ISSUE #4 - JANUARY 2018 MIZZOU WITH CHANCE TO ENHANCE CUONZO MARTIN Head Coach TOURNAMENT RÉSUMÉ IN SEC PLAY CORNELL MANN As the holiday season goes into hibernation and the first Assistant Coach flurries of snow fall hit the ground, it is a telltale sign that Southeastern Conference basketball is underway. CHRIS HOLLENDER Assistant Coach After securing its first SEC road win since 2014 at South Carolina followed up by a gut-wrenching home loss to the Florida Gators, Missouri will regroup and turn its attention MICHAEL PORTER, SR. to the Georgia Bulldogs (Jan. 10th, 8 p.m.). Assistant Coach Georgia, which returns First-Team All SEC performer NICODEMUS CHRISTOPHER Yante Maten, will be the second of the Tigers’ two game Director of Athletic Performance homestand before Missouri will make its annual trip down to Fayetteville, Arkansas (Jan. 13th, 5 p.m.) for a Saturday showdown with the rival Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena. MARCO HARRIS Director of Player Development A veteran bunch, Arkansas possesses one of the most experienced rosters in the country, featuring six seniors. PAUL RORVIG The Razorbacks have already knocked off the likes of Director of Basketball Operations Oklahoma and Minnesota during its non-conference slate. In particular, seniors Jaylen Barford and Daryl Macon make MARCUS GREEN for a powerful 1-2 punch that the Tigers must be ready Asst. Director of Basketball Operations for. The two have accounted for 35.6 points per game, 6.8 rebounds while each are shooting over 40.0 percent from JOHN POETTGEN the 3-point line this season. Assistant to the Head Coach Missouri will then return home for a matchup versus Rick PAT BECKMANN Barnes and Tennessee (Jan. 17, 8 p.m.). The Volunteers have surprised in the early season with a 10-4 start. Athletic Trainer Missouri will then traverse south to the Lone Star State and play at Texas A&M. (Jan. 20th, 3 p.m.). The Aggies BRANDON BYER are led by highly touted NBA prospect Robert Williams along with fellow big-men Tyler Davis and Tony Trocha- Graduate Assistant Morelos in the frontcourt. CARL RICHBURG Thereafter, the Tigers will return to Mizzou Arena to face Bruce Pearl and Auburn (Jan. 24th, 8 p.m.). Missouri Graduate Assistant defeated its Tiger counterparts last season in the first round of the SEC Tournament, at the buzzer, via the heroics of junior forward Kevin Puryear. CONNOR WHEELER Missouri’s final two games in January will feature two very difficult road contests against the Mississippi Graduate Assistant State Bulldogs (Jan. 27th, 7:30 p.m.) and the Alabama Crimson Tide (Jan. 31st, 8 p.m.). Ben Howland’s Bulldogs have yet to lose a home contest at “The Hump” so far this season, while the Crimson Tide took down the LATISHA MAYES aforementioned Texas A&M Aggies in impressive fashion, at home, by a final score of 90-61 to start its Executive Assistant conference season. All information on opponents and game-times can be found at MUTigers.com DO YOU FOLLOW ? TAP THE ICONS TO THE LEFT! Keep up-to-date on everything Mizzou Basketball by following on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 2017-18 SCHEDULE THE NUMBERS GAME: MISSOURI DATE OPPONENT LOCATION / SCORE IMPRESSES DURING NON-CON 11-10-17 Iowa State W, 74-59 Mizzou Men’s Basketball has caught the attention of the 11-13-17 Wagner W, 99-55 number crunchers. 11-16-17 at Utah L, 77-59 11-20-17 Emporia State W, 67-62 According to CBSSports.com, the Tigers closed out 11-23-17 vs. Long Beach State ^ W, 95-58 their first-half campaign ranked at No. 20 in the Ranking Percentage Index, more commonly referred to as the RPI. 11-24-17 vs. St. John’s ^ W, 90-82 This statistic is a major facet of every school’s résumé that 11-26-17 vs. West Virginia ^ L, 83-79 the NCAA Tournament Committee analyzes come March 11-30-17 at UCF W, 62-59 ahead of “Selection Sunday.” 12-5-17 Miami (Ohio) W, 70-51 Additionally, Kenpom.com, which is a site developed by 12-9-17 Green Bay W, 100-77 college basketball statistician Ken Pomeroy, ranks every 12-16-17 North Florida W, 85-51 team in the NCAA, from 1 to 351, based on prominent analytical and statistical categories. 12-19-17 Stephen F. Austin W, 82-81 12-23-17 vs. Illinois # L, 70-64 The Tigers are slotted inside the Top-50 according to 1-3-18 at South Carolina * W, 79-68 Pomeroy’s AdjEM (Adjusted Efficiency Margin) marker, 1-6-18 Florida * L, 77-75 which is the simple subtraction between a team’s offensive and defensive ratings. 