TIPOFF: 6:06 p.m. CST. ARENA: Mizzou Arena - Columbia, Mo. (15,061). TV: Mizzou Sports Network / (Chris Gervino, play-by-play; Norm Stewart, analyst); game available to ESPN Full Court subscribers. RADIO: Tiger Radio Network (Mike Kelly play-by-play; Gary Link analyst); Sirius Ch. 140. RANKINGS: Mizzou: NR Oklahoma: NR SERIES: Oklahoma leads 110-92; Tigers lead 58-31 in Columbia. COACHES: Mizzou:Mike Anderson (Tulsa ’82); 105-50 overall (5th season); 16-9 at Mizzou (1st). Oklahoma: Jeff Capel (Duke ’97) 94-51 overall (1st season); 15-10 at OU (1st).
FOR OPENERS
Mizzou will look to extend its winning streak to three games on Tuesday, when it hosts the Oklahoma Sooners at Mizzou Arena ... The Tigers have won three consecutive against OU, including last season’s thrilling 71-69 win in Norman, which saw Marshall Brown hit a pair of free throws with just 1.8 seconds remaining and the score tied at 69-69.
The Tigers will also look for their sixth win in nine tries in Big 12 action ... Mizzou opened Big 12 play 0-4, but has since rattled off five wins to move up the Big 12 standings ... The Tigers currently stand just one game out of fifth place in the Big 12 standings, despite being picked to finish 11th in the preseason polls.
The future appears bright for Head Coach Mike Anderson’s Tigers ... In addition to this strong finish, Mizzou has zero scholarshipped seniors on this season’s roster and will gain the services of highly-touted junior DeMarre Carroll, who is sitting out after transferring from Vanderbilt.
Among players eligible for Big 12 Newcomer of the Year honors (non-freshman award), Stefhon Hannah ranks No. 2 in scoring (15.6 points per game), No. 1 in assists (4.6), No. 1 in steals (2.7), No. 1 in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.44-to-1), No. 1 in three-point field goal percentage (.407), No. 1 in field goal percentage (.468) and No. 2 in three-point field goals (2.0).
Despite returning just two starters and 37 percent of its scoring from last season’s 12-16 club, Mizzou has already surpassed last season’s win total and has 16 victories on the year ... The four-game improvement is the most in the Big 12 Conference this season (tied with Kansas State) and Anderson’s 16 wins are the fourth most in school history among first-year head coaches at MU.
As a team, Mizzou leads the Big 12 and ranks No. 3 nationally with 10.7 steals per game and has 268 total steals ... The Tigers only had 167 total steals during the entire 2005-06 season ... Missouri needs just two more thefts to move into the single-season Top Five and needs just 28 more steals to break the school record of 295 set in 1985-86.
Freshman standout Keon Lawrence is averaging 10.3 points per game in Big 12 play and is pouring in 15.3 points per game since joining the starting line-up on Feb. 6 at Iowa State ... The Tigers are an impressive 3-1 in the four contests Lawrence has started.
MIZZOU QUICK HITTERS
Mizzou will go searching for its third consecutive win on Tuesday when it hosts the Oklahoma Sooners at 6 p.m.
Tuesday’s game will mark the fourth all-time meeting between Head Coach Mike Anderson and OU Head Coach Jeff Capel ... Anderson is 3-0 all-time versus Capel, with those three victories coming each of the last three seasons ... UAB won at Virginia Commonwealth 68-58 on Dec. 18, 2003, before winning at home 79-55 on Nov. 27, 2004, and 68-62 on Jan. 2, 2006.
Mizzou is looking to sweep the state of Oklahoma for the second consecutive season ... The Tigers have actually swept both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State twice times over the past three seasons ... A win Tuesday would make it three out of four vs. the Sooner State.
Speaking of the sweep, Mizzou’s 75-64 win at Oklahoma State was the first since the 1995-96 season.
Mizzou’s 11-point win at No. 18 OSU was its largest margin of victory on the road vs. a Top 25 foe since an 87-76 win a No. 11 Arkansas on Dec. 7, 1991.
Missouri needs just eight more three-point makes to move into the single-season top five ... The Tigers have made 206 treys this season and the 1997-98 Tigers are No. 5 all-time with 214 triples.
Missouri’s 38.0 percent stroke from three-point range is No. 6 all-time in school history.
A key statistic for the Tigers continues to be rebounding ... Mizzou is 10-1 when outrebounding its opposition ... That lone loss came at Kansas on Jan. 15 when the Tigers outrebounded the Jayhawks 43-42, but fell 80-77.
