Feb. 4, 2011
Columbia, Mo. -
#14 / #15 University of Missouri Tigers (17-5, 3-4 Big 12) vs.
University of Colorado Buffaloes (15-8, 4-4 Big 12)
Tip-Off: 6:30 P.M. CT
Arena: Mizzou Arena (15,061)
Radio: Tiger Radio Network (Mike Kelly - Play by Play / Gary Link - Analyst)
TV: MSN (Chris Gervino and Scott Highmark)
Rankings: Mizzou 14/15; Colorado NR/NR in AP / USA Today Coaches Poll
Series: Missouri leads 98-53; In Columbia Mizzou leads 56-11
Coaches:
Missouri: Mike Anderson (Tulsa `82); 194-92 overall (9th); 105-51 at Mizzou (5th)
Colorado: Tad Boyle (Kansas `85) 71-74 overall (5th); 15-8 at Colorado (1st)
For Openers...
> Missouri Basketball returns home to Mizzou Arena on Saturday, a venue that has seen the Tigers win 48 of their last 50 games since the end of the 2007-08 campaign ... Missouri will look to run its current home winning streak to 14 games in 2010-11 as the Colorado Buffaloes come to Columbia for a 6:30 p.m. tip.
> Missouri's current 13-game home winning streak is the 11th longest in school history ... A win on Saturday would equal the eighth longest home winning streak in school history, tying runs of 14 games in 1976-77, 1995-96 and 2002-03.
> Missouri is anticipating yet another sold out Mizzou Arena on Saturday ... The Tigers have four consecutive sellouts and only tickets for the Feb. 15 contest vs. Texas Tech remain .... Next Saturday's game vs. Oklahoma is also a sellout and the first 10,000 fans in attendance will receive a limited edition Tiger Basketball poster courtesy of Shelter Insurance ... Included on the poster are images from three eras of Missouri Basketball.
> Missouri will look to avenge its lone Big 12 North loss this year ... Colorado took out the Tigers, 89-76, in Boulder back on Jan. 8 ... Mizzou shot just 40 percent from the floor and 25 percent from three-point range in that game ... At home this year Missouri is an outstanding 48 percent shooting club and is hitting 40 percent of its treys ... Mizzou also boasts a 24.4 ppg average margin of victory.
> Missouri has typically responded well when returning home after a road defeat ... Over the last three seasons the Tigers are 10-0 in home games after suffering a road loss the game prior ... Missouri is 2-0 in such games this season after going 5-0 in 2009-10 and 3-0 in 2008-09.
> There haven't been many more improved players across the league then Missouri's Marcus Denmon ... The Kansas City native ranks among the Top 8 in six Big 12 statistical categories, including scoring (16.7, 7th), field goal percentage (.496, 6th), steals (2.1, 2nd), free throw percentage (.789, 8th), three-point field goals made (2.5, 5th) and three-point percentage (.470, 2nd).
> The junior guard has reached double figures in 18 of his last 19 games ... Over his last 17 games Denmon is averaging 17.7 points on 50 percent shooting from the floor and 46 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 31 dimes, just 14 turnovers and is averaging 4.4 boards from his guard position.
Mizzou Quick Hitters
> Missouri Basketball looks to stop a two-game slide in league action as the Tigers return home for the first time in two weeks to face the Colorado Buffaloes ... Missouri hasn't lost three consecutive league games since the 2007-08 campaign.
> Mizzou will have a quick turnaround following Saturday's contest ... The Tigers travel to Lawrence, Kan., on Sunday afternoon for an ESPN Big Monday contest with the #2-ranked Kansas Jayhawks ... Missouri is making its second appearance on Big Monday this year after defeating Kansas State, 75-59, at Mizzou Arena on Jan. 17.
> Speaking of travel, Missouri made it home safely after a 68-hour road trip to Stillwater ... The Tigers left Columbia on Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. and returned Feb. 3 at 3 p.m. ... The Tigers saw both sides of the state on the trip, flying out of Kansas City (en route to Stillwater) and landing in St. Louis (on the return home).
> Flip Pressey is a strong candidate for the Big 12's All-Freshmen Team in 2011 ... The rookie point guard leads all Big 12 freshmen in assists and steals this year and his seven 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 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.
> Missouri has already blocked 124 shots this season and needs just 10 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 paces the league at 5.6 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.
> 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 83.1 points per game ... At home that number is up to 86.2 ppg.
> Mizzou is also #9 nationally in assists at 17.3 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 22 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 (405 opponent turnovers compared to 1263 opponent FG attempts).
> Last season Missouri led the nation by forcing turnovers on 30 percent of its opponent possessions.
> The Tigers have scored 467 points off of those 405 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 already averaging 25.7 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 165 more shots than its opponents and made 142 more buckets.
> It's early, but Missouri has been good at defending the rim though 22 games, averaging 5.6 swats a contest ... Laurence Bowers (46) and Ricardo Ratliffe (34) lead the way with a combined 80 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 4.0 assists per game are the most for a Tiger freshman in school history.
> Big 12's top freshman for assists (4.0), steals (1.7) and assist/turnover ratio (1.9).
