Feb. 17, 2011
Columbia, Mo. -
#20 / #21 University of Missouri Tigers (20-6, 6-5 Big 12) vs.
Iowa State University Cyclones (14-12, 1-10 Big 12)
Tip-Off: 12:47 P.M. CT
Arena: Hilton Coliseum (14,356)
Radio: Tiger Radio Network (Mike Kelly - Play by Play / Gary Link - Analyst)
TV: Big 12 Network (Brad Sham and Stephen Howard)
Rankings: Mizzou 20/21; Iowa State NR/NR in AP / USA Today Coaches Poll
Series: Missouri leads 146-84; In Ames Iowa State leads 59-46
Coaches:
Missouri: Mike Anderson (Tulsa `82); 197-93 overall (9th); 108-52 at Mizzou (5th)
Iowa State: Fred Hoiberg (Iowa State `95) 14-12 overall (1st)
For Openers...
> Missouri Basketball hits the road following back-to-back home wins as it travels to Ames, Iowa, to face the Iowa State Cyclones ... Missouri has won back-to-back games in the Hilton Coliseum, but hasn't won three straight in Ames since 1995.
> Missouri is of course searching for its first road win of Big 12 play, but the Tigers have been solid on the road in league action under Mike Anderson the last few years winning eight time since the 2008-09 campaign ... Overall Missouri has won three times (in four tries) in Ames since Anderson took over the program in 2006-07.
> Missouri and Iowa State are one of six teams nationally to have five players averaging double figures in scoring (along with Long Beach State, UCLA, UNC-Greensboro and Detroit) and it has been Missouri's bench which has been the difference maker in the last two victories, averaging 37.5 points per game in wins over Oklahoma (42 points) and Texas Tech (33) ... Michael Dixon was excellent in both victories, averaging 14.5 points on 53 percent shooting to pace the Tiger reserves.
> Missouri's leading scorer, Marcus Denmon, of course has ties to Iowa State ... His uncle, Martinez Denmon, played collegiately at ISU and was drafted by the Boston Celtics in the third round (No. 52 overall).
> Few players have been more improved in the Big 12 this year than Denmon ... The junior from Kansas City ranks among the Top 8 in the Big 12 in six statistical categories, including points (16.3-7th), steals (2.0-2nd), field goal percentage (.503-6th), free throw percentage (.780-8th - with more attempts), three-point makes (2.2-7th) and three-point percentage (.451-3rd).
> Missouri is offering a ticket special to next Wednesday's game vs. Baylor ... Tiger fans can purchase four upper level reserved seats to the Feb. 23 game vs. Baylor for just $40 ... Tickets are extremely limited and the game will be a sellout when this special is over.
> Dixon and freshman Flip Pressey give Mizzou and outstanding 1-2 point guard tandem and the duo has seen increased time together on the court, making the Mizzou lineup one of the quickest in America ... The pair of underclassmen average a combined 17.4 points, 7.8 assists, 3.6 steals and are shooting a combined 40.3 percent from three-point range.
> Pressey has started four consecutive games for Missouri in league play and is the Big 12's top freshman in assists (4.0), assist/turnover ratio (2.1) and steals (1.9) per game this year ... He is also averaging 10.5 points over his last eight outings on 48 percent shooting.
Mizzou Quick Hitters
> Missouri looks for win #21 on the 2010-11 season as the Tigers travel to Ames, Iowa, to face the Iowa State Cyclones on Saturday afternoon.
> Winning down the stretch would be significant for a number of reasons, but if Missouri can make it to 23 wins this year it would be historic ... Mizzou has never had three consecutive seasons with 23+ victories ... Mizzou won 31 games in 2008-09 and went 23-11 last season ... Missouri has had three consecutive 22+ campaigns before, most recently in 1982-83.
> Missouri is one win shy of its winningest three-year period in school history .... The Tigers have 74 wins since the start of the 2008-09 campaign and a win would equal the 75 wins by teams from 1980-83 and 1988-91 ... Two more wins would of course set a new mark.
> Head Coach Mike Anderson continues to build the Tiger Basketball program ... Anderson recently recorded his seventh 20-win campaign in nine seasons as a head coach ... Anderson enjoyed four consecutive 20-win campaigns at UAB before reviving the Missouri program.
> The Tigers rank #4 nationally at 83.8 points per game ... At home that figure jumps to 86.6 tallies a night and Missouri is shooting 48 percent from the floor and 40 percent from three-point range as a team at Mizzou Arena.
