Jan. 27, 2011
Columbia, Mo. -
Complete Release in PDF Format 
#11 / #13 University of Missouri Tigers (17-3, 3-2 Big 12) vs.
#7 / #8 University of Texas Longhorns (17-3, 5-0 Big 12)
Tip-Off: 8 P.M. CT
Arena: Erwin Center (16,734)
Radio: Tiger Radio Network (Mike Kelly - Play by Play / Gary Link - Analyst)
TV: ESPNU (Dan McLaughlin and Sean Farnham)
Rankings: Mizzou 11/13; Texas 7/8 in AP / USA Today Coaches Poll
Series: Series tied 11-11; In Austin the Longhorns lead 5-3
Coaches:
Missouri: Mike Anderson (Tulsa `82); 194-90 overall (9th); 105-49 at Mizzou (5th)
Texas: Rick Barnes (Lenoir-Rhyne `77) 513-252 overall (24th); 311-118 at Texas (13th)
For Openers...
> Mizzou Basketball faces a huge road challenge on Saturday night as the nationally-ranked Tigers invade Austin, Texas, looking for their fourth consecutive win over the Texas Longhorns ... Missouri has won three consecutive games vs. nationally-ranked Texas teams ... Mizzou topped #15 Texas last season (82-77), #16 Texas (69-65) in Austin and #12 Texas (97-84) in Columbia in 2007-08.
> Missouri is no stranger to facing a club currently ranked in the Top 25 ... Mizzou owns wins over now #19 Vanderbilt (85-82 in OT) and #20 Illinois (75-64) ... The Tigers also defeated #24 Kansas State (75-59) last week on ESPN Big Monday ... Mizzou suffered overtime setbacks to #13 Texas A&M (91-89) in College Station and #21 Georgetown (111-102) in Kansas City.
> Missouri newcomers Matt and Flip Pressey will have a homecoming of sorts this weekend ... The Pressey family makes their home in Dallas ... Matt Pressey narrowly missed his first career double-double with nine points and eight boards vs. Iowa State in Mizzou's last outing, while Flip Pressey ranks among Big 12 leaders in assists (3.8), steals (1.6) and assist/turnover ratio (1.9) in his freshman campaign ... He scored a career high 16 points in his last Lone Star trip at Texas A&M on Jan. 15.
> Has there been a more improved player nationally then Missouri's Marcus Denmon? ... The Kansas City native ranks among the Top 8 in six Big 12 statistical categories, including scoring (17.3, 6th), field goal percentage (.504, 6th), steals (2.0, 3rd), free throw percentage (.806, 8th), three-point field goals made (2.7, 4th) and three-point percentage (.491, 2nd).
> The junior guard has reached double figures in 17 consecutive games and his scoring average has increased to 17.4 points in Big 12 play, while shooting 50 percent ... Over his last 15 games Denmon is averaging 18.6 points on 52 percent shooting from the floor and 49 percent shooting from three-point range ... He also boasts six 20-points games and has had more than 15 field goal attempts just three times during that stretch! ... Oh and for good measure he has 30 dimes, just 13 turnovers and is averaging 4.6 boards from his guard position.
> Missouri has always been one of the country's better passing teams under Mike Anderson and that trend is continuing once again in 2010-11 ... Mizzou is #6 nationally with 18.0 dimes a game ... In addition, the Tigers have taken excellent care of the basketball over their last 11 games vs. Division I foes ... In those contests Missouri is averaging just 11.8 turnovers and own a 1.6-to-1 assist/turnover ratio as a team.
Mizzou Quick Hitters
> Missouri Basketball hits the road once again as the Tigers travel to Austin, Texas, to face the Top 10 Texas Longhorns on ESPNU.
> Coach Anderson and his wife will of course have the opportunity to see their daughter, Yvonne, this weekend ... Yvonne is a junior point guard for UT's women's basketball program and the Lady Longhorns host Colorado on Jan. 30 ... Yvonne is averaging 10.9 points per game this season in 17 starts.
> Missouri (85.0) and Texas (77.1) are two of the nation's top scoring clubs, as both teams rank among the nation's top 30 in points per game.
> Missouri is looking for its first road win over a Top 10 opponent since Feb. 20, 1994, at Kansas (81-74) ... Missouri has defeated a number of ranked teams on the road under Mike Anderson's watch, including a win at #16 Texas during the 2008-09 campaign.
