Dec. 17, 2010
Columbia, Mo. -
Complete Release in PDF Format 
#12 / #13 University of Missouri Tigers (9-1, 0-0 Big 12) vs.
University of Central Arkansas Bears (3-7, 0-0 Southland)
Tip-Off: 7 p.m. CT
Arena: Mizzou Arena (15,061)
TV: MSN (Dan McLaughlin and Jon Sundvold)
Radio: Tiger Radio Network (Mike Kelly - Play by Play / Gary Link - Analyst)
Rankings: Mizzou 13/12; Central Arkansas NR/NR in AP / USA Today Coaches Poll
Series: First Meeting
Coaches:
Missouri: Mike Anderson (Tulsa `82); 186-88 overall (9th); 97-47 at Mizzou (5th)
Central Arkansas: Corliss Williamson (Maryland `03) 3-7 at UCA (1st)
For Openers...
> Mizzou Basketball concludes its four-game home stand on Saturday as it hosts Central Arkansas at 7 p.m. inside Mizzou Arena ... The Tigers have won four consecutive games heading into Saturday and look to tie a season-best five game winning streak.
> Quick turnarounds are nothing new for Mizzou this season ... This will be the fifth game for the club on just one day's (or less) rest in 2010.
> Of course the story line on Saturday is the meeting between coach and pupil ... Mike Anderson was an assistant coach at Arkansas during the playing days of Corliss Williamson ... The Razorbacks won the 1994 NCAA National Championship and were the national runner-up in 1995.
> Another story line is Mizzou looking for its best start to a season under Anderson ... The Tigers are currently 9-1 to open the year ... That start equals the best under Anderson at Missouri ... The Tigers opened the 2006-07 season 9-1, but fell in game #10 ... Mizzou hasn't been 10-1 since 2002-03.
> Missouri has been one of the country's winningest programs the last two (plus) seasons ... Including its 9-1 mark this year, the team has won 63 games over that stretch, the eighth most wins in all of college basketball since 2008-09.
> Mizzou extended its non-conference home court winning streak to 53 games on Thursday, which is a school record ... That run dates back to the 2005-06 campaign ... The previous school record was 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.
> Marcus Denmon continues to surge in his junior campaign ... The Kansas City native has been one of the country's best players in 2010-11 and is averaging a team-best 16.4 points per game this year, boasted by an average of 19.0 points per game over his last five contests on 53 percent shooting.
> Missouri Basketball will return home on Dec. 27 vs. Northern Illinois and Dec. 30 vs. Old Dominion following Saturday's game ... Tiger fans can purchase a Holiday 4-Pack for either of those games for just $24 ... That's just $6 per seat for either contest, including the Dec. 30 contest vs. an Old Dominion club that won a game in last season's NCAA Tournament.
Mizzou Quick Hitters
> Missouri Basketball is looking for its season-high tying fifth consecutive victory on Saturday night as it hosts Central Arkansas at Mizzou Arena.
> Missouri and Central Arkansas meet for the first time in series history on Saturday ... It's the first of several series initiators for MU this year, joining North Florida, North Alabama, Presbyterian and Northern Illinois.
> Turnovers are trending downward for Mizzou over the last three games ... The Tigers are averaging just 10.7 miscues per game during that stretch and have a +7.7 turnover margin (per game) in those contests ... In fact Mizzou's assist/turnover ratio is at an outstanding 1.5 during that run.
> Of course we know about Coach Anderson's connection to Corliss Williamson during their time together at Arkansas, but did you know there are a few other MU-UCA connections? Mizzou's Coordinator of Basketball Operations Ben Lindsey is a UCA graduate ... Matt Daniel, UCA's women's basketball coach, is a former assistant at Mizzou and he won 2010 Southland Coach of the Year honors ... Former Tiger Tiffany Brooks is also a member of Daniel's coaching staff ...
> Missouri is finding its offensive rhythm over the last five games, shooting 48 percent from the floor, 39 percent from three-point range and 76 percent from the foul line during that time frame ... Balance has been the operative word for MU, with five players averaging better than 10.0 points and seven averaging 6.6 or more.