> Over the last three games Missouri is shooting 53 percent from the floor as a team and averaging 87.3 points per game ... The 83.8 ppg the Tigers are averaging in 2010-11 are fourth most in school history and the highest since 1989-90.
> Perhaps the most impressive stats come on defense at Mizzou Arena ... The Tigers are holding opponents to 39 percent shooting from the floor and 29 percent shooting from three-point range in home games this season, while forcing 21.0 turnovers a night.
> With those great turnover numbers, Missouri ranks #3 nationally with 9.7 steals per game.
> Flip Pressey is a strong candidate for the Big 12's All-Freshman Team in 2011 ... The rookie point guard leads all Big 12 freshmen in assists and steals this year and his eight games with 5+ assists at Missouri ranks fourth all-time in school history ... Pressey trails only Travis Ford (11), Melvin Booker (10) and Mike Sandbothe (9) on Missouri's list of five-assist games for freshmen ... However if you dial it up a notch, Pressey is already Missouri's freshman leader in games with 7+ assists (tied with Jimmy McKinney) with four and the leader with three 8+ assist games.
> Mizzou Basketball has 74 victories over its last three seasons ... The MU record for wins in a three-year stretch is 75.
> Missouri has already blocked 139 shots this season and needs just 22 more swats to set a school record ... The school record for blocks is 160, which was set last season ... MU has never led the Big 12 in blocked shots, but currently paces the league at 5.3 per game.
> 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.
> With that great balance Missouri has used nine different starting lineups this season ... Of course it doesn't really matter who starts, it's about who finishes!
> 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 11 games ... The Tigers have enjoyed 13-point second-half leads in 10 of those contests, including a school record 40-point lead (57-17) at the half vs. Northern Illinois.
> Mizzou is #13 nationally in assists at 17.1 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 26 games ... The Tigers have had eight different players lead the team (or tie for the team lead) in scoring, seven different players in rebounding, seven 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 (475 opponent turnovers compared to 1506 opponent FG attempts).
> The Tigers have scored 550 points off of those 475 turnovers ... So far Missouri is averaging 21.2 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 averaging 26.7 ppg from their bench this season, including a season high 49 points vs. La Salle on Nov. 24 and 42 vs. Oklahoma.
> 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 169 more shots than its opponents and made 149 more buckets.
> Missouri has been good at defending the rim though 26 games, averaging 5.3 swats a contest ... Laurence Bowers (51) and Ricardo Ratliffe (37) lead the way with a combined 88 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.
> Is the Big 12's top three-point shooter (.514) in league games and has hit 19-of-37 treys overall ... Also #2 in steals per game (2.2) in league-only contests.
> Has hit 9-of-12 triples over his last three games with multiple treys in each contest.
> His 4.0 assists per game on the season are the most for a Tiger freshman in school history.
> Big 12's top freshman for assists (4.0), steals (1.8) and assist/turnover ratio (2.1).
> Assist totals are up to 5.0 per game over his last 13 outings.
> Averaging 10.3 points with five double-figure scoring games over his last nine outings.
> Has 3+ steals in five Big 12 games, the most by a Tiger since Jason Conley in 2005.
> Scored a career high 17 points to go with six assists and just one turnover at Kansas.
> Ripped away five steals in the win over Colorado and hounded senior guard Cory Higgins into eight turnovers ... Had 13 points, three dimes, five steals and just one turnover in the start.
> Needs just eight more steals to move into second among Missouri freshmen for single-season thefts ... Also needs just 14 more assists to move into the freshman Top 5.
> 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.
> Scored 12 points, dished five dimes and had three steals at Texas, all team highs.
> 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.
> Recorded his first career double-double in that game as well with 15 points.
> 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.
> Averaging 16.5 minutes a game over his last two outings and is averaging 7.0 points on 6-of-8 shooting with three assists and two steals.
> 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
> Has started nine games this season.
> Finds multiple ways to make an impact, including a career high five assists in the win over Oklahoma.
> 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.
> 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.
> Second in the Big 12 and #10 nationally in field goal percentage (.593).
> Leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage in league-only games (.640), including 5-of-5 shooting at Kansas ... Also hit a pair of treys in the contest.
> Has been named Big 12 Rookie of the Week twice this season.
> Has reached double figures in nine of 11 Big 12 games this season, averaging 11.6 points on 64 percent shooting in league action.
