Oct. 14, 2009
Columbia, Mo. -
Could it be Lucky #7 for Mizzou Basketball once again in 2010? For the second consecutive season the Tigers were picked seventh in the Big 12 Conference’s Preseason Coaches Poll and of course last year’s club finished with a school record 31 wins, a Big 12 Conference Tournament Championship and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight.
While the Tigers lost the services of All-Big 12 performers DeMarre Carroll and Leo Lyons and sharp-shooting guard Matt Lawrence, they do welcome back one of the nation’s top defensive backcourts and a host of returners that broke the school record with 27.0 bench points per game a season ago.
Leading Missouri’s efforts in 2009-10 will be returning starters J.T. Tiller and Zaire Taylor. Tiller was named the Big 12 Conference’s Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2009 and enjoyed a strong offensive finish to his junior campaign, averaging 13.0 in four NCAA Tournament contests. Tiller has been listed on numerous preseason Defensive All-America squads and is fully healthy after off-season wrist surgery. His backcourt cohort, Taylor, earned Big 12 All-Tournament Team honors in 2009 and made starts in 37 ball games, while ranking among the nation’s leaders with a 3.0-to-1 assist/turnover ratio.
The Tigers also have two players back that logged starts last season, sophomore wing Kim English and the team’s leading shot-blocker and top post defender, Keith Ramsey. English enjoyed a strong finish to his rookie campaign in NCAA Tournament play, while Ramsey led MU with 31 blocked shots and scored eight points in 17 minutes against Connecticut in the NCAA Tournament.
Joining those Tigers are a number of key players stepping into enhanced roles in 2010. Backcourt performers Marcus Denmon and Miguel Paul are back after playing in all 38 games a season ago, while junior Justin Safford and sophomores Laurence Bowers and Steve Moore give MU added depth in the paint.
The University of Kansas was the unanimous preseason pick to win the Big 12 Conference this season. Texas and Oklahoma round out the top three.
Missouri Basketball opens practice for the 2009-10 campaign on Friday and will host its annual Black & Gold Game on Oct. 23 at 8 p.m. The Friday of Homecoming weekend, the Black & Gold Game costs just $5 and Mizzou students will be admitted free with an ID. A portion of the proceeds from the Black & Gold Game will help support the Boys & Girls Club of Columbia.
For more information on Mizzou Basketball, please visit our website, mutigers.com.
Team (First Place Votes) Points
Kansas (11) 121
Texas (1) 111
Oklahoma 95
Kansas State 92
Texas A&M 74
Oklahoma State 69
Missouri 66
Iowa State 57
Texas Tech 34
Baylor 33
Nebraska 38
Colorado 13
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