> Missouri has been the ultimate team through 10 games ... The Tigers have had seven different players lead the team (or tie for the team lead) in scoring, four different players in rebounding, six in assists and six in steals.
> Missouri is looking to move to 7-0 at home on the young season ... The Tigers have six home wins and three road/neutral wins this year ... The Tigers were just 1-3 in their first four games away from home last season and 2-2 in 2008-09.
> Mizzou has always been very good in November and December under Mike Anderson since the 2006-07 campaign ... MU is 27-5 in November and 22-8 in December, which includes wins over Old Dominion, #19 USC, Maryland, Arkansas, Davidson (with Stephen Curry), Purdue, Illinois, Oregon and Oral Roberts ... MU is a combined 49-13 (.790) before Jan. 1 under Anderson.
> Mike Anderson is just three wins shy of 100 during his time at Missouri ... Anderson has 97 wins and 47 losses in Columbia, an excellent winning percentage of .674 ... Anderson won 89 games as well at UAB and has 186 career victories.
> Mizzou Arena has been a terror dome for non-league opponents during the Mike Anderson era... In running their record to 46-0 (under Anderson), the Tigers are averaging a 25.5 ppg. margin of victory vs. non-conference foes at home, including quality wins over Arkansas, California, Davidson, Mississippi State, Murray State, Oral Roberts, Oregon and Purdue.
> Overall Missouri owns a 53-game non-conference home court winning streak, which dates back to the 2005-06 campaign (pre-Mike Anderson era) ... That 53-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 nearly every three opponent possessions this year (203 opponent turnovers compared to 541 opponent FG attempts).
> Last season Missouri led the nation by forcing turnovers on 30 percent of its opponent possessions.
> The Tigers have scored 210 points off of those 203 turnovers, a number that will increase as this new collection of players becomes more familiar with each other ... So far Missouri is averaging 21.0 ppg off of turnovers, including 29 points off turnovers vs. Georgetown on Nov. 30.
> 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 26.6 ppg from their bench this season, 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 chances and so far this season Missouri has taken 112 more shots than its opponents and made 64 more buckets.
> It's early, but Missouri has been good at defending the rim though nine games, averaging 5.1 swats a contest ... Laurence Bowers (22) and Steve Moore (13) lead the way with a combined 35 total blocks.
> 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 13 games against teams ranked / receiving votes in the Top 25 ... Included in that list are some impressive non-conference games vs. Old Dominion and Vanderbilt at home, neutral site games vs. #19 Illinois, #14 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 Flip Pressey, 5-10, 168 Pounds
> Nicknamed "Flip", but first name is Phil.
> Flip 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.
> Ranked among Big 12 leaders in both assists per game (3.4) and assist/turnover ratio (1.8).
> Dished a career high nine dimes vs. Presbyterian without committing a turnover and seven more vs. Oral Roberts.
> Has 23 assists and just seven turnovers over his last seven games.
> Is the Big 12's #1 freshman in assists this season with 34.
> 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.
> Scored a career high eight points in the win vs. Oral Roberts, while adding a pair of steals.
> Hit 3-of-4 three-pointers in wins over Wyoming and La Salle, including a then career-best 2-of-3 treys vs. La Salle in the first half.
> 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.
> Has started two games at the guard position, but has been a key reserve over his last six contests.
> Has hit at least one trey in six of his last eight games and is shooting 47 percent (7-of-15) from beyond the arc during that span.
> Is 18-of-35 from the floor over his last six games as well (.514).
> Came off the bench to score nine points and dish three assists vs. Georgetown and his first career double-figure scoring night came at Oregon on Dec. 2 with 10 points and two assists in 22 minutes.
> 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.
> Has been named Big 12 Rookie of the Week twice this season.
> Leads the club in rebounding (7.7) and double-doubles (3) ... Was on a run of four consecutive double-figure rebounding games before being held to seven boards vs. Georgetown.
> His 14 boards vs. La Salle are the most since DeMarre Carroll grabbed 14 vs. Kansas State on Feb. 25, 2009.