> Mizzou last faced a Top 10 Texas team in Austin on Jan. 25, 2003, with the Horns winning a 76-55 contest.
> Of course the last time these two clubs met in Austin, Zaire Taylor's "Big Shot" nickname was born ... Taylor hit a runner with 5.5 seconds left and the game tied at 65-65 to hand MU the win ... Taylor was fouled on the play and completed the three-point stanza for the win ... Taylor of course defeated #16 Kansas the following Monday with another last-second bucket.
> Mizzou Basketball has 71 victories over its last three seasons ... The MU record for wins in a three-year stretch is 75 from 1988-91 ... The club's next win will mark the fifth most wins during a three-year stretch in school history.
> The Tigers continue an "ESPN-Heavy" stretch ... MU is playing five consecutive games on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU, including Wednesday's game at Oklahoma State, which is on ESPN2.
> Missouri has already blocked 117 shots this season and needs just 17 more swats to move into the single-season top five ... The school record for blocks is 160, which was set last season ... MU has never led the Big 12 in blocked shots, but currently pace the league at 5.9 per game ... Oh and for good measure, let's begin the campaign for Laurence Bowers as Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.
> Balanced scoring has been key for the Tigers this year ... In fact Missouri has had seven players reach double figures in a game twice this year, including a home contest vs. North Alabama.
> Attendance has been up all season at Mizzou Arena, to the tune of 1,500 fans per game ... Missouri is on pace to break the Mizzou Arena-era attendance record, including three consecutive sellouts ... One factor that separates Mizzou is that the Tigers use actual attendance vs. tickets sold.
> Mizzou has been dominant at home over its last eight games ... The Tigers have enjoyed 15-point second-half leads in each of those contests, including a school record 40-point lead (57-17) at the half vs. Northern Illinois.
> Missouri is once again one of the nation's highest scoring clubs, ranking #6 nationally at 85.0 points per game ... At home that number is up to 86.2 ppg.
> Mizzou is also #6 nationally in assists at 18.0 per game, so not only can the Tigers score in bunches, but they do it with great efficiency, recording dimes on 60 percent of their hoops.
> Mizzou has been very good in non-conference games under Anderson ... The Tigers are 54-14 (.794), including four NCAA Tournament wins, since his arrival before the 2006-07 season.
> Missouri has been the ultimate team through 20 games ... The Tigers have had eight different players lead the team (or tie for the team lead) in scoring, seven different players in rebounding, six in assists and eight in steals.
> Mizzou Arena has been a terror dome for non-league opponents during the Mike Anderson era... In running their record to 50-0 (under Anderson), the Tigers are averaging a 26.8 ppg. margin of victory vs. non-conference foes at home, including quality wins over Arkansas, California, Davidson, Mississippi State, Murray State, Old Dominion, Oral Roberts, Oregon, Purdue and Vanderbilt.
> Overall Missouri owns a 57-game non-conference home court winning streak, which dates back to the 2005-06 campaign (pre-Mike Anderson era) ... That 57-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 a turnover on nearly 25 percent of its opponent possessions this year (379 opponent turnovers compared to 1164 opponent FG attempts).
> Last season Missouri led the nation by forcing turnovers on 30 percent of its opponent possessions.
> The Tigers have scored 449 points off of those 379 turnovers ... So far Missouri is averaging 22.5 ppg off of turnovers, including 41 points off turnovers vs. Central Arkansas.
> 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 27.1 points over Anderson's five years in Columbia!
> The Tigers are already averaging 26.1 ppg from their bench this season, including a season high 49 points vs. La Salle on Nov. 24 and 40 vs. North Alabama.
> 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 144 more shots than its opponents and made 145 more buckets.
> It's early, but Missouri has been good at defending the rim though 20 games, averaging 5.9 swats a contest ... Laurence Bowers (44) and Ricardo Ratliffe (33) lead the way with a combined 77 total blocks.
> Mizzou blocked 10 shots at Colorado on Jan. 8, the most since the 1998-99 season for a Tiger team ... Laurence Bowers led the way with a school record tying eight total swats.
> Missouri has typically played some tough schedules over the years and that trend will continue in 2010-11 ... 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.
> 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.
> His 3.8 assists per game are the most for a Tiger freshman in school history.
> Missed four games with a fractured right finger, which was suffered Dec. 19 during practice.
> Scored a career high 16 points at Texas A&M and hit a career-best 4-of-4 treys in the contest.
