball since 2008-09.
> Bench production is once again a big key for the 2010-11 Tigers ... Missouri is averaging 32.5 ppg from its reserves, highlighted by a season high 49 points vs. La Salle in the 2010 Cancun Challenge title game ... Marcus Denmon scored 21 points off the bench, while Ratliffe added 14 points and 14 boards ... Missouri's reserves outscored its starters 49-to-34 in the 12-point victory.
> Missouri begins the 2010-11 campaign as a ranked program ... The Tigers are now rated #11 in the Associated Press and #12 USA Today polls to start the year ... The Tigers were 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 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 including nationally on ESPN FullCourt.
Mizzou Quick Hitters
> Home Sweet Home ... For about 72 hours at least ... Missouri Basketball returns home to face Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Sunday afternoon following a tournament championship title in Cancun, Mexico.
> The Tigers then leave on Monday for Kansas City and will remain on the road until Friday due to a Thursday night game at Oregon.
> The Tigers were actually the last team in America to get their regular-season started, but following the Big 12 / Pac-10 Hardwood Series game at Oregon, Missouri will have seven games already under their belts ... That figure will rank tied for #2 in the Big 12 for games played so far this season through Dec. 2.
> Missouri earned two wins over Wyoming and a very talented La Salle club in Mexico, with the Tigers showing continued improvement in each contest ... Missouri rebounded from a 20-turnover contest vs. Wyoming to dish 17 assists and commit just six turnovers vs. La Salle ... The six turnovers were a season low and Missouri averaged 18.5 assists per game over the two contests.
> Missouri has enjoyed three 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 in addition to the Cancun Challenge title.
> Speaking of success, Mike Anderson is just eight wins shy of 100 during his time at Missouri ... Anderson has 92 wins and 46 losses in Columbia, an excellent winning percentage of .667 ... Anderson won 89 games as well at UAB and has 181 career victories.
> Mizzou Arena has been a terror dome for non-league opponents during the Mike Anderson era... In running their record to 42-0 (under Anderson), the Tigers are averaging a 26.4 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 49-game non-conference home court winning streak, which dates back to the 2005-06 campaign (pre-Mike Anderson era) ... That 49-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 is forcing one turnover for every three opponent possessions this year (88 opponent turnovers compared to 208 opponent FG attempts).
> Last season Missouri led the nation by forcing turnovers on 30 percent of its opponent possessions.
> The Tigers have scored 86 points off of those 88 turnovers, a number that will increase as this new collection of players becomes more familiar with each other ... So far Missouri is averaging 21.5 ppg off of turnovers.
> 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 27.4 points over Anderson's five years in Columbia!
> The Tigers are already averaging 32.5 ppg from their bench, including a season high 49 points vs. La Salle on Nov. 24.
> Another critical stat for Missouri is field goal opportunities ... Missouri thrives on its defensive pressure creating extra scoring opportunities and so far this season Missouri has taken 67 more shots than its opponents and made 27 more buckets ... Couple that with excellent offensive rebounding and you can see why the Tigers are becoming more and more dangerous as they gel ... Missouri has 30 more offensive boards than its opponents this year, thanks in large part to 22 offensive boards in the win over La Salle on Nov. 24.
> It's early, but Missouri has been good at defending the rim though four games, averaging 5.5 swats a contest ... Laurence Bowers and Steve Moore lead the way with eight blocks apiece.
> 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 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
> Nicknamed “Flip”.
> 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 is second on the club with 13 assists and nine steals ... Was improved protecting the basketball in Cancun and had four assists and three steals in the two Tiger wins.
> Enjoyed a career high eight dimes in the win vs. North Florida on Nov. 20.
> He also ripped five steals in the win as well.
> 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.
> Hit 3-of-4 three-pointers in wins over Wyoming and La Salle, including a career-best 2-of-3 treys vs. La Salle in the first half.
> Averaged 5.0 points in just 7.0 minutes in the two Cancun wins.
> 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.
> Beginning to improve defensively with more game action and is moving the ball well as he begins to fit into that “Tiller / Taylor” mold.
> Made his first career start in the win over La Salle on Nov. 24 and produced career-best numbers of nine points and four assists in 36 minutes ... Also did not commit a turnover in that victory.
> 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.
> Leads the club in rebounding (9.5) and double-doubles (2) ... Is on a run of three consecutive double-figure rebounding games and is averaging 12.0 boards over that stretch.
> First Tiger since DeMarre Carroll (2008-09) to reach double figures in rebounding in three consecutive games.
> His 14 boards vs. La Salle are the most since Carroll grabbed 14 vs. Kansas State (during that three-game run as well) on Feb. 25, 2009.
> Leads the team in field goal percentage (.512) and is second in scoring (11.0).
> Named to the Cancun Challenge All-Tournament team after averaging 11.0 points and 13.0 rebounds.
> 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.
#11 Michael Dixon, 6-1, 180 Pounds
> Leads Missouri in both assists (16) and steals (10) this season, which includes 11 assists in his last two games.
> Owns a 2.7-to-1 assists turnover ratio with 16 dimes and just six turnovers.
> Scored a career high 17 points, grabbed a career high six boards and dished six assists in the win vs. Wyoming on Nov. 23.
> Ripped a career high five steals vs. North Florida on Nov. 20.
> 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 21 points in the win over La Salle on Nov. 24 thanks to 5-of-9 three-point shooting.
> Has five career 20-point efforts and Missouri is a perfect 5-0 in those games.
> Cancun Challenge MVP after averaging 15.0 points on 8-of-16 three-point shooting in two wins.
> Leads the club in scoring (14.3) and three-point field goals made (12-of-24).