> Leads the team in field goal percentage (.552) and is second in scoring (11.7).
> 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, which includes former UNLV standout Larry Johnson.
> 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
> Career game in his return home to Kansas City vs. Georgetown, scoring a career-high tying 17 points to go with four assists and four steals.
> Father (Mike Sr.) left San Jose State as the school's all-time assist leader.
> Leads Missouri in both assists (39) and steals (22) this season, which includes 34 assists in his last seven games ... Also ranks #2 in the Big 12 in steals at 2.4 per game.
> Owns a 2.6-to-1 assists turnover ratio with 39 dimes and just 15 turnovers.
> Initially 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.
> Top returning assist man from last season with 55 dimes and just 32 turnovers.
#12 Marcus Denmon, 6-3, 185 Pounds
> Tough, gritty guard that was a football standout in high school as a wide out and defensive back.
> Won his first career Big 12 Player of the Week honor on Dec. 6.
> Leads the team in scoring (16.4) and three-point field goal percentage (.500) ... Is second in the Big 12 Conference with his three-point percentage.
> Has hit 13 of his last 21 treys over the last five games and is 32-of-62 from the floor overall.
> Scored a career high 27 points on Nov. 30 vs. Georgetown on an efficient 10-of-12 shooting from the floor ... Hit 5-of-7 treys and 5-of-5 shots inside the arc ... Added six boards and two steals as well.
> Scored 19 second-half / overtime points in the win vs. Vanderbilt, including the game-winner with five seconds remaining.
> Scored 21 points in the win over La Salle on Nov. 24 thanks to 5-of-9 three-point shooting.
> Has seven career 20-point efforts and Missouri is 6-1 in those games.
> Cancun Challenge MVP after averaging 15.0 points on 8-of-16 three-point shooting in two wins.
> Has 129 career three-pointers in his tenure, just 17 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.
> 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
> Scored a season high 18 points on 6-of-10 FGs in the win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Nov. 28.
> Outstanding game vs. Oral Roberts with 17 points, 6 boards and a career high five blocks.
> Has reached double figures in scoring six times.
> Recorded his fourth career double-double vs. North Florida with 12 points and 10 rebounds in 24 minutes.
> Second in rebounding (6.2) and tops in blocked shots (2.2 bpg).
> Eighth in school history with 83 career blocked shots and needs seven more to pass Chris Heller (1990-94) who had 89 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.
> Enjoyed an efficient day vs. Presbyterian, scoring a season-high 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting in 19 minutes ... Added six boards and a trey.
> Scored 11 points in the win vs. La Salle, including nine of the team's first 10 points ... Finished with six rebounds as well.
> Is the club's lone senior and enters his fourth year with the program, which includes 79 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 eight times this season, including a terrific all-around game vs. Wyoming with 11 points, seven boards and a career-high tying five assists.
> Was very unselfish in the Georgetown contest ... Scored 11 points on 5-of-12 FGs, but dished four assists and had three steals ... Three of his four assists came to backcourt running mate Marcus Denmon.
> Came off the bench vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff to score a season high 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting.
> Hit 3-of-5 treys (12 points) and grabbed six boards vs. Vanderbilt.
> Starting to heat up from beyond the arc with 9-of-18 three-point shooting over his last three games, including 4-of-9 treys vs. Presbyterian.
> Has 124 career three-pointers and needs 22 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
> A native of Kansas City and played at nearby Truman High School.
> Career game in the season-opener vs. Western Illinois, scoring a career high nine points, while tying a career high with five boards.
> Scored seven points and blocked three shots vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
> Has made 2-of-3 treys this season and was a good three-point shooter in high school.
> Second on the squad with 13 blocked shots this season... And finished his sophomore season with 17 blocks in his final eight games.
> Spent a portion of the summer playing with Global Sports Academy in Europe.
Milestones Approaching For Anderson
Mike Anderson became just the second coach in Missouri Basketball history to be 50 games over .500 for his career following an 81-62 win vs. Oral Roberts on Dec. 16 ... Anderson joins Norm Stewart (631-333 in 32 seasons) as the only other Tiger coach on that exclusive list.