> Dropped in 13 points, three dimes and four steals vs. #24 Kansas State.
> Enters the Missouri program as the highest-ranked recruit of the Mike Anderson era, rated as high as #16 nationally by 2K Sports.
> Ranked among Big 12 leaders in both assists per game (3.8) and assist/turnover ratio (1.9).
> Has dished 43 assists over his last eight games, including a Mizzou Freshman Record 11 dimes vs. Central Arkansas on Dec. 18.
> Recorded his first career double-double in that game as well with 15 points.
> Those 11 dimes are tied for the most by a Big 12 player this season.
> Is the Big 12's #1 freshman in assists at 3.8 per game ... Ranked #6 in the Big 12 overall with 1.6 steals per game.
> Is the first Missouri freshman to record 7+ assists in three consecutive games and is the first Tiger to accomplish the feat since Anthony Peeler back in 1989-90.
> 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 Missouri Player of the Year to ink with the Tigers.
> Recorded his first career double-double in 20 minutes vs. North Alabama, scoring 10 points and grabbing 10 boards ... Added two steals and an assist.
> Scored a career high 11 points on 4-4 FGs and 3-3 treys vs. Central Arkansas on Dec. 18.
> Outstanding energy player off the pine and had a career high four steals vs. Nebraska.
> 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
> Big 12 Rookie of the Week for Jan. 3 after averaging 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in a pair of Tiger wins.
> Scored a career high 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting vs. Northern Illinois en route to that honor ... Added five boards, three assists and a pair of dunks in the rout.
> Chipped in 15 points and five boards in the win over Old Dominion.
> Narrowly missed a double-double vs. Iowa State with nine points and eight boards.
> 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 seven games this season.
> Is 48-of-94 from the floor over his last 15 games as well (.511).
> 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.
> Has reached double figures in each Big 12 game this season, averaging 12.8 points on 64 percent shooting.
> Was a warrior at Texas A&M scoring 19 points on 9-of-11 FGs to go with a game high nine rebounds before fouling out.
> Oddly it was the first time Ratliffe has led or tied for the team lead in scoring this year ... He also added six offensive boards.
> Leads the club in rebounding (7.0) and double-doubles (3).
> His 14 boards vs. La Salle are the most since DeMarre Carroll grabbed 14 vs. Kansas State on Feb. 25, 2009.
> Second in the Big 12 in field goal percentage (.581) ... Second on the squad in scoring (11.8).
> Fourth in the league in blocked shots at 1.7 swats per game and blocked four vs. Nebraska on Jan. 12.
> 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
> Quietly vying for Top Big 12 point guard honors, ranking #2 in the league in steals per game (2.1) and is second in assist/turnover ratio (2.3) ... Ranks #4 in dimes (4.6) and #7 in free throw percentage (.829).
> Had 55 dimes all of last season, but has 82 in just 18 games played in 2010-11.
> Led Mizzou in scoring vs. Iowa State with 15 points and a career high eight boards in just 18 minutes.
> Scored a career high 18 points in the win over Old Dominion thanks to 5-of-7 shooting, 3-of-3 treys and 5-of-5 free throws.
> Great all-around effort 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.
> 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.
> Coming off his highest scoring Big 12 game with 27 points, 8-14 FGs and 5-7 treys vs. Nebraska ... Tied a career high in scoring.
> Averaging 18.3 points over his last four games ... Shooting 50 percent from the floor and 50 percent (9-of-18) from three-point range during that stretch.
> Named by ESPN as one of the country's Most Improved Players for 2010-11.
> Named a Mid-Season 2nd Team All-American by Rivals.com.
> Mid-Season Co-Big 12 Player of the Year from ESPN.com.
> Mid-Season Wooden Award member.
> Ranked #4 nationally in three-point percentage.
> Highest scoring Tiger guard through 20 games since Thomas Gardner (20.0) in 2005-06, but has taken 70 fewer shots than Gardner during that same time frame.
> Twice named Big 12 Player of the Week.
> Reached double figures in 16 consecutive games.
> Has 155 career three-pointers in his tenure, which is ninth all-time.
> Leads the team in scoring (17.3) and three-point field goal percentage (.491) ... Is #2 in the Big 12 Conference with his three-point accuracy (.491).
> Has hit 39 of his last 75 treys over the last 15 games and is 95-of-186 from the floor overall.
> Initially 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.
