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| INSIDE THE NUMBERS |
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2000-01 record: 24-12;
9-7 in Big 12 (6th)
Postseason: Lost to Oklahoma 88-67 in NCAA West Region final.
RETURNING LEADERS
Points: Johnson 12.2
Rebs: Johnson 8.0
Assists: Paulding 8.3
FG: Bryant 57.6%
3pt: Paulding 44.2%
FT: Paulding 73.0%
01-02 Stats:
Missouri | Big 12
KEY LOSSES
Kareem Rush | 19.8 ppg
Clarence Gilbert | 17.0
Justin Gage | 4.1 rpg
PROJECTED STARTERS
G | Jim McKinney | Fresh
G | R. Clemmons| Junior
F | Travon Bryant | Junior
F | Rickey Paulding | Junior
C | Arthur Johnson | Junior
Player to Watch
Rickey Paulding
Junior Forward
Will be depended on to score like he did in Dance (18.2 ppg).
DATE TO REMEMBER
The game at Oklahoma State isn't as marquee as those against Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, but it is the only game against another of the mid-level teams in the Big 12. A victory in Stillwater would help solidify the Tigers place among the conference's top teams.
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MISSOURI TIGERS
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Rickey Paulding gave Missouri fans a glimpse of the future. When Missouri made its run to the Elite Eight, Paulding showed that the Tigers weren't all about Kareem Rush and Clarence Gilbert. Paulding, an athletic forward who can score from the inside and
out, pumped in 20 points in a second-round victory over Ohio State, he had 15 against UCLA and led the Tigers with 22 points in the
season-ending loss to Oklahoma. Hopefully he got used to it. Because this Missouri team is his. Quin Snyder's team might have lost as much as any team in the
Big 12 -- not a good thing for a team that wants to compete in the nation's toughest conference. But Paulding, forward Travon Bryant and center Arthur Johnson
learned what it takes to compete at the highest level. Snyder said all three have been good since the start of practice. That's a good thing
because they're going to have to be with Mizzou's backcourt being green. Ricky Clemons, a junior-college transfer, will be the Tigers primary point guard. He'll be joined by Jimmy McKinney, a talented freshman from St. Louis, who should be able to score immediately. With Justin Gage concentrating on football, Missouri is going to have to get more production out of sophomores Jeffrey Ferguson and Najeeb Echols. Junior guard Josh Kroenke is going to have to be more than just a long-range bomber off of the bench.
TOUGH ENOUGH..............................
Arthur Johnson should be able to be a strong inside player this season. After averaging 12.2 points and 7.9 rebounds
per game a year ago, Johnson has worked hard to improve and has become an inside force. He's strong enough to not be knocked around inside and
he's athletic enough to make plays. As a junior, Johnson should show why he was so highly touted out of Detroit.
TOUGH ENOUGH?..............................
The biggest issue for Snyder will be keeping everybody healthy. Something as simple as a turned ankle can mean that Missouri won't have enough players to go 5-on-5 in practice. That lack of depth will impact how Snyder coaches. He'll have to make sure the top Tigers are in good enough shape to play extended minutes, but he'll have to be careful not to ride them too hard and push them too far in between games.
BOTTOM LINE..............................
The Tigers talent level has been upgraded in Snyder's three years in Columbia. That talent -- while there's not enough
of it -- should be enough for Missouri to win 20 games and remain in the Big 12's upper division. That's not a small feat in the nation's top
conference and will be plenty for the Tigers to make a return trip to the NCAA Tournament.
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