> The fifth-year coach has of course steadily grown Tiger Basketball back towards national prominence and is closing in on 100 win as the Missouri coach as well ... He is currently 97-47 all-time at Mizzou and needs 14 more wins to reach 200 for his career (including 89 wins at UAB).
Paint It Black & Gold
The addition of Ricardo Ratliffe and growth of Missouri's returners in the post have led to much more balance in Mizzou's offense ... The Tigers have scored 368 of 829 points in the paint this season compared to 314 a season ago ... The 368 "paint points" is the second most during Anderson's time at Mizzou, just behind the 386 tallies scored by DeMarre Carroll, Leo Lyons and Co. through 10 games in 2008-09.
> Missouri has been outscored in the paint just once this season (Wyoming) and has topped 30 points eight times and is averaging 36.8 points in the paint per game this season.
The Freedom To Score
Coach Anderson loves an offense that shares the basketball, however the coach doesn't mind his Tigers getting greedy at the foul line and Mizzou has done just that this season, hitting 72 percent of its charity shots for the year and 76.3 percent over its last eight games ... In fact after two sub-par nights at the line to open the year Mizzou has dipped below 70 percent as a team just once over the last eight outings.
Turnover City
Missouri and Louisville are the only teams in America to force at least 16 turnovers in each game this season ... Mizzou forced 19 turnovers vs. Oral Roberts on Dec. 16 and has pressured foes into an average of 20.3 turnovers per game this year ... Special thanks to our friends at Louisville for the note!
> One more addition on the turnover front, the 34 turnovers the Tigers forced vs. North Florida on Nov. 20 was a school record.
Flip The Switch
Flip Pressey has found his comfort zone ... The explosive pass-first guard has fueled Missouri's offense the last two games, dishing out 16 assists while committing just two turnovers in wins vs. Presbyterian and Oral Roberts ... The Dallas native dished a career high nine assists without committing a turnover in the 70-55 victory vs. the Blue Hose, before delivering seven dimes with just two miscues vs. Oral Roberts.
> Pressey ranks #1 in the Big 12 among freshmen with 3.4 assists per game and his 1.8-to-1 assist/turnover ratio ranks #6 in the league overall ... His nine assists is also the fourth highest total in the league this season.
Crunch Time Hoops From Denmon
- With the game tied and Vanderbilt running out the clock for a final shot in overtime, Denmon steals a pass from Brad Tinsley, scores the winning bucket (while being fouled) and completes the three-point play for an 85-82 win.
- On Jan. 9, 2010, with Missouri trailing Kansas State 55-52 and just 5:37 remaining, Denmon scores nine of the game's final 22 points to lift MU to a 74-68 upset win ... Denmon hit back-to-back treys, a running bank shot off the glass and a free throw off his own steal.
- Missouri and Texas Tech were tied 82-82 with 3:06 remaining in overtime in Lubbock when Denmon came off a screen and buried a 24-footer in front of the Missouri bench to give the Tigers a lead they wouldn't relinquish, resulting in a 94-89 OT win.
- Of course for good measure we need to pay homage to the 60-footer in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament vs. #2 Memphis on March 26, 2009, in Glendale, Ariz.
A Point Guard Family
Michael Dixon Jr. is distributing the rock like his "pops" (Michael Dixon Sr.) ... A sophomore starter for Mizzou, Dixon is among the Big 12 leaders in a number of categories this season, including assists (4th at 4.3 apg), steals (2nd at 2.4) and assist/turnover ratio (1st at 2.6) ... Those numbers mirror the collegiate success his father had at San Jose State (1982-85) when the elder Dixon ranked #1 in school history with 477 assists and #6 with 106 career steals.
> However the younger Dixon has unleashed a consistent offensive game as well this year and has hit for double figures in scoring in six of his last nine contests, highlighted by a career high 17 points in games vs. Wyoming and Georgetown ... Dixon also helped lead Mizzou to a win over Vanderbilt with 15 points, four assists and three steals.