> Poured in 24 points in just 24 minutes vs. Northern Illinois ... Hit 9-of-11 shots and 5-of-7 treys vs. the Huskies.
> Has 10 career 20-point efforts and Missouri is 9-1 in those games.
> Cancun Challenge MVP after averaging 15.0 points on 8-of-16 treys in two wins.
> Classroom Champion in the Big 12.
> Big 12 All-Reserve Team last year as a sophomore.
> 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
> Is finding multiple ways to help his club and ranks among Big 12 leaders in rebounding and blocked shots.
> Leads the Big 12 in shot-blocking at 2.2 per game, including a school-record tying eight blocks at Colorado ... The eight swats were the most ever for a Tiger in a league game.
> Had a terrific all-around game at CU with 15 points, seven boards and those eight blocks.
> Would rank #6 in the Big 12 with 52.7 percent field goal shooting with enough attempts.
> Scored a season high 20 points on 8-of-9 FGs in the win over Central Arkansas.
> Outstanding game vs. Oral Roberts with 17 points, 6 boards and five blocks.
> Has reached double figures in scoring 13 times.
> Has two double-doubles this season and five for his career, including 16 points and 11 boards vs. North Alabama.
> Sixth in school history with 105 career blocked shots and needs 14 more to pass Jevon Crudup (1991-94) who had 116 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.
> Has made four consecutive starts in Big 12 play, including an 11-point, six rebound night vs. Iowa State.
> Incredible run of nine consecutive Missouri points vs. Illinois on Dec. 22 ... Finished the game with 11 points, three boards and two assists in 16 minutes.
> Narrowly missed a double-double vs. North Alabama with 16 points, eight boards and three assists.
> 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 87 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 14 times this season and in 12 of his last 16 games.
> Scoring numbers are slightly down, but has become more well-rounded in his junior season, a focus of his off-season workouts ... His assist totals and shooting percentages are up in 2010-11 ... Has 49 dimes in 2010-11 after having just 39 assists all of last season.
> Has 49 assists and 41 turnovers this year after having 39 assists and 71 turnovers last year.
> Scored 20 first-half points vs. North Alabama on 6-of-7 three-point shooting ... Took just three shots in the second half with the game in hand.
> 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.
> Has 147 career three-pointers and needs five 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.
> 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.
> 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.
> Statistics don't tell the impact of Big Steve ... Is the team's resident "trash man", grabbing offensive boards, dishing assists and playing solid post defense with very little fanfare.
> Solid game at Texas A&M, hitting 4-of-4 FTs to go with two rebounds in 13 minutes.
> Scored four points, grabbed four boards, blocked a shot and dished an assist vs. Iowa State.
> 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.
> Grabbed a career high seven rebounds vs. North Alabama to go with four points.
> Third on the squad with 17 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.
About Texas
Texas returns home following back-to-back road wins at Kansas and Oklahoma State and now leads the Big 12 title race with a 5-0 league record ... UT has won five straight since an 82-81 overtime loss at home to Connecticut and have done it with outstanding defense ... Texas is allowing Big 12 foes to shoot just 38 percent from the floor and 20 percent from three-point range in its five league wins, while shooting 50 percent on offense and 46 percent from bonus distance ... The Longhorns play a rotation of nine players led by sophomore Jordan Hamilton ... Hamilton is averaging 19.2 points per game this year and has hit a team-best 54 treys ... He also leads the club in rebounding (7.4), tied with freshman sensation Tristan Thompson ... Thompson also averages 13.1 points on the year and has 45 blocked shots in 18 starts ... Another freshman, Cory Joseph, gives UT solid guard production at 11.1 points and a team-best 60 assists.
Pressey Among MU's Top Frosh Point Guards
Flip Pressey has made a huge splash for Mizzou early in his Tiger career and below is a quick look at how the Dallas native compares to some other great Tiger point guards during their rookie campaigns, including teammate Mike Dixon.
