Mizzou Travels To Kansas State Saturday
2/24/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 24, 2011
Columbia, Mo. -
#20 / #21
Tip-Off: 11 A.M. CT
Arena: Bramlage Coliseum (12,528)
Radio: Tiger Radio Network (Mike Kelly - Play by Play / Gary Link - Analyst)
TV: ESPN (Jon Sciambi and LaPhonso Ellis)
Rankings: Mizzou 20/21; K-State NR/NR in AP /
Series:
Coaches:
K-State: Frank Martin (Florida International `93) 91-40 overall (4th)
For Openers...
> Missouri hits the road for the first of back-to-back road games, as the Tigers travel to Manhattan, Kan., to face the surging Kansas State Wildcats on ESPN ... The 11 a.m. start will be the earliest of the year for Missouri ... The Tigers also play Kansas next Saturday (CBS) at 11 a.m. back at Mizzou Arena.
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> Ricardo Ratliffe was certainly a difference maker in both wins ... The junior notched double-doubles in both games, including an 11-point, 13-rebound game vs. Baylor on Wednesday ... Ratliffe had 12 first-half boards to set the tone in the 18-point triumph, which was Baylor's worst road loss of the season.
> Missouri is 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 the Tigers continue to be led by junior Marcus Denmon ... Denmon had back-to-back 20-point efforts vs. Texas Tech (18) and Iowa State (25), before turning his focus to defense vs. Baylor ... Denmon led Missouri's effort vs. LaceDarius Dunn, holding him scoreless in the first half and to a season-low 12 points for the game ... For his work, Denmon has received a number of mentions for the Big 12's All-Defensive Team this season.
> Few players have been more improved in the Big 12 this year than Denmon ... The junior from Kansas City ranks among the Top 13 in the Big 12 in six statistical categories, including points (16.5-7th), steals (1.9-2nd), field goal percentage (.506-6th), free throw percentage (.767-13th - with more attempts), three-point makes (2.3-6th) and three-point percentage (.444-3rd).
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> Missouri continues to shoot the basketball well ... Over the last five games Missouri is shooting .507 from the floor and is averaging 83.0 points per game.
Mizzou Quick Hitters
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> Missouri and Kansas State are two of the hottest teams in the Big 12 Conference of late as the pair have combined for eight wins in their last 10 games to move up the Big 12 standings ... Missouri has won four consecutive Big 12 games and 5-of-6 overall.
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> Mizzou is looking for its third consecutive winning season in Big 12 play ... The Tigers are a season high three games over .500 (8-5) in league action and are a combined 30-15 the last three seasons in Big 12 competition, which is second only to Kansas (40-5) and tied with Texas (30-15).
> Head Coach Mike Anderson is looking for his 200th career win ...
> 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, a feat they tied with the win over Baylor on Wednesday.
> 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 #5 nationally at 83.3 points per game ... At home that figure jumps to 86.0 tallies a night and Missouri is shooting 49 percent from the floor and 40 percent from three-point range as a team at Mizzou Arena.
> Over the last five games Missouri is shooting 51 percent from the floor and averaging 83.0 points per game ... The 83.3 ppg the Tigers are averaging in 2010-11 are sixth 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,
> 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 nine games with 5+ assists at Missouri ranks third all-time in school history ... Pressey trails only Travis Ford (11) and Melvin Booker (10) and is tied with 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 76 victories over its last three seasons, the winningest three-year stretch in school history ... Tiger clubs from 1980-83 and 1988-91 won 75 games over a three-year stretch.
> Missouri has already blocked 147 shots this season and needs just 14 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
> 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 12 games ... The Tigers have enjoyed 13-point second-half leads in 11 of those contests, including a school record 40-point lead (57-17) at the half vs. Northern Illinois.
> Mizzou is #12 nationally in assists at 17.0 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 28 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.
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> The Tigers have scored 588 points off of those 510 turnovers ... So far
> 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 25.9 ppg from their bench this season, including a season high 49 points vs. La Salle on Nov. 24 and 42 vs.
> 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 161 more shots than its opponents and made 150 more buckets.
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> Mizzou blocked 10 shots at
> 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.
Tiger Tidbits
#1 Flip Pressey, 5-10, 168 Pounds
> Nicknamed "Flip", but first name is Phil.
> Is the Big 12's #5 three-point shooter (.444) in league games, hitting 20-of-45 treys ... Also #2 in steals per game (2.0) in league-only contests.