> Has 114 career three-pointers in his tenure, just 32 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.
> Has reached double figures in three consecutive games and is third on the club in scoring at 10.8 ppg.
> Second in rebounding (7.3) and tied for the team lead in blocked shots (2.0 bpg).
> 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.
> Scored a season high 11 points in the win vs. La Salle, including nine of the team's first 10 points ... Finished with a season-best six rebounds as well.
> Is the club's lone senior and enters his fourth year with the program, which includes 74 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
> Has reached double figures twice this season, including a terrific all-around game vs. Wyoming with 11 points, seven boards and a career-high tying five assists.
> Has 113 career three-pointers and needs 33 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 12 consecutive games dating back to the final eight games of 2009-10.
> Tied for the team lead with eight blocked shots so far in 2010-11.
> Spent a portion of the summer playing with Global Sports Academy in Europe.
Tigers Claim Another Title
Missouri has been good at claiming trophies under Mike Anderson's watch and The Fastest 40 Minutes in Basketball claimed the 2010 Cancun Challenge crown last week with wins over Wyoming (72-62) and La Salle (83-71).
> Mizzou of course won the 2009 Big 12 Tournament crown in Oklahoma City en route to an NCAA Elite Eight berth and also won the 2006 John Thompson Foundation Classic.
> Missouri also currently holds the Busch Braggin' Rights trophy for last season's win over Illinois.
The Fun Of Being Balanced
Missouri continues to be one of the nation's most balanced programs in 2010-11 ... The Tigers have had nine different players score nine or more points in a game this year (through just four games) and six of those Tigers have reached double figures ... In addition, five different Tigers have grabbed six or more rebounds, four different players have dished three or more assists and four different have had three or more steals ... Kim English and Mike Dixon have reached those totals in all four categories so far this season for Mizzou.
> To illustrate how important balance is to Missouri Basketball, the Tigers had eight players top nine or more points in a game all of last season and then had a school record 11 do it in 2008-09.
Double R = Double-Digit Rebounding
Ricardo Ratliffe has played just four collegiate games in NCAA Division I, but the newcomer has already produced two double-doubles and was named to the Cancun Challenge All-Tournament team.
> Ratliffe led the tournament with 26 rebounds in two games, including 14 points and a career high 14 boards in the win vs. La Salle ... Ratliffe dominated the glass vs. highly-touted La Salle forward Aaric Murray and helped Mizzou win the battle of the boards 42-to-37.
> Ratliffe narrowly missed a third double-double with eight points and 12 boards vs. Wyoming.
> The transfer needs nine more double-doubles to move into the Missouri single-season top 10 ... Jevon Crudup is 10th with 11 double-dips during the 1993-94 season.
Denmon Draining Treys
Marcus Denmon has hit 12 triples through just four games to pace the 2010-11 Tigers and that's the most three-point makes for a Mizzou player in the first-four games since Clarence Gilbert back in 2001-02 ... Gilbert hit 15 treys through his first-four contests that season, but Denmon's 12 “swishes” ranks #2 all-time at Missouri ... Kim English (2008-09), Matt Lawrence (2006-07 and 2008-09), Thomas Gardner (2005-06), Ricky Clemons (2002-03) and Kareem Rush (2000-01) all had 11 makes through four games for Mizzou.
All-Tourney Tigers
Marcus Denmon and Ricardo Ratliffe were named to the Cancun Challenge All-Tournament Team on Nov. 24 ... Denmon was named the MVP following his 21-point effort in the win over La Salle, while Ratliffe averaged 11 points and 13 boards through two games ... Not to be forgotten however was the great play of sophomore Michael Dixon, who averaged 10.5 points, 4.5 boards, 5.5 assists and 2.0 steals in two wins.
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.
Traveling Tigers - Seven Games In 14 Days
Missouri Basketball continues to do some heavy traveling this week 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 location of this year's Cancun Challenge.
> The Tigers returned 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 Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Arkansas-Pine Bluff plays their sixth consecutive road game to open the 2010-11 campaign ... The Lions are 0-5 on the season and have played a challenging schedule that includes games at Nebraska (L, 83-40), at Northwestern (L, 71-45) and at Stanford (L, 92-49) ... The Lions are recently coming off a 70-63 defeat at Hawaii on Nov. 25 ... Savalance Townsend leads UAPB in scoring at 12.3 points a night and he poured in 25 points in that loss to Hawaii ... He is joined in double-figures by Daniel Broughton (10.8) and Allen Smith (10.2) ... UAPB is the defending Southwestern Athletic Conference champions and won an opening-round game vs. Winthrop in last year's NCAA Tournament.
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 has dished 20 assists twice already this year and have topped 20 dimes 36 times under Anderson.
> Missouri is currently averaging 17.3 assists through four 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 22.0 turnovers per game, including a school record 34 turnovers vs. North Florida ... The Tigers also average 10.8 steals a night.
Mizzou Arena - Home Sweet Home
Mike Anderson is a perfect 42-0 all-time in non-conference home games at Missouri ... Not only have the Tigers won 42 consecutive in non-league action, but they have done so in dominating fashion, sporting a 26.3 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.
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
2010-11 2-0 21.5 ppg
Total 42-0 26.3 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 that trend seems to be continuing this season as the Tiger reserves are averaging 32.5 points per game in 2010-11.
> Mizzou got a season-best 49 points off the bench vs. La Salle, paced by Marcus Denmon's season high 21 tallies on 5-of-9 three-point shooting.
> Missouri averaged 31.6 points per game from its reserves last year, ranking #2 in the nation.
> In Anderson's 138 games on the Tiger sidelines, the reserves have outscored Missouri's starters 20 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.