Tiger Year PPG APG TPG A/T
Flip Pressey 10-11 5.6 3.8 2.0 1.9
Michael Dixon 09-10 7.5 1.6 0.9 1.8
Keyon Dooling 98-99 8.7 3.0 2.0 1.5
Melvin Booker 90-91 8.3 3.5 2.7 1.3
Travis Ford 89-90 6.4 3.5 1.8 1.9
Lee Coward 86-87 6.5 1.7 1.4 1.3
Prince Bridges 81-82 6.8 3.3 2.2 1.5
Jon Sundvold 79-80 6.3 2.1 1.9 1.1
Larry Drew 76-77 6.9 2.8 N/A N/A
Block Party
Laurence Bowers blocked a school-record tying eight shots at Colorado on Jan. 8, the most ever for a Missouri player in a league game and he tied Arthur Johnson's eight blocks in a Dec. 30, 2000, win over Stetson ... The previous Missouri high in a league game with six by Travon Bryant at Kansas in 2004 ... Johnson also had six in games vs. Texas (2004) and Iowa State (2002) ... Recently Ricardo Ratliffe joined that impressive list with six swats against the Cyclones on Jan. 22.
Denmon Named Mid-Season All-American
Marcus Denmon was named a mid-season Rivals.com Second Team All-American on Jan. 13 ... The Kansas City native has been one of the country's most efficient players this season and leads the Tigers in scoring and three-point percentage, while ranking among national leaders in both categories as well ... He was also named the country's Most Improved Player by ESPN and was Big 12 Co-Player of the Year by Jay Bilas of ESPN.
Top Shot-Blocking Tandems at Mizzou
Laurence Bowers and Ricardo Ratliffe are quickly becoming one of the top shot-blocking tandems in school history ... The pair have combined for 77 swats in just 20 games and need 26 more blocks combined this season to become tops in school history.
Tandem Blks Year
Arthur Johnson/Travon Bryant 102 02-03
Arthur Johnson/Travon Bryant 93 03-04
Arthur Johnson/Kareem Rush 93 01-02
Laurence Bowers/Keith Ramsey 86 09-10
Arthur Johnson/Kareem Rush 86 00-01
Steve Stipanovich/Greg Cavener 83 82-83
Laurence Bowers/Ricardo Ratliffe 77 10-11
Denmon Named To Wooden Top 30 List
Marcus Denmon has played his way onto All-America lists throughout the country and on Jan. 6 he was named to the John Wooden Award Midseason Top 30 list ... Denmon has been one of the country's most efficient players and is averaging 17.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 2.0 steals for the Tigers this season ... He is also one of six Big 12 players named to the list.
Comparing The Last Three Seasons
Missouri is in the midst of the best three-year run in school history, but it is incredible how clear Mike Anderson's formula to success is when you compare the vital statistical numbers.
Category 10-11 09-10 08-09
Record 17-3 15-5 17-3
PPG 85.0 80.8 85.4
RPG 38.3 36.8 38.7
APG 18.0 16.3 19.7
SPG 10.0 12.0 11.3
FG% .475 .446 .487
3FG% .382 .380 .368
FT% .711 .735 .653
Five In Double Figures = Great Seasons
Missouri has five players averaging double-figures in scoring this season, a rarity in school history ... In fact just three teams at Mizzou have had five players finish the year averaging double-figures: 1964-65, 1988-89 and 1989-90 ... Not surprisingly the 1988-90 teams recorded a combined 55 wins over those two seasons and this year's Tiger team is a staunch 17-3 heading into Saturday.
Lucky #7
Missouri's depth has led to unprecedented scoring balance this year, as the Tigers have had seven players reach double figures in the same game twice this year ... Mizzou had seven players score 10+ vs. both Central Arkansas and North Alabama ... The last time Mizzou had seven or more in double figures was a Dec. 2, 1995, win vs. Chicago State ... Below is a list of seven-double figure scoring games in school history.
Date Opponent 10+ Score
12-30-87 Alabama State 8 129-64
12-30-89 Neb-Kearney 7 119-98
12-02-95 Chicago State 7 117-45
12-18-10 C. Arkansas 7 116-63
01-05-11 North Alabama 7 98-58
Milestone Watch
Junior guards Marcus Denmon and Kim English are each rapidly approaching 1,000 career points as Missouri Tigers ... English has 935 career tallies in 91 career games, while Denmon boasts 927 points in 91 contests as well ... The last pair of Tiger juniors to top 1,000 career points in the same season were Arthur Johnson and Rickey Paulding in 2002-03 ... English and Denmon will become the 41st and 42nd players in school history to top 1,000 points.
Top Non-Conference Seasons at Mizzou
Missouri finished up non-conference play tied for the most wins in school history, while also boasting the best winning percentage through non-league action (.933) ... Missouri's 14 non-league wins this season tied the mark of the 1989-90 (14-2) and 1988-89 (14-3) squads.