> Has hit 10-of-20 triples over his last five games with multiple treys coming three times.
> 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 (1.9).
> Assist totals are up to 5.0 per game over his last 15 outings.
> Scored a career high 17 points to go with six assists and just one turnover at
> Ripped away five steals in the win over
> Needs just six more steals to move into second among Missouri freshmen for single-season thefts ... Also needs just 13 more assists to be the school's freshman record holder.
> 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
> Dropped in 13 points, three dimes and four steals vs. #24
> Enters the Missouri program as the highest-ranked recruit of the Mike Anderson era, rated as high as #16 nationally by 2K Sports.
> Is the first
> 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.
> Scored a career high 11 points on 4-4 FGs and 3-3 treys vs.
> Outstanding energy player off the pine and had a career high four steals vs.
> Hit 3-of-4 three-pointers in wins over
> 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
#3 Matt Pressey, 6-2, 185 Pounds
> Finds multiple ways to make an impact, including a career high five assists in the win over
> 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.
> Chipped in 15 points and five boards in the win over Old Dominion.
> Narrowly missed a double-double vs.
> Came off the bench to score nine points and dish three assists vs.
> Was a junior college All-American at
> 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
> Ranked #10 nationally in field goal percentage (.594) and is shooting 64 percent from the floor in Big 12 games, which is #2 in the league.
> Has back-to-back double-doubles in Big 12 play, including 11 points and 13 rebounds on Wednesday vs. Baylor ... Grabbed 12 of those 13 boards in the first half to set the tone physically.
> First Tiger since DeMarre Carroll in 2008-09 to have back-to-back double-doubles in Big 12 play ... Carroll did it vs.
> Has been named Big 12 Rookie of the Week twice this season.
> Has reached double figures in 11 of 13 Big 12 games this season, averaging 11.5 points on 64 percent shooting in league action.
> Just missed a double-double vs.
> 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.
> Leads the club in rebounding (6.6) and double-doubles (5), including 10 points and 10 boards at
> His 14 boards vs. La Salle are the most since DeMarre Carroll grabbed 14 vs.
> Fifth in the league in blocked shots at 1.4 swats per game and blocked four vs.
> 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
> Had his junior college jersey (#20) retired at the school's season-opener this year.
#11 Michael
> Quietly putting together a great sophomore season, ranking #4 in the league in steals per game (1.8) and is fourth in assist/turnover ratio (2.0) ... Ranks #8 in dimes (3.7) and #5 in free throw percentage (.824).
> Had 55 dimes all of last season, but has 97 in 26 games played in 2010-11.
> Led Mizzou in scoring vs.
> Dropped in 16 points to lead all Tigers vs.
> 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
> Ripped a career high five steals vs.
> 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.
> One of the Big 12's most underrated defensive players and held Baylor's LaceDarius Dunn to a season-low 12 points on 4-of-14 shooting on Wednesday ... Ranks #2 in the league with 1.9 steals per game.
> Played 14 minutes vs.
> 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.
> Poured in 25 tallies at
> Has 12 career 20-point efforts and
> 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.
> 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 22 of his last 24 games.
> Has 166 career three-pointers in his tenure, which is ninth all-time (13 shy of #8).
> Leads the team in scoring (16.5) and three-point field goal percentage (.444) ... Is #3 in the Big 12 Conference with his three-point accuracy.
> Initially scored a career high 27 points on Nov. 30 vs.
> Scored 19 second-half / overtime points in the win vs. Vanderbilt, including the game-winner with five seconds remaining.
> 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.
> First player in
> Has been one of the country's most effective/efficient players over his last five games, shooting 63 percent from the floor, while averaging 14.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals in just 23.8 minutes.
> Scored 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting at
> Had one of his best offensive nights at #2
> 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.
> Has reached double figures in scoring 17 times and in four of his last-five efforts.
> Has two double-doubles this season and five for his career, including 16 points and 11 boards vs.
> Sixth in school history with 116 career blocked shots and needs one more to pass Jevon Crudup (1991-94) who also 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 four games, averaging 9.5 points and 3.5 rebounds during that stretch ... Is shooting 55 percent from the floor.
> Grabbed six rebounds and scored 11 points in 22 minutes vs.
> Tied a career high with 11 rebounds at
> Incredible run of nine consecutive
> Narrowly missed a double-double vs.
> 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.
