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Beginning Monday, June 21st,
2004 CHN began unveiling 144 Team previews in 144 Days. CHN ranked the
nations top 144 teams, and is unveiling one per day leading up until the
opening day of the 2004-05 Season.
Bookmark the
144 Teams in 144 Days home page, and check back
each day to see which team is previewed next.
#38 Missouri Tigers
Big 12
2003-04: 16-14, 9-7, 6th
2003-04 postseason: NIT
By
Joel Welser
 The Tigers hope a change of venue
will help them forget their underachievement last year. The new Paige
Sports Arena will get plenty of action with 20 games slated at the new
court. A couple years of a troubled program is behind everybody in Columbia
for the most part. That black cloud won’t be hanging over the program as
much as it was last year and the team should be ready to come out and play
some basketball.
Who’s Out: Mizzou had one
of the best senior classes in the nation last year, although their
performance made that easy to forget at times. Yet, the loss of so many
quality players makes this an entirely different Tigers team. Arthur
Johnson led the team with 16.4 points per outing. The 6-9 center also
grabbed 7.5 boards per game. Rickey Paulding, a 6-5 guard, was a great
scorer averaging 15.1 points. The third senior starter last year was Travon
Bryant. The 6-9 forward averaged 10.6 points and 6.6 rebounds and, along
with Johnson, leaves a big hole under the basket. Guard Josh Kroenke was a
good option off the bench last year. Hustle and defense were the
intangibles that got Kroenke some playing time. He averaged over 16 minutes
in 28 games scoring just under three points per outing.
Who’s In: Point guard Jason
Horton could be starting from day one. Horton will compete with sophomore
Spencer Laurie, who only averaged 6.8 minutes in 21 games last year, for the
starting role. If Horton can be a starter, that would allow Jimmy McKinney
to move over the two guard spot where he is much more accustomed to
playing. Horton, the brother of Michigan point guard Daniel, can put up
some big numbers in the scoring column. Horton averaged 19.7 points and 5.8
assists as a senior at Cedar Hill High School in Texas. Glen Dandridge, a
6-6 forward / guard combo will compete with Jason Conley and Thomas Gardner
for some minutes in the backcourt. He has great size and will create some
mismatches with his stellar outside shooting. Marshall Brown will see time
at both forward positions this year. He’s relatively big at 6-7 and 210
pounds, but his quickness will beat many opposing forwards. Brown is a
great leaper and a solid low post player. Kalen Grimes rounds out the class
of freshmen. The 6-8, 250 pound Missouri native is a great rebounder. He
averaged 9.1 boards per game as a senior in high school last year and added
14.2 points. Grimes will provide another big body under the basket and will
be a fun one to watch. Jeffrey Ferguson played in 30 games in 2002-2003,
starting three of those campaigns. The junior redshirted last year after
having visa problems in Canada. Ferguson should compete with Kevin Young
for some quality minutes.
Who to Watch: Linas Kleiza
missed the last 14 games of his freshman season with a shoulder injury, but
he is back now and ready to dominate the Big 12. In the 16 games he played,
Kleiza averaged 11.1 points and 8.4 rebounds. Kleiza is more effective from
the high post and the Mizzou offense should be catered around the 6-8
forward. Injuries withstanding, the Lithuanian could be on the All-Big 12
team. Kleiza’s range doesn’t end in the paint. He can step outside and
keep the defense honest with an occasional 3-pointer. The numbers for
Kleiza should get better this year with an increase in minutes. In those 16
games last year, the forward only averaged 23.1 minutes per outing. If he
can stay out of foul trouble, he’ll be on the floor a lot longer.
Projected Conference Rank:
With the expectations lower and a new crop of players in Columbia, the
Tigers won’t have to worry about expectations to win the Big 12. That
should help the young team go out and just get the job done. A 5th
place conference finish and a trip back to the big dance will exceed most
expectations.
Projected Post-season
Tournament: NCAA
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Team #39 ,
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Email Joel Welser:
jwelser_chn@ameritech.net
Chat About CHN's Top #144
Ranking:
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