A Hundred Ways To Break It Down
Mike Anderson won his 100th game at Mizzou on Dec. 27, making him the fastest Tiger to reach that feat ... The 147 games it took Anderson to reach 100 topped the previous mark held by Quin Snyder, who won game #100 in 158 tries on Feb. 28, 2004 at Kansas State ... Norm Stewart won game #100 on Dec. 8, 1973, vs. UTEP in his 160th contest.
> Anderson, who is now 105-49 all-time at Mizzou, needs just six more wins to top 200 for his career, which includes the 89 wins he racked up at UAB.
> Last but not least, 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.
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 738 of 1,700 points in the paint this season compared to 586 a season ago ... The 738 "paint points" (through 20 games) is the second most during Anderson's time at Mizzou, just behind the 760 tallies scored by DeMarre Carroll, Leo Lyons and Co. through 20 games in 2008-09.
> Missouri has been outscored in the paint just four times this season (Wyoming, at Colorado, at Texas A&M and vs. Kansas State) and has topped 30 points 16 times and is averaging 36.9 points in the paint per game this season.
Tigers In The National Rankings
Missouri is again ranking among the national leaders in several statistical categories ... Below is a quick rundown of how the Tigers rank.
Category Avg / Ntl Rk Leader / Avg
Assists 18.0 / #8 Pitt / 20.4
Steals 10.0 / #6 NW State / 11.1
Scoring 85.0 / #5 VMI / 91.7
Ast/TO Ratio 1.4 / #14 Wisconsin / 1.8
Scor Margin 16.4 / #14 Ohio St. / 25.1
T/O Margin +5.7 / #3 Ohio St. / 7.3
FG% .475 / #34 Kansas / 52.5
Blocks 5.9 / #15 Arkansas / 7.4
Crunch Time Hoops From Denmon
- Missouri trailed #21 Illinois 57-56 with just over two minutes remaining, but Denmon hit a 17-footer with Jereme Richmond's hand in his face to give the Tigers a lead they wouldn't give up ... Denmon scored six points in the final 2:23, including a steal / assist on an Illinois in-bounds pass to seal the late-game surge.
- 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 4.6 apg), steals (2nd at 2.1) and assist/turnover ratio (2nd at 2.3) ... 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 11 of his last 17 contests, highlighted by a career high 18 points vs. Old Dominion on Dec. 30 as well as 17 tallies vs. Wyoming, Georgetown and at Colorado ... Dixon also helped lead Mizzou to a win over Vanderbilt with 15 points, four assists and three steals.
Flip The Switch
Flip Pressey is finding his comfort zone, despite suffering a hand injury during practice ... The explosive pass-first guard fueled Missouri's offense during the three games before his injury, dishing out 27 assists while committing just seven turnovers in wins vs. Presbyterian, Oral Roberts and Central Arkansas ... The Dallas native dished a career high 11 assists in the 116-63 win over UCA, equaling the Missouri freshman record ... The 11 dimes are also tied for the most by a Big 12 player this season.
> Pressey returned to the lineup for Big 12 play in a big way, ripping three steals in just nine minutes at Colorado, before dishing four dimes and recording two more steals vs. Nebraska.
> He recently scored a career high 16 points in his Texas return at Texas A&M, hitting a career high 4-of-4 treys to go with four boards and two dimes and then poured in 13 points, three assists and four steals vs. #24 Kansas State.
Non-Conference Home Streak #2 In Big 12
Missouri has won 57 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 59
Missouri 57
Kansas 43
Kansas State 31
Oklahoma State 29
Texas 27
Oklahoma 25
Offensive Balance = Tough To Defend
Missouri continues to be one of the nation's most balanced programs in 2010-11 ... The Tigers have had 10 different players score nine or more points in a game this year and nine of those Tigers have reached double figures ... In fact the Tigers have five players averaging double figures in scoring currently ... In addition, seven different Tigers have grabbed six or more rebounds in a game, five different players have dished three or more assists and five different Tigers have had three or more steals.
> 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 20 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.
> Ratliffe has shown an ability to score the rock as well ... The Hampton, Va., native has reached double figures in 13 of his last 15 games and 16 times overall in 20 tries this season, including a career high 22 points vs. Georgetown on 9-of-16 FGs on Nov. 30 and 19 points on 9-of-11 FGs at Texas A&M.