> Just missed a double-double vs. Colorado with 14 points (6-7 FGs) and nine boards.
> 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 (6.3) 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.
> Fifth in the league in blocked shots at 1.5 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 #6 in the league in steals per game (1.8) and is fourth in assist/turnover ratio (2.0) ... Ranks #8 in dimes (3.8) and #6 in free throw percentage (.802).
> Had 55 dimes all of last season, but has 91 in 24 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.
> Dropped in 16 points to lead all Tigers vs. Oklahoma.
> 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.
> 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.
> Played 14 minutes vs. Oklahoma after suffering a inadvertent elbow from a teammate, which forced him to get stitches ... Did score nine points in his 14 minutes.
> Bounced back from that injury to score 20 points (18 in the first half) and top the 1,000 career point mark in college vs. Texas Tech ... Hit 9-of-13 shots in the efficient effort.
> Has 11 career 20-point efforts and Missouri is 10-1 in those games.
> Enjoyed his highest scoring Big 12 game with 27 points, 8-14 FGs and 5-7 treys vs. Nebraska ... Tied a career high in scoring.
> One of the Big 12's more underrated defensive players, ranking #2 in the Big 12 with 2.0 steals per game, including four rips at Oklahoma State.
> 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.
> Mid-Season Naismith Award member.
> Twice named Big 12 Player of the Week.
> Reached double figures in 21 of his last 23 games.
> Has 162 career three-pointers in his tenure, which is ninth all-time (17 shy of #8).
> Leads the team in scoring (16.3) and three-point field goal percentage (.451) ... Is #3 in the Big 12 Conference with his three-point accuracy.
> 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.
> 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.
> Showed great toughness and leadership playing at Oklahoma State after missing most of the Texas contest with a head injury ... Played 15 minutes, but had seven points, five boards and two blocks.
> Had one of his best offensive nights at #2 Kansas, hitting 8-of-11 FGs en route to a team high 19 points ... Also ripped down five boards.
> Second in the Big 12 in shot-blocking at 2.0 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.
> Scored a season high 20 points on 8-of-9 FGs in the win over Central Arkansas.
> Has reached double figures in scoring 15 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 112 career blocked shots and needs five 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 really played well over his last two games, mainly because of his energy and leadership off the bench ... Grabbed six rebounds and scored 11 points in 22 minutes vs. Oklahoma and then was aggressive in the post with 8 points, two dimes and a steal vs. Texas Tech.
> Tied a career high with 11 rebounds at Texas on Jan. 29.
> 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 90 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
> Needs two points to reach 1,000 for his career ... Scored 16 points in the win over Texas Tech to reach 998 career tallies.
> Has reached double figures 17 times this season and in 15 of his last 22 games.
> Hit 4-of-8 shots and 7-of-11 free throws to go with seven boards and two steals vs. the Red Raiders.
> Came off the bench vs. Colorado and dropped in a season high 21 points on 6-of-10 shooting in 24 minutes ... Had six boards as well.
> Scoring numbers are slightly down overall, but has become more well-rounded in his junior season, a focus of his off-season workouts ... His assist totals are up in 2010-11 ... Has 52 dimes in 2010-11 after having just 39 assists all of last season.
> Has 52 assists and 50 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 154 career three-pointers, 10th all-time in school history.
> 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.
> Played 14 minutes vs. Oklahoma and had six points, three boards and an assist in the win.
> Played 13 minutes at Okie State and tied for the team lead with five boards ... Also had two blocks and two steals and hit his lone field goal attempt.
> 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 26 blocked shots this season.
> Spent a portion of the summer playing with Global Sports Academy in Europe.
About Iowa State
Iowa State returns home after a pair of road games at Kansas and Texas A&M ... The Cyclones played well in College Station on Wednesday despite the absence of senior forward Jamie Vanderbeken, taking the Aggies to the wire before falling 71-66 ... Iowa State scored half of their 66 points from beyond the three-point arc, hitting 11-of-22 treys and out-rebounding A&M 33-32 ... Jake Anderson dropped in 18 tallies and six boards, while Diante Garrett added 13 points and eight assists in 39 minutes ... Garrett is one of the country's top point guards and is averaging 17.5 points and leads the league with 5.9 assists per game ... Scott Christopherson is second on the club with 14.2 points and is hitting 46 percent of his treys, which ranks #2 in the Big 12 Conference.
