Nov. 5, 2008
As the eighth youngest team in the nation last season, the Missouri Tigers were forced to learn on the go. A year later, the 2008-09 squad will reap the benefits their on-the-fly training.
If last year was a learning experience, the upcoming season will take the team to the next level.
Mizzou returns all five starters and 97 percent of its scoring from a year ago, including the squad's top eight scorers. Every returning player earned at least one start and saw significant minutes in 2007-08.
This year's edition of the Tigers will take the steady improvements gained in 2007-08, highlighted by their upset of No. 11 Oklahoma in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament, add five newcomers to the mix, and look to surprise its opponents.
At the helm of the Tigers is Head Coach Cindy Stein, who returns for her 11th season on the bench. With a good combination of perimeter play, height, experience and fresh faces, Mizzou seems poised for a successful season.
Senior Class
Missouri's lone senior for the 2008-09 season may lack classmates but brings a wealth of experience to the court.
Alyssa Hollins, a guard who hails from Mesquite, Texas, returns for her senior campaign as the team's leading scorer from a year ago. The 2008 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection sharpshooter enters her final season as the program's career three-point leader.
Hollins, whose 16.6 ppg. ranked fourth in the conference, poured in 92 threes as a junior to shatter the single-single record and break the career record, where she sits at 166.
Junior Class
After entering their sophomore seasons as untested players, the 2008-09 junior class brings a wealth of experience, as each started at least 15 games last season.
Fayette, Mo., native Jessra Johnson looks to improve on a breakout season a year ago where she averaged 13.5 ppg. and a team high 7.7 rpg.
The 6'1" forward is strong enough to play down low with bigger defenders but has the ability to shoot from anywhere on the court.
Amanda Hanneman, a Blue Springs, Mo., native should continue her sharpshooting this year as she stands in second place in the record book with a .422 career 3-point shooting percentage. The 5'1" forward gained valuable experience last season where she started 15 games and posted double figures 10 times.
With 28 starts under her belt a season ago, point guard Toy Richbow is back to lead the Mizzou attack in 2008-09.
A natural point guard with excellent speed, Richbow can push the tempo for the Tigers and distribute the ball in the half court. The final member of the junior class is forward Marissa Scott, who hails from Iola, Kan. A well rounded player, Scott started 19 games as as sophomore despite missing three games to mononucleosis.
A skilled defender and strong rebounder, Scott also brings a deft shooting touch to the court.
Sophomore Class
The three-member sophomore class returns to the hardwood with extensive experience from a season ago and should all see plenty of playing time in 2008-09.
Guard RaeShara Brown saw minutes backing up Richbow at the point as a freshman. The Little Rock, Ark., native earned three starts last season and brings good court vision and awareness everytime she steps onto the court.
St. Charles, Mo., native
Shakara Jones erupted onto the collegiate scene with 27 points and 14 rebounds in her first game in a Mizzou uniform. The forward started 27 games a year ago and averaged 10.5 ppg. and 5.5 rpg. en route to the Dallas Morning News and Waco Tribune All-Big 12 Rookie teams.
5'9" guard Jasmyn Otote rounds out the sophomore class. The Duncanville, Texas, native sports a superior outside shot and also has the ability to put the ball on the floor and go to the basket. She played in all 31 games a year ago and recorded four starts.
Freshman Class
A quintet of newcomers are joined by a redshirt freshman to give the Tigers a five-member class that has a good combination of size and perimeter play.
Redshirt-freshman guard Bekah Mills enters this year fully recovered from a knee injury that forced the El Dorado, Kan., native to miss the entire 2007-08 season.
The 5'9" Mills had a strong preseason and was expected to see significant minutes before the injury. Now that she is back to peak condition, Mills will finally bring 3-point accuracy, ballhanding and passing ability to the court for the Tigers.
BreAnna Brock, a 6'2" forward, is one of two Tiger newcomers who hail from San Antonio, Texas. The athletic freshman, who averaged 9.0 ppg. and 9.0 rpg. as a senior for 36-2 Wagner High School, will provide height and depth in the paint for Mizzou this season. A three-sport standout, Brock starred in Volleyball and track for Wagner.
Fellow San Antonio, Texas, native Christine Flores comes to Mizzou as Winston Churchill High School's all-time leading scorer with 1,998 points. Missouri's second-tallest player at 6'3", Flores gives Missouri another talented forward in the paint. Also skilled around the basket, she notched 21.0 ppg. and 12.0 rpg. as a senior and was a two-time All-State selection by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches and the Texas Girls Coaches Association.
At 6'5", center Kendra Frazier is the tallest player on Mizzou's roster and should see immediate minutes. The Kansas Gatorade Basketball Player of the Year as a senior for Labette County (Kan.) High School, Frazier averaged a state-high 25.3 ppg. and holds ten school basketball records. The Altamont, Kan., native's skills and height in the paint give the Tigers a legitimate center.
Missouri's roster is rounded out by Bailey Gee, a guard from Andover, Kan., who played on the same AAU team as Mills. Gee was the 2008 Miss Kansas Basketball and a McDonald's and NIKE All-America nominee after averaging 21.7 ppg., 8.5 rpg. and shooting 62.5 percent from the field. At 5'11", she adds height and sharpshooting out on the perimeter for the Tigers.
The Schedule
A total of 16 home contests at Mizzou Arena and games with 15 opponents that reached postseason play last season highlight the Missouri women's basketball team's 2008-09 schedul
The slate features games contests with eight NCAA Tournament teams and seven schools that competed in the Women's National Invitation Tournament a year ago. Overall, 20 of Mizzou's 29 regular season contests come against teams that reached the postseason in 2007-08.
Top to bottom, the Big 12 Conference is one of, if not the, toughest league in the nation. With most of the top talent returning to the conference this season, a repeat of last year's conference-record eight teams qualifying for the NCAA Tournament is not out of the question.