> Assist totals are up to 5.4 per game over his last 10 outings.
> 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.
> Averaging a team-best 14.0 points per game in the last two Big 12 road affairs, tops on the club.
> 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.
> Those 11 dimes are tied for the most by a Big 12 player this season.
> 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.
> Enjoyed the best Big 12 game of his young career at Oklahoma State with 15 points, three boards and two assists in 26 minutes.
> 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 53-of-106 from the floor over his last 17 games as well (.500).
> 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 six of seven Big 12 games this season, averaging 12.1 points on 61 percent shooting in league action.
> 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 (6.7) 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 (.579) ... Second on the squad in scoring (11.6).
> Fourth 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 #4 in the league in steals per game (2.0) and is third in assist/turnover ratio (2.1) ... Ranks #6 in dimes (4.2) and #7 in free throw percentage (.803).
> Had 55 dimes all of last season, but has 83 in 20 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.
> 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 2.1 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.
> Ranked #11 nationally in three-point percentage.
> Twice named Big 12 Player of the Week.
> Reached double figures in 17 of his last 18 games.
> Has 157 career three-pointers in his tenure, which is ninth all-time.
> Leads the team in scoring (16.7) and three-point field goal percentage (.470) ... Is #2 in the Big 12 Conference with his three-point accuracy.
> Has hit 41 of his last 84 treys over the last 17 games and is 104-of-208 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.
> 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.
> Second in the Big 12 in shot-blocking at 2.1 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 #5 in the Big 12 with 52.8 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 107 career blocked shots and needs 12 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 six consecutive starts in Big 12 play, including an 11-point, six rebound night vs. Iowa State.
> 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 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 15 times this season and in 13 of his last 18 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 45 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 150 career three-pointers and needs three 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.
> 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 18 blocked shots this season.
> Spent a portion of the summer playing with Global Sports Academy in Europe.
About Colorado
Colorado comes to Mizzou Arena looking for its first win in Columbia since 2005-06 ... The Buffaloes have played well in league play thus far and are 4-4 in Big 12 contests, including a road win at Kansas State (74-66) on Jan. 12 ... The Buffaloes of course opened league play 3-0 and handled Missouri, 89-76, in Boulder back on Jan. 8 ... CU is led by Grandview native Alec Burks ... He is averaging 19.8 points per game this year, including 36 points in the win over the Tigers at the Coors Event Center ... Senior Cory Higgins is averaging 16.2 points a night and leads his club with 58 assists ... Levi Knutson is the Big 12's top three-point shooter at 50 percent ... The senior has hit 47-of-94 tries and averages 11.6 points per game, just ahead of Marcus Relphorde's 11.5 tallies per game.
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 better than two steals per game.
> The Kansas City native has had nine games this season with three (or more) thefts, ranking #9 in school history for three-steal games in a single season ... Denmon is currently tied with 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 5.9 4.0 2.1 2.0
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 80 swats in just 22 games and need 23 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 80 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 16.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 2.1 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 17-5 16-6 18-4
PPG 83.1 81.1 85.0
RPG 37.8 36.0 38.3
APG 17.3 16.3 19.5
SPG 9.7 12.0 11.0
FG% .466 .449 .483
3FG% .376 .388 .367
FT% .712 .724 .666
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 17-5 heading into the weekend.
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 Central 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 949 career tallies in 93 career games, while Denmon boasts 949 points in 93 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 105-51 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 784 of 1,782 points in the paint this season compared to 642 a season ago ... The 784 "paint points" (through 22 games) is the second most during Anderson's time at Mizzou, just behind the 816 tallies scored by DeMarre Carroll, Leo Lyons and Co. through 22 games in 2008-09.
> Missouri has been outscored in the paint just five times this season (Wyoming, at Colorado, at Texas A&M, vs. Kansas State and at Texas) and has topped 30 points 16 times and is averaging 35.6points 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 17.3 / #11 Duquesne / 19.1
Steals 9.7 / #5 Ore State / 10.3
Scoring 83.1 / #6 VMI / 91.6
Ast/TO Ratio 1.3 / #21 Wisconsin / 1.8
Scor. Margin 14.1 / #14 Ohio St. / 25.1
T/O Margin +5.3 / #3 Ohio St. / 7.3
FG% .466 / #41 Kansas / 51.9
Blocks 5.6 / #15 S. Car. / 6.9
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 (6th at 4.2 apg), steals (4th at 2.0) and assist/turnover ratio (3rd at 2.1) ... 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 19 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 continuing to excel in his freshman campaign and is the Big 12's top freshman in assists (4.0) and steals (1.7) this season, while working his way into the starting lineup vs. Oklahoma State (Feb. 2) ... Pressey's 4.0 dimes per game this season are tops all-time for a Mizzou freshman and his 11 dimes in a 116-63 win over Central Arkansas tied the school record and set the MU freshman single-game mark ... The 11 dimes are also tied for the most by a Big 12 player this season.
> He recently has flashed some steady offense as well, scoring 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 ... At Texas Pressey scored a team high 12 points to go with five assists and three steals ... He became just the second Mizzou freshman to record a 12-5-3 game in Big 12 play, joining Keyon Dooling.