> Is the club's lone senior and enters his fourth year with the program, which includes 91 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
> Topped the 1,000-point mark in
> Has reached double figures 18 times this season and in 16 of his last 24 games.
> Came off the bench vs.
> Scored 16 points on 4-of-6 treys vs. Baylor ... Also added two assists.
> 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 57 dimes in 2010-11 after having just 39 assists all of last season.
> Scored 20 first-half points vs.
> 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 158 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
> 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.
> Played 13 minutes at
> 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.
> Career game in the season-opener vs.
> Grabbed a career high seven rebounds vs.
> Third on the squad with 26 blocked shots this season.
> Spent a portion of the summer playing with
About
Kansas State (19-9, 7-6) returns home after a 61-57 road win at Nebraska and the Wildcats have been one of the hottest teams in the Big 12, joining Mizzou in winning five of their last six games ... Jacob Pullen leads Kansas State in his senior season, averaging 19.5 points and an impressive 6.8 free throw attempts per game ... Pullen is joined in double figures by sophomore Rodney McGruder (11.3) ... McGruder averages 6.3 rebounds as well from his wing position and is the lone Wildcat to start all-28 games ... Kansas State is an outstanding 14-1 in Bramlage Coliseum this year, including an 84-68 win over then-#1 Kansas on Feb. 14.
Teaching `Em Young...
It's always better to give than receive and Missouri has two of the country's best young distributors of the basketball in sophomore Mike Dixon and freshman Flip Pressey ... Both underclassmen have 97 assists this season and are on the cusp of becoming just the second underclassmen tandem to top 100 assists in the same season, joining Anthony Peeler and current Oklahoma State head coach Travis Ford ... Peeler had 179 dimes that sophomore season, while Ford chipped in 105 ... The Missouri freshman record for dimes is 109 by Jimmy McKinney (2002-03).
More Sharing The Wealth Notes
Missouri has 76 wins over the past three seasons and it's no surprise that the Tigers have done it with unselfish basketball ... This year Mizzou is on pace to have eight players with 30 or more assists, the third highest total in school history ... However did you know that the top 30+ assist totals came each of the last two years, when Missouri had nine different players record 30+ dimes, both in 2008-09 (31 wins) and 2009-10 (23 wins)? ... It just goes to show you that unselfish basketball = winning basketball.
Bowers Barely Missing
Laurence Bowers is showing the consistency Head Coach Mike Anderson has been looking for over his last five games, as he is averaging 14.6 points and 6.8 rebounds to help give Missouri a steady inside presence.
> Bowers has topped double figures four times in his last five outings, including 20 points, nine boards and six steals vs. Baylor, 19 points at
> During this recent surge Bowers is shooting 63 percent from the floor (31-of-49) and has seven assists, nine steals and six blocks compared to just five turnovers.
Raise Your Hand If You Remember
Sure it's just one game that occurred 98 years ago, but that single contest is the difference between a 117-115 series lead (which Missouri claims) and a 116-116 series tie (which the Wildcats claim) ... The game took place on Feb. 12, 1913, in Manhattan, but oddly enough, both school's have box scores that support their historical claims ... Missouri calls it a 25-24 Tiger triumph, while K-State calls it a 26-25 Wildcat "W".
Denmon, English Reaches Milestones
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 needed just one extra game to top 1,000 points as he accomplished the feat at
> 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.
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 194 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 (3.4 apg) and Lakeem Jackson (2.7 apg) ... That duo has combined for 148 assists in 26 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
Duke 16-0
Notre Dame 15-0
Purdue 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 1.9 steals and his terrific on-ball defense has made him a likely candidate for the league's All-Defensive Team.
> 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.
> Denmon has also been an outstanding on-ball defender for
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
Tiger Year PPG APG TPG A/T
Flip Pressey 10-11 6.5 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 10.7 points per game, including double-figure scoring games in seven of his last 11 contests, while ranking among team leaders in assists (57) and steals (36) ... The 57 assists are a career high and he owns a positive assist/turnover ratio (57-to-55) on the year.
> English continues to be a potent shooter however and recently scored a season high 21 points vs.
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 94 swats in 28 games and need nine more blocks combined this season to become tops in school history.
Tandem Blks Year
Arthur Johnson/Travon Bryant 102 02-03
Laurence Bowers/Ricardo Ratliffe 94 10-11
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
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 16.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.9 steals for the Tigers this season ... He is also one of six Big 12 players named to the list.