Non-Conference Home Streak #2 In Big 12
Missouri has won 53 consecutive non-conference games at home since 2005-06, which ranks very well amongst the rest of the league ... Here are the top win streaks in the conference:
Team Streak
Texas A&M 57
Missouri 53
Kansas 40
Kansas State 28
Oklahoma State 29
Texas 26
Oklahoma 23
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.
Balanced Across The Board
Missouri continues to be one of the nation's most balanced programs in 2010-11 ... The Tigers have had 10 different players score eight or more points in a game this year and seven of those Tigers have reached double figures ... In fact the Tigers have five players averaging double figures in scoring currently ... In addition, six different Tigers have grabbed six or more rebounds, five different players have dished three or more assists and four different Tigers 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 nine collegiate games in NCAA Division I, but the newcomer has already produced three double-doubles, was named to the Cancun Challenge All-Tournament team and is twice the Big 12's Rookie of the Week.
> Ratliffe led the Cancun 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.
> The transfer needs eight 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.
> Ratliffe has shown an ability to score the rock as well ... The Hampton, Va., native has reached double figures in five of his last six games and six times overall in nine tries this season, including a career high 22 points vs. Georgetown on 9-of-16 FGs on Nov. 30.
Denmon, Ratliffe Sweep League Awards
Marcus Denmon and Ricardo Ratliffe swept the Big 12 weekly awards on Dec. 6 as Denmon was named the league's Player of the Week for the first time in his career, while Ratliffe won Rookie of the Week honors for the second consecutive time.
> A product of Hogan Prep High School in Kansas City, Denmon averaged 23.0 points in games vs. #14 Georgetown and at Oregon ... He shot an incredible 78.9 percent from the floor and 72.7 percent from three-point range ... The 6-foot-3, 185-pound guard hit 15-of-19 shots overall and 8-of-11 threes, highlighted by a career high 27 points vs. the Hoyas in his hometown of Kansas City. Denmon hit 10-of-12 shots vs. Georgetown, while grabbing six boards and recording two steals.
> Ratliffe earned his second consecutive Rookie of the Week honor after averaging 16.5 points and 5.0 rebounds vs. Georgetown and Oregon ... He opened the week with a career high 22 points vs. the Hoyas on 9-of-16 shooting ... He also grabbed seven rebounds in the overtime decision.
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.
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 Central Arkansas
Central Arkansas enters Saturday's game with a 3-7 overall mark following a 70-60 neutral court loss to Grambling at the Stephen F. Austin Tournament in Texas ... The Bears did claim an 85-73 win over Chicago State at the same event back on Dec. 10, but this will be UCA's first game in a week ... UCA is of course led by first-year sideline boss Corliss Williamson ... The "Big Nasty" played under Nolan Richardson and Mike Anderson at Arkansas where he led the Razorbacks to the 1994 National Championship and 1995 National Runner-Up ... UCA brings a balanced scoring attack to Columbia ... Nine players average better than 5.4 points per game and Imad Qahwash leads the way at 11.8 points per night ... Chris Henson is second at 10.0 tallies and is tied for the team lead with 5.6 rebounds.
Quick Starts For Anderson
Missouri is searching for its best start under Mike Anderson ... The Tigers are currently 9-1 on the year, equaling the 9-1 start during his first season back in 2006-07 ... A Tiger win would mark Anderson's best start at MU and be the best start to a season at Missouri since 2002-03 when MU was also 10-1.
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 three times already this year and have topped 20 dimes 37 times (36-1) under Anderson.
> Missouri is currently averaging 16.9 assists through 10 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 20.3 turnovers per game, including a school record 34 turnovers vs. North Florida ... The Tigers also average 9.9 steals a night, including 14 thefts vs. Georgetown.
Mizzou Arena - Home Sweet Home
Mike Anderson is a perfect 46-0 all-time in non-conference home games at Missouri ... Not only have the Tigers won 46 consecutive in non-league action, but they have done so in dominating fashion, sporting a 25.5 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 45-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 6-0 18.0 ppg
Total 46-0 25.5 ppg.