Mizzou’s bench continues to play a key role this season and has outscored its opposition’s bench in 19-of-25 games this year ... The Tigers are 16-3 in those games.
The Tigers have enjoyed 16 double-figure scoring performances from their bench this year, led by freshman Keon Lawrence, who has accomplished the feat eight times off the pine.
Head Coach Mike Anderson was named the No. 1 Immediate Impact Coach in America by Sports Illustrated’s Seth Davis
Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl named Anderson one of his six most innovative coaches in America.
Anderson was also listed as the leading candidate for National Coach of the Year by Mike DeCourcy and the Sporting News.
ESPN’s Jay Bilas paid equal props to Anderson, saying he was in fine shape to win Coach of the Year honors.
With its 79-65 win at Colorado on Jan. 24, Missouri recorded its 1,400th victory as a program ... Missouri is 38th all-time in NCAA Division I Basketball wins and joined Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are the only other Big 12 schools to have reached the 1,400 win plateau.
Ol' Mizzou ranks No. 3 nationally with 10.7 steals per game ... So far this season the Tigers have 268 total steals, which is already more than the 167 steals Missouri recorded during the entire 2005-06 season ... In case you were wondering, Virginia Military (VMI) leads the nation with 16.3 steals per game.
At their current pace of 10.7 steals per game, the 2006-07 Tigers would break the school record of 295 set in 1985-86 ... Missouri is on pace for 321 steals.
Despite returning just 37.6 percent of its scoring from last season, Missouri is No. 4 in the Big 12 with 77.1 points per game ... The Tigers also rank No. 2 in three-point field goals (8.2).
Also labeled as undersized, Missouri is averaging 32.3 points per game in the paint, including a season best 50 tallies in the opener against North Carolina A&T.
Another improved area for the Tigers has come in bench production ... Missouri is averaging 25.4 points per game from its bench through 25 games, including a season high 49 points vs. Lipscomb ... Last season, Missouri’s reserves averaged just 11.9 points per game.
If you simply take raw scoring numbers Mizzou’s bench scored 334 point through 28 games last season ... So far this year, Tiger reserves have accounted for 630 points.
Missouri is scoring nearly 30-percent of its points (20.9-of-77.1) off of opponent turnovers ... The Tigers are forcing an average of 19.6 turnovers per game and scoring 20.9 points off of those opponent miscues.
Speaking of turnovers, Mizzou forces one turnover every four possessions ... Overall, Missouri has forced 489 turnovers in 1,864 total possessions for its opposition, that’s a percentage of 26.3, which ranks No. 2 nationally ... The Tigers also record a steal once every six-plus possessions (14.3 percent), which is No. 3 nationally.
As a team, Missouri is No. 39 nationally at 38.0 percent shooting from three-point range (206-of-542) ... The Tigers have topped double figures in three-point makes six times this season ... The Tigers topped double figures in three-pointers just twice all of last year (at Davidson and at home vs. Kansas).
Overall, the Tigers have topped 80 points in nine of 25 games and have won seven of their 16 games by 20-plus points ... Over the previous two seasons combined (2004-05 and 2005-06), Missouri topped 80 points in scoring just six times ... Over the previous four seasons (2002-06) Mizzou won just eight (total) games by 20-plus point margins.
TIGER TIDBITS (Individual Notes)
Stefhon Hannah continues to be one of the nation’s top newcomers and ranks No. 9 nationally and No. 2 in the Big 12 in steals per game at 2.7 per outing ... He also ranks No. 5 in the Big 12 with 4.5 assists and No. 11 in scoring (15.6).
Hannah is averaging a team-leading 16.5 points on 54.0 percent shooting from the floor (34-of-63) and 51.6 percent shooting from three-point range (16-of-31) over his last six games.
Hannah has topped five or more steals in a game six times this season and has already joined the Mizzou single-season Top Three ... In fact, Hannah needs just 11 more steals to claim the MU single-season record.
Hannah has dished 115 dimes this season and needs just seven more assists to move into the Mizzou single-season top 10.
Hannah and Jason Horton rank No. 9 nationally with a combined 4.1 steals per game.
Freshman Keon Lawrence is averaging 21.0 points on 70.8 percent shooting (17-of-24) from the floor over his last-two games.
Lawrence opened with a career high 24 points against Baylor, which is the eighth-highest scoring total for a Mizzou freshman in school history.
He followed that with a game-high 18 points at Oklahoma State and his 42 points over two games are the most for an MU freshman since Kareem Rush scored a combined 50 points in games against Texas Tech (31) and Kansas State (19).
