| Opponent | Location | Day/Time (CT) |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi State | Mizzou Arena - Columbia, Mo. | Saturday, Feb. 14 / 3:00 p.m. CT |
| Game Media | ESPNU  | Live Stats | Live Audio |
|
| Fan Info | @MizzouGameday | Buy Tickets | |
2014-15 Fan Guide  | Mizzou Arena Seating Chart |
||
TWEETABLE TIGER TRACKS...
• Mizzou Men's Basketball (7-17, 1-10) returns home to take on Mississippi State on Saturday, Feb. 14, at 3 p.m. on ESPNU.
• The Tigers are 4-1 all-time against the Bulldogs, including a 2-0 record with Mizzou as members of the SEC.
• Kim Anderson recorded a double-double (11 pts; 10 reb) in his playing days vs. Mississippi State, helping the Tigers win, 102-78, on Dec. 7, 1974.
• Senior guard Keith Shamburger's 2.5 assist/turnover ratio in SEC action ranks No. 2 in the conference.
• Mizzou lost sophomore guard Wes Clark for the remainder of the season after an arm injury at South Carolina (Feb. 10).
• Clark averaged just 4.1 points per game in 2013-14, but improved to lead Mizzou in scoring in conference games at 11.7 points per game.
• Mizzou's leading scorer, Johnathan Williams, III (12.0 PPG) averaged just 5.8 points per game in 2013-14.
• Williams ranks 7th in the conference in rebounds per game, averaging 7.0.
• Mizzou's freshmen and sophomores have played 64.8 percent of the team's minutes through 24 games.
A LOOK AT THE OPPONENT... MISSISSIPPI STATE
• Mississippi State (11-13, 4-7) enters Saturday's game at Mizzou Arena as winners of four of its last eight contests. The Bulldogs have dropped two in a row, first vs. Alabama (55-51, Feb. 10) and at Arkansas (61-41, Feb. 7), but preceded those setbacks with wins over LSU (73-67, Jan. 31) and at Tennessee (71-66, Feb. 3).
• The nearly even season record for the Bulldogs could be explained by Mississippi State's 61.4 points per game average compared against its 61.8 points allowed per game average. Two of head coach Rick Ray's players currently average 10 points or more per game: Fred Thomas (10.3) and Gavin Ware (10.0).
• Ware is also Mississippi State's enforcer on the glass, averaging 7.5 rebounds per game and having already recorded 25 blocks through 22 games played this season. Following up Ware in rebounds is Roquez Johnson, who averages 5.7 boards per game.
• Mizzou has won both matchups with Mississippi State since joining the SEC prior to the 2012-13 season. First, the Tigers defeated the Bulldogs, 78-36, on Feb. 13, 2013, in Starkville, Miss. Last season, Mizzou claimed an 85-66 victory over Mississippi State on March 1, 2014.
• The Tigers and Bulldogs met up for a two-game series for the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons, splitting the games. Mizzou won an 83-75 game in Columbia (Jan. 2, 2007) and dropped an 87-75 game in Starkville (Dec. 30, 2007).
• Head coach Kim Anderson has been involved in the series, as he recorded a double-double in the first all-time meeting between the two programs. Anderson, then a sophomore, scored 11 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to help Missouri to a 102-78 win over Mississippi State in Columbia during the Show-Me Classic on Dec. 7, 1974.
LOVE HURTS (FOR MIZZOU'S OPPONENTS)...
• Mizzou has an impressive recent and all-time history on Valentine's Day, annually celebrated on Feb. 14. The Tigers have won four consecutive games on Feb. 14 and hold an all-time record of 16-10 on the day.
• Mizzou's most common "date" for games on Feb. 14 has been Nebraska, with the Tigers and Huskers meeting up six times, with the earliest meeting in 1919 and latest meeting in 2009. Naturally, the two opponents "split" the games at three wins apiece.
A GREAT RUN ENDS FOR CLARK...
• Sophomore guard Wes Clark had become Mizzou's go-to scorer in conference play this season until a dive for a loose ball at South Carolina (Feb. 10) unraveled his budding second campaign as a Tiger. The resulting right arm injury, an elbow dislocation, will sideline Clark for the remainder of the season.
Clark took it upon himself to power Mizzou's offense during SEC action, scoring a team-best 11.7 points per game. Through 11 SEC games, Clark recorded team-high figures in field goals (47) and three-pointers (20). He additionally posted a team-high 16 steals in conference play.
• What Coach Anderson said about Wes Clark on Feb. 12: "He's really emerged as a guy who has kind of been our leader, especially on the floor. He's played with a great deal of determination and effort and I think he's improved. I felt bad for Wes."
VOTE FOR COACH ANDERSON...
• Mizzou head coach Kim Anderson has advanced to the second round of the four-round Infiniti Coaches' Charity Challenge. He is competing with 23 other NCAA Division I men's basketball coaches for a great cause: a $100,000 donation to charity. Anderson is representing Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbia, Missouri.
• Mizzou fans and those wishing to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbia, Missouri, can vote for Anderson at www.espn.com/infiniti.
• As an official corporate partner of the NCAA, Infiniti will make total donations throughout the competition of $349,000. As coaches advance throughout the competition, donations totaling $249,000 will be awarded to each of their charities of choice; the farther they advance, the more money the coaches raise. The final winning coach will receive a total of $100,000 to benefit his charity of choice.
• The second round runs from Jan. 26 - Feb. 15, with the third round of voting cutting the field to 16 coaches.