ImPressey-ive Shooting
It seems like ages ago that Flip Pressey opened the year just 2-of-16 from three-point range ... After making his rookie debut by hitting 2-of-6 treys vs. Western Illinois, Pressey missed his next 10 tries from bonus distance (seven games) before breaking out with another make vs. Presbyterian ... That swish has sent Pressey into a 50-percent surge from beyond the arc, which has seen him hit 22-of-43 attempts over his last 14 games.
> Pressey has 24 makes on the year, which ranks #10 on Missouri's all-time freshman three-point makes chart and his 41 percent three-point success rate is #3 all-time among Mizzou freshmen, trailing only Brian Grawer (.456) and Kareem Rush (.426).
Denmon Reaches Milestone - English Next
Marcus Denmon scored his 1,000th-career point during Missouri's 92-84 victory over Texas Tech on Feb. 15 ... Denmon finished the game with a team-high 20 points, including 18 points in the first half ... The milestone bucket came with 3:08 to play in the first half on a driving lay-up.
> Kim English scored 16 points for the Tigers and needs just two more tallies to reach 1,000 for his career ... English also grabbed seven rebounds in the game vs. Texas Tech and hit 7-of-11 charity tosses.
> The duo narrowly missed becoming the first pair of teammates to top 1,000 career points in the same game since Melvin Booker and Jevon Crudup on Feb. 21, 1993, vs. Nebraska.
The Future Is Bright
Mike Dixon and Flip Pressey are the top underclassmen assist tandem among "High Major" programs in the country this season ... The duo has combined for 179 dimes this year, despite the fact that each has missed multiple games in 2010-11.
> Only one other tandem of underclassmen teammates appear in the assist Top 10 of their respective conferences, that's South Carolina's Bruce Ellington (3.3 apg) and Lakeem Jackson (2.7 apg) ... That duo has combined for 133 assists in 23 games.
List Of Home Unbeaten Falling
Missouri is one of 11 "High Major" programs still undefeated at home this season ... The Tigers are the lone unbeaten Big 12 team at home and are members of an impressive list of schools that have seen their home marks remain unblemished as we enter the home stretch of the 2010-11 campaign.
Team Home Record
Missouri 16-0
Alabama 13-0
Arizona 13-0
Duke 14-0
Kentucky 11-0
North Carolina 12-0
Notre Dame 15-0
Ohio State 17-0
Purdue 13-0
Washington 11-0
Wisconsin 14-0
Don't Deny Denmon's Defense
Marcus Denmon makes headlines with his clutch offensive play, but the junior guard currently ranks #2 in the Big 12 with 2.0 steals per game.
> The Kansas City native has had 10 games this season with three (or more) thefts, ranking #8 in school history for three-steal games in a single season ... Denmon is currently tied with former teammate Zaire Taylor and just passed another KC native (Anthony Peeler) on that exclusive list.
> The school record for three-steal games in one season is held by Lynn Hardy, who did it 15 times in 1986-87 ... Hardy also did it 14 times in 1985-86.
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 6.9 4.0 2.1 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.
English Patience
Kim English came to Missouri known for his shooting prowess, but this season the junior has shown improved all-around play, while focusing less on scoring totals ... Last season the Baltimore native led the Tigers with 14.0 points per game, but also committed a team-leading 71 turnovers ... This year English is averaging 10.6 points per game, including double-figure scoring games in six of his last nine contests, while ranking among team leaders in assists (52) and steals (34) ... The 52 assists are a career high and he owns a positive assist/turnover ratio (52-to-50) on the year.
> English continues to be a potent shooter however and recently scored a season high 21 points vs. Colorado off the bench thanks to 6-of-10 shooting from the floor and 6-of-6 success at the foul line ... Over his last 17 games English is shooting 83.7 percent (41-of-49) at the foul line.
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 88 swats in 26 games and need 15 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/Ricardo Ratliffe 88 10-11
Laurence Bowers/Keith Ramsey 86 09-10
Arthur Johnson/Kareem Rush 86 00-01
Steve Stipanovich/Greg Cavener 83 82-83
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 16.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.7 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 20-6 19-7 22-4
PPG 83.8 79.9 82.8
RPG 36.6 35.9 37.4
APG 17.1 15.8 19.2
SPG 9.7 11.3 10.8
FG% .472 .448 .478
3FG% .379 .378 .366
FT% .725 .733 .657
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 20-6 heading into Saturday's game at Iowa State.