Over his last six games, Lawrence is averaging 15.7 points on 58.6 percent shooting from the floor and 48.1 percent shooting from three-point range (13-of-27).
Jason Horton continues to be outstanding protecting the ball this season and ranks No. 3 in the Big 12 with a 2.32-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio ... Over his last six games Horton has 21 assists and just four turnovers.
Horton needs just 14 more assists to top the century mark for the third consecutive season ... Horton would join Anthony Peeler and Melvin Booker as the lone Tigers to accomplish that feat three consecutive years.
Horton needs just 20 more assists to move into the Missouri career Top 10.
Marshall Brown recorded career highs in back-to-back games, initially scoring 24 points at Texas, before dropping in 28 in the first meeting with Kansas State, which is the highest scoring total by a Tiger this season.
Brown has supplemented his scoring nicely from the free throw line since the start of Big 12 play and is 46-of-61 in league action, which ranks No. 15 in Big 12 games ... Brown is scoring 4.3 of his 13.4 points per game (Big 12 scoring average) from the free throw line.
Kalen Grimes continues to be a much-improved rebounder and is averaging 6.8 boards over his last four games.
Grimes is coming off a 16-point, nine-rebound effort against Kansas and has finished one rebound shy of a double-double in two of his last three outings.
Matt Lawrence continues to be one of the nation’s top three-point shooters and ranks No. 3 in the Big 12 and No. 27 nationally at 44.6 percent.
As the numbers show, Lawrence is among the Big 12’s most improved player this season and has upped his scoring average 747-percent from the 1.5 points per game he averaged as a freshman ... Lawrence is second on the club with 11.2 points per game and ranks No. 2 in the Big 12 with his 2.64 three-pointers per game.
Lawrence leads the team with 66 3-point makes this year and has shot at least 50 percent from three-point range in 10-of-25 games this year.
Lawrence needs just six more treys to move into the Mizzou single-season Top 10 ... Jason Sutherland is 10th on that list with 72 treys.
Lawrence was named the nation’s No. 1 Surprise Impact Player by ESPN’s Stephen Bardo on College Game Night.
Darryl Butterfield made his first career start on Feb. 3 vs. Nebraska, and responded with 10 points, six boards and two steals in 17 minutes of action.
Kansas City, Kan., native Leo Lyons has provided a big lift inside for the Tigers since the start of Big 12 play ... Lyons is averaging an improved 19.0 minutes per game during league action after averaging 16.5 minutes per game in non-conference competition.
One reason for Lyons’ increased playing time has been because of his defense ... Over his last 13 games, Lyons is averaging 1.7 steals per game, which is No. 2 on the club ... He has recorded multiple steals in eight of Missouri’s last 13 contests as well.
WITH A MISSOURI WIN:
The Tigers would sweep the state of Oklahoma (Oklahoma and Oklahoma State) for the second consecutive season.
Mizzou would surpass its Big 12 Conference win total from last season and improve to 6-7 in league play after opening the season 0-4.
The Tiger would improve to 6-3 in their last nine Big 12 contests.
The Tigers would have their first three-game winning streak in the Big 12 since 2004-05 ... The Tigers won four consecutive Big 12 games during that stretch.
Mizzou would record its 17th win of the year, the most since winning 22 games in 2002-03.
The Tigers would improve five games on their 2005-06 win total of 12 ... The five-game improvement would be the most at Mizzou since the 2001-02 season ... The Tigers won 20 games in 2000-01 and then won 25 in 2001-02 ... The five-game improvement would tie Walter Meanwell for the highest total for a first-year head coach at Mizzou ... Meanwell improved five games during his first season in 1917-18.
Head Coach Mike Anderson would have his 17th win as head coach at Mizzou, which would be the second most for a first-year head coach in school history.
Anderson would be just one win shy of tying the school record for wins by a first year head coach ... Quin Snyder won 18 games in 1999-00.
MORE ABOUT THE SOONERS
Oklahoma (15-10, 6-6 Big 12) enters Tuesday’s contest on a two-game losing skid following a 58-51 defeat at Iowa State on Feb. 13 and a 56-49 home loss to Texas A&M on Feb. 17 ... The Big 12’s No. 2-ranked defensive unit, the Sooners are allowing just 57.7 points per game on the year and have held 20-of-25 opponents below 70 points ... Prior to the back-to-back losses at Iowa State and against Texas A&M, OU enjoyed a four-game winning streak, including a 68-64 road win at Baylor ... The Sooners are 1-6 in road games this season and 3-8 away from Lloyd Noble, including neutral-court wins against Chaminade and Tulsa ... Longar Longar leads the Sooners in scoring (11.8) and rebounding (7.6) ... Nate Carter helps to form a talented front line with 10.9 points and 4.8 boards per night ... 2005-06 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year Michael Neal is third on the club with 10.0 points per game and paces OU with 40 treys.