1-10-18 Georgia * Mizzou Arena 1-13-18 at Arkansas * Fayetteville, Ark. According to Pomeroy, that is a mark the Tigers haven’t 1-17-18 Tennessee * Mizzou Arena achieved since 2013, when Missouri finished the season as a Top-25 program and last made the NCAA Tournament. 1-20-18 at Texas A&M * College Station, Texas 1-24-18 Auburn * Mizzou Arena Missouri ranks among the Top-10 nationally in both 1-27-18 at Mississippi State * Starkville, Miss. Effective Field Goal Percentage (58.6%) and Three-Point 1-30-18 at Alabama * Tuscaloosa, Ala. Percentage (42.1%). 2-3-18 Kentucky * Mizzou Arena Overall, Missouri falls in at #22 in the nation in Adjusted 2-6-18 at Ole Miss * Oxford, Miss. Offensive Efficiency (115.4), which calculates how many 2-10-18 Mississippi State * Mizzou Arena points a team, on average, scores out of 100 possessions. 2-13-18 Texas A&M * Mizzou Arena These are all good signs trending forward for the Tigers 2-17-18 at LSU * Baton Rouge, La. before going full-throttle into Southeastern Conference 2-20-18 Ole Miss * Mizzou Arena play. 2-24-18 at Kentucky * Lexington, Ky. Furthermore, the SEC’s rekindled commitment to 2-27-18 at Vanderbilt * Nashville, Tenn. basketball will offer a bevy of opportunities for Missouri 3-3-18 Arkansas * Mizzou Arena to build upon its profile considering 10 of its 14 conference March 7 SEC Tournament % St. Louis, Mo. foes join them inside the Top-100 of the RPI to date. There is no such thing as a cake-walk come conference GAME TIMES AND play. The numbers speak for themselves. TV INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT MUTIGERS.COM * SEC game ^ AdvoCare Invitational at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida # Braggin’ Rights Game at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri % SEC Tournament played March 7-11at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri BARNETT INVESTING IN HIS FUTURE, COURT CHAT WITH... ON AND OFF THE COURT #1 Over senior forward Jordan Barnett’s last five games, he is averaging 21.2 points per game and shooting TERRENCE PHILLIPS scorching-hot percentages from the field and three-point line, 57 and 56 percent respectively. And that is not what he is most proud of, if you ask him. • JUNIOR • GUARD Rather, it is his revamped attitude toward academics • 5-11, 185 that has been most rewarding for Barnett in his time as a Tiger. • ORANGE COUNTY, CA Q: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ASPECT OF At his former institution, the University of Texas-Austin, BEING A MISSOURI TIGER? the then-freshman did not place the same value into keeping up in the classroom as he does now. A: “I’m all about Missouri from the Six Columns to the football, basketball, softball There were too many outlets for distraction during that teams, etc. I just love the school. So I don’t first year in college. really have one aspect that I particularly enjoy about being a Missouri Tiger. It just Barnett thought he could skate by with minimal effort encompasses everything all together.” and use his natural smarts to get by on all sorts of assignments and exams. Q: IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY JOB AS YOUR FUTURE PROFESSION, OUTSIDE His grades stayed barely above water because of it. OF BASKETBALL, WHAT WOULD THAT BE AND WHY? Most importantly, Barnett knew his mother would be less than thrilled when the final report card made its A: “I would say a videographer, traveling the way back home to St. Louis. world capturing the sights and the people. And I say that more in the frame of filming Indeed he was correct. people’s lives, big moments, weddings or anything else like that because seeing people The embarrassment set in. smile and love brings so much joy to my life.” Barnett wanted to do he and his family right. Q: WHAT IS THE GRIND OF SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE PLAY So, upon his transfer to Missouri, Barnett changed the way he viewed the academic side of being both LIKE? a high-major athlete and a college student. A: “Every team has multiple guys that can get His hard work has elevated his academic record to a level that he can now be proud of. His secret? it done for them and it’s an every night thing. Being organized. You have to bring your A-game. If you don’t, then it’s going to be a tough night, because of how intense the demands are to consistently win in the SEC.” Q: WHAT ARE THE FACETS OF YOUR GAME YOU MOST NEED TO IMPROVE TO BE THE BEST PLAYER/TEAMMATE THAT YOU CAN BE? A: “I already talk a decent amount, but being more vocal is never a bad thing, especially defensively for us. Also, I’m working on my handles to help create my own shots and opportunities for my teammates.” COURT CHAT WITH..