SERIES WITH OKLAHOMA
Mizzou goes searching for its fifth win in seven tries against Oklahoma on Tuesday ... Overall, Oklahoma leads the all-time series 110-92, but Mizzou owns a 58-31 series advantage in Columbia ... If history is any indicator, expect a close game on Tuesday ... Each of the last-five games have been decided by four points or less, including last season’s 71-69 win in Norman ... Missouri is searching for its third consecutive win against OU in Columbia.
K. LAWRENCE WINS BIG 12 ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Mizzou freshman guard Keon Lawrence was named the Big 12 Conference’s Rookie of the Week after averaging 21.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in a 78-71 win over Baylor and a 75-64 win at No. 18 Oklahoma State.
Lawrence opened his outstanding week with a career high 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting against Baylor. The Newark, N.J., native hit 4-of-6 treys vs. the Bears, while grabbing a career high eight boards. The 24 points were the eighth-highest scoring total in school history for a Tiger freshman and the most since Rush poured in 31 at Texas Tech in 1999-2000. Lawrence added two assists and two blocks vs. the Bears and failed to commit a turnover in 34 minutes of action.
Lawrence followed that effort up with a game-high 18 points at No. 18 Oklahoma State on 8-of-11 shooting. The 6-foot-2 guard hit 2-of-3 shots from three-point range, while grabbing a career-high tying (and game high) eight rebounds. He also dished two assists and recorded a pair of steals in 35 minutes.
For the week, Lawrence shot a remarkable 17-of-24 (70.8 percent) from the floor, including 6-of-9 shooting (.667) from three-point range.
HANNAH'S BIG 12 RANKS
Rank
Category
Total
1.
Assists
4.6
1.
Steals
2.64
1.
Assist/TO Ratio
1.44
1.
3-Point FG Pct.
0.407
1.
FG Pct.
0.468
2.
Scoring
15.6
2.
3-Point FG/Gm.
2.0
HERE'S YOUR BIG 12 NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
With his consistent performance throughout the year, junior college transfer Stefhon Hannah is solidifying himself as the leading candidate for Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Year recognition. A transfer from Chipola Community College, Hannah ranks among the Big 12’s top non-freshman newcomers in seven statistical categories.
K-LAW'S RANKING HIGH ABOVE MU ROOKIES
Simply put, only five Mizzou freshmen have poured in more points than the 24 tallies Keon Lawrence registered last week vs. Baylor ... Lawrence hit 9-of-13 field goals, including 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the arch en route to that career high 24-point outing.
Only Steve Stipanovich (twice), Derrick Chievous (twice), Nathan Buntin, Doug Smith and Kareerm Rush have eclipsed 24 single-game points during their freshmen seasons at MU.
One final note, freshmen weren’t able to play at the NCAA level until the 1972-73 season.
HORTON ABOUT TO JOIN MIZZOU ELITE
Jason Horton has had a knack for setting up his teammates during his three seasons in Columbia and the Dallas, Texas, native needs just 14 more assists to become only the third player in school history to top the century mark in assists three consecutive years.
Horton will join Anthony Peeler (1988-92) and Melvin Booker (1990-94) as the only Tigers to dish 100 dimes three consecutive years.
Horton is also closing in on Mizzou’s Top 10 in career assists ... Horton has 310 career helpers and needs just 20 more assists to tie Clarence Gilbert (1999-2002) and Brian Grawer (1998-2001) for 10th with 330 career assists.
LET'S KEEP IT IN PERSPECTIVE
There have been a number of outstanding coaching jobs in the Big 12 Conference this season and Head Coach Mike Anderson has already helped Mizzou top its win total from the entire 2005-06 season ... With its 71-58 win over Texas Tech on Jan. 27, Mizzou earned its 13th win of the year, surpassing the 12-16 overall mark the Tigers had last season ... Currently the Tigers are up to 16 wins following their 75-64 win at No. 18 Oklahoma State on Feb. 17.
While Anderson isn’t the lone first-year coach in the Big 12 to eclipse his program’s win total from last season, his accomplishment could be considered more impressive than most ... Consider this, Missouri returned just 37 percent of its scoring from last season, while, Kansas State, returns 79 percent and Oklahoma State returns 76 percent ... Oklahoma returns 45 percent, while Nebraska returns 42 percent and Iowa State